BIG WAVE AFRICA ON HOLD FOR 2002.

The challenge of riding Africa's biggest surfable wave ended on Sunday when the 19-day waiting period for the other version of Red Bull Big Wave Africa drew to a close.

Despite showing glimpses of its awesome power and size during the past three weeks, Dungeons, the exposed venue under the cliffs of the Sentinel, a surf-minute boat ride from Hout Bay harbour, did not produce the day of consistent waves exceeding five metres in height required to run the event.

Many of the 16 invited big wave surfers and five alternates rode Dungeons every time it broke, with two particularly memorable sessions in the past week featuring occasional six metre waves that had everyone's adrenaline pumping, snapping 10mm leashes and half a dozen surfboards while giving the water safety crew plenty of opportunity to hone their rescue techniques.

The four special awards made at the closing function on Sunday evening saw Durban's John Whittle pocket Rsurf 000 from Sensei Threads for the biggest wave ridden during the event and Mickey Duffus from Kommetjie receive R5 000 from Sport & Surf for the best tube ride.

The dubious distinction of the heaviest wipeout went to Richie Sills, which earned the 21 year-old Durbanite R5 000 from Billabong, while the Deep Throat award for the most committed surfer during the waiting period, and R3 000 from the Surf Centre, rewarded the gung ho approach taken by Chris Bertish which resulted in the fearless Capetonian breaking three surfboards.

The 16 invitees also each earned R2 500 with the balance of the BWA other prize-money added to next year's purse, taking it up to R160 000.

Along with the bone-crushing power of the waves, the inherent dangers of surfing at Dungeons include icy water temperatures, kelp beds and the nearby Duiker Island seal colony that attracts the surfers' worst nightmare, great white sharks. This results in each session during BWA taking place under the watchful eyes of a flotilla of water safety personnel in inflatable boats and on personal watercraft.

As Dungeons falls within the Cape Peninsula National Park, which prohibits the use of motorised craft within 500 metres of the shoreline without a permit, the challenge of riding the continent's biggest waves will only be resumed again when Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2002 is staged next year.

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