The 2025 Shark Island Challenge delivered on its promise with a finale straight out of your favourite fairy tale. Mike Stewart, the greatest of all time in bodyboarding, took on Australia’s best to claim his second Shark Island Challenge title – 25 years after his first on the 4th edition of the event.
Photos by @lucasalisburyphoto @samvennphotography @ianbirdphoto
The 2025 Shark Island Challenge took place on Friday, 4th of July. We have to be honest: we didn’t watch! You see, we are halfway to the other part of the World. When the event starts in Australia we are about to go to bed and sleep.
Despite that, we don’t even know there was a live webcast taking place. No PR sent or any kind of warning. Aussie bodyboarding seems to live in a bubble, but that’s the way it is and we just gotta love and understand this fuckers.
Keeping true to the youth roots is all that matters. That and charging big waves, producing fluid moves with style, and venture in new slaby challenging spots.
At age 62, Hawaiian Mike Stewart surprised everybody and took the victory at the Island for the second time in his career. Mike is an old school bodyboarder, so there had to be barrels to come up (with 15,64 pts) on top and overcome the other finalists: Lewy Finnegan (2) 14,76; Dave Winchester (3) 12,36; and Jase Finlay (4) 6,60.
“The highlight of my highlight career”, he said in the awards ceremony, adding “Don’t give up on the guy who doesn’t give up”. Mike doesn’t give up, and here’s the proof – a win at 62 years old in a draw field that includes some of the sports most elite athletes.
The Shark Island Chellenge is an amazing event. Made of friends and boog lords who perfectly understand the meaning of ‘all gas, no brakes’. The dynamic in the water is composed of airs, spins, pits.
Sophie Leathers and Rio Clark battled for the Women’s trophy, the first in the History of the event, but in the end it was Sophie who secured the numbers to take out the prestigious win.
Enough for words. The S.I.C. 2025 was like a fairy tale ending. “I did it! I fucking did it!”, wrote uncle Mike. Yes, you did.
Please watch/enjoy the extended highlights clip below for a full recap.
