This is an event not for the faint hearted. Surf boat races are a test of skill and determination, as teams from around the world go head-to-head in their surf boats past the breaking waves and the buoy, to return to shore before the other crews.
Consisting of five competitors, a surf boat crew has four rowers and a sweep, who controls the boat via a sweep oar and provides instructions to the rowers.
To know what happens in the surf boat race, see the description below.
Boat crews stand in knee-deep water holding their boats about 23m apart.
After the starting signal, crews’ row around the assigned turning buoys positioned approximately 400m from the start and return to the beach.
The finish is determined by any part of the hull crossing the finish line from the seaward side, between the designated flags.