In March 2009, a whole bunch of the world's best surfers headed to Marrawah for the first international surf contest ever held in Tasmania.



Not everyone was stoked that the cold water surfing paradise that is the far Northwest of Tassie was to be exposed to the surfing world-at-large but most were keen to see some of the action.



As it transpired, the O'Neill sponsored Cold Water Classic, a leg of the World Qualifying Series tour, was blessed with some big, powerful waves. The likes of CJ Hobgood, Jordy Smith and Corey Lopez likened the power and quality to premier surfing destinations including Hawaii's North Shore and France's Hossegor.



Some of Tasmania's best surfers also took many positives away from the experience. Dustin Hollick and Jy Johannesen surfed in the main event. Hollick even won a heat at solid, barreling Bluff Reef.



This photo-essay is a little bit about our Tasmanian surfing history and a whole lot about the beauty of raw power.