Surfer Laura Enever does not like to walk away from a challenge, even if it is one as massive as a six-metre wall of water.
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The former World Championship Tour surfer is one of three women who will compete this year for the first time in the Red Bull Cape Fear competition at Tasmania's Shipstern Bluff, about 110km east of Hobart.
The six-month competition window opened on Monday with the 23 invited entrants, including three-time world champion Mick Fanning, having 48 hours to make their way to the menacing break when a perfect swell arrives.
"I was super-excited when I found out I had the invite," Enever told AAP.
"This is my first big wave tow-in event and it's the first time the girls have ever been invited to this so I'm trying to get as much advice as I can from the other guys who have competed before.
"It scares me but also excites me and I'm honoured to be one of the girls chosen to surf it."
The other two are local hope Lizzie Stokely and West Australian Laura Macaulay, with the trio competing in a one-hour winner-takes-all final.
Enever has surfed Shipstern twice before, and after wiping out so badly it tore her wetsuit, surfed a four-metre barrel she described as the "best wave of my life".
"I remember getting down there and thinking 'this is stupid - it's so big and it breaks so close to the rocks'.
"It's so loud and intimidating when you see it for the first time but I mustered up the courage to jump off the rocks and go and sit in the line-up and eventually I did give it a go that time."
The 29-year-old walked away from the world tour in 2017 after seven years, finishing top 10, feeling burnt out and deciding that big waves were her calling.
It came, strangely enough, after injuring her MCL while surfing a six-metre wave at Hawaii's feared Jaws break.
Her parents thought the injury would be enough to send her back to the world tour, but it only fuelled the fire.
"I actually had a pretty big wipe-out at Jaws, which is the biggest I've surfed," Enever said.
"But it was the only thing I could think about and I decided from then I was going to quit my job and go down a whole new path.
"I've always loved big waves - there's nothing like pushing yourself in big-wave surfing.
"The last few years I've shocked myself by how far I've been able to push myself in big waves."
Australian Associated Press
