Paddle Mag 4 2019 August | September

Mar ath o Cha n mps

West Coast Express

s u i t i r u a M We e k i k s f r Su KAYAK

CANOE POLO

Issue 4 2019 Aug/Sep

Berg River Marathon

SURFSKI

CANOE

Full Calendars

T C O 26

22km Downwind

Milnerton to Melkbos WSSL points on offer Equal Prize Money Fantastic Handicap system

r e t n e

webscorer.com

more info WESTCOASTDOWNWIND.COM

7 DEC 23 NOV 5 NOV 26 OCT 28 Sep

Irish Coast Challenge Dublin

West Coast Express Cape Town

Hong Kong Dragon Run Hong Kong

Perth Doctor Perth

20 Beaches Sydney

Contents

FEATURES

68 76

paddling tips V7 review Out and aboutGordon’s

20 WSSL Series coming to Cape Town 28 SA marathon champs Bay and Stanford 80 Calendars 32 pete marlin surfski Less than 100 days to go 92 view from the back 40 Christie Mackenzie of the boat 44 South African SUP champs 64 SA Canoe polo juniors On the way to Ireland 66 what is a zone Canoe Polo Tech

72 upper body ready

strength training to improve your PB

RACES

12 berg river marathon 22 gorge downwind champs 36 mauritius surfski week 48 vaal marathon 58 scottburgh to brighton

REGULARS

10 tidbits News! News! News!

52 Opinion Great Design

on the cover

Road to China

IMAGE EVENT Mauritius Surfski Week 2019 PHOTOGRAPHER Rob Mousley

Send your letters to admin@thepaddlemag.co.za

FIND us on the WEB thepaddlemag.co.za FB @thepaddlemag PUBLISHER Terrence Pomeroy-Ward terrence@thepaddlemag.co.za AD SALES admin@thepaddlemag.co.za DESIGNER Tracy Ward ADMIN admin@thepaddlemag.co.za PUBLISHED ON Issuu.com

CONTRIBUTORS

DON WEWEGE Don is the National u21 mens canoe polo coach and heads up canoe polo in the Western Cape. He is a former national and African champion in canoe slalom and has raced in everything from extremekayaking to flatwater sprints.

crispin thompson I was lucky enough to be introduced to paddling as a youngster by my father and have enjoyed both river and sea paddling across South Africa since. Paddling has allowed me to explore a realm where excitement and trepidation intersect with a frequency that keeps me coming back for more.

I have a particular affinity for longer, adventure style races as they provide the opportunity to challenge both my mental and physical capabilities.

Natali Coetzee Natali is an avid photographer and writer, but she’d just as soon exchange the tools of the trade for a paddle and canoe. Rapids still terrify her, but sometimes, she’ll face those fears. She believes that everyone needs encouragement, and will happily cheer on all other paddlers.

CELLIERS KRUGER

Writer of paddling books; designer and manufacturer of some of the most innovative kayaks on the market; expedition paddler with descents on four continents; veteran of races like Dusi, Fish and Berg; freestyle kayaker representing SA at World Championships; safety kayaker and raft guide on various rivers in Africa and Europe; ex-competitor in canoe polo and raft racing; experienced in open canoeing, surfski, slalom, wildwater racing and oar rafting; mechanical engineer with intimate understanding of fluid dynamics; reluctant coach and eternal student.

KEVIN BRUNETTE Kevin is an established surfski paddler, having completed three Cape Point Challenges. He is motivated by technique and boat speed, and can often be seen on the water perfecting his stroke or at the gym working on his fitness.

He has authored and published a number of books of surfski. They are available in epub, pdf or kindle formats. Google ‘surfski book’ for the links.

Tarryn King

Tarryn started surfing at 14 and has been SUPing for 7 years. she holds multiple SA titles for Surfing and Stand up paddleboarding. She is the current World SUP Sprint Champion, SA SUP waveriding Champion, SA SUP waveriding Champion and Female downwind record holder in SA.. Tarryn and her family spend their lives down at the beach and in the sea, it’s a lifestyle!

ROB MOUSLEY Rob Mousley won the Cape Town Surfski Series “Most Enthusiastic Paddler of the Year” award in 2005, and nothing’s changed since then. When the southeaster blows, he’s usually to be found on the world renowned Miller’s Run, which is conveniently located near his home in Cape Town.

Having been involved in a number of rescues over the years, he’s become a keen advocate for safety in surfski paddling.

6

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

jamii hamlin Jamii is an inventor, product designer and eco-entrepreneur.

These pursuits have yielded him acclaim with numerous accolades, including a SABS Design Award for The Performer Canoe Seat to relieve paddlers of ‘dead leg’.

With an appetite for outdoor pursuits he discovered surfsking as a summer time activity until the waves got heavy again. With 12 Cape Points, 8 PE2ELs and 5 Bergs later the passion and quest to paddle continues. Writing, photography, restoring or creating things are hobbies he enjoys.

AUSTIN KIEFFER

PHOTOGRAPHY

Canoe South Africa Xpressions on the Beach SA Canoe Polo Natali Coetzee Irish Coast Paddling Rob Mousley Cape Town Sports Photography Lesly Eastwick

Sandy Yonley Bertie Baard Pete Marlin Surfski Race Caron Thompson Scottburgh to Brighton Surfski Race Ken Findlay Photographics

FROM THE ED

There is so much going on at the moment it is hard to know where to focus and nearly impossible to do any real work. As I write this an U19 boys and girls are in Belfast, Northern Ireland to do battle in the Junior International Canoe Polo Championships. Have you seen how young they all look? Do their parents know that other paddlers are going to be taking swipes at their kids with paddles? Why are they all smiling at the prospect? On the mainland so to speak our Junior and U23 Sprint team attended the opening ceremony from the ICF Junior / U23 Sprint World Championships in Pitesti, Romania. If the fact that we have athletes at these events doesn’t make you jump for joy perhaps you are missing the point. We have amazing young and upcoming athletes who have done an absurd amount of work in order to get there. We are super proud of them and wish them the very best in their events.

While on the topic of being super proud I am sure that I speak for the whole of South Africa when I wish

our Senior Sprinters huge Horns for the 21 – 25 August when they put everything on the line in a bid to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. They will be at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Szeged, Hungary. This will a tough ask as Hungary is the powerhouse of sprinting and they are effectively going to the house of the biggest kid in the school to pick a fight. This in itself takes a huge amount of positive energy and belief in yourself. We stand in awe of them. This is years and years of hard work on the water and in the gym just to have a crack at the chance of representing your country at the Olympics.You guys are AWESOME! And we are Super Super Proud of you to have got this far and wish you lots of energy to carry you over the finish line.

If that was not enough, barely two weeks later our SA Surfski team will be assembling in France for the ICF Open Ocean World Championships.

Again we have a super strong team to represent us and we cannot wait to hear the results of race. We know that you are going to make us proud.

On a more local note, by the time you read this it will be August which is traditionally considered Woman’s month. We all get to celebrate National Women’s Day on the 9th, but for the month of August can we look around at our clubs and try and think what would help get more women in to our sport. It is not the fact that paddling is tough that keeps them away, there are hundreds of women that do crossfit and other amazing sports as well.

Nor is it water or sharks that are the deterrent – there is a fair mix of the genders coming off the open water dive boats each weekend.

But when there are only six women lining up at SA Marathons and six on the Berg River Canoe Marathon we have to acknowledge that we are not doing enough to inspire and support women in our wonderful sport.

Ed.

TIDBITS Junior & Under 23 sprinters geared for World Champs A mix of first-timers and seasoned international paddlers will represent South Africa. The team will include four paddlers returning from last year’s World Championships but will also feature a handful of paddlers that have taken part in World Championships before, including Louis Hattingh, Jarryd Gibson and Kayla de Beer.

There will be two newcomers to World Championship competition in the form of Cayleigh Shaw and Sean van Pletzen. Both paddlers will be racing in the K1 200 metres for girls and boys respectively.

Of the returning paddlers there is a strong sense of anticipation following the performances that they produced last year.

South African Team for ICF Junior & Under 23 Canoe Sprint World Championships – Pitsesti, Romania: Jordy Malherbe (Junior K1 500m/1000m) Jackie van der Westhuysen (Junior K1 500m)

Sean van Pletzen (Junior K1 200m) Cayleigh Shaw (Junior K1 200m) Louis Hattingh (Under 23 K1 1000m/Under 23 K2 1000m) Jarryd Gibson (Under 23 K1 500m/Under 23 K2 1000m) David Rodrigues (Under 23 K1 200m), Kayla de Beer (Under 23 K1 200m), Donna Hutton (Under 23 K1 500m) The 2019 ICF junior and U23 canoe sprint world championships begin on Thursday 1 August and will run through until Sunday 4 August. www.canoesa.org.za

MOCKE DOWNWIND CAMPS

26 October - 2 November 9-16 November 18-25 January 2020 Spots in the downwind camps are filling up! If you love downwind paddling and want to improve your skills make sure you book your spot! mockepaddling.com/ downwind-camps

Mandela day

President of Canoeing South Africa Kim Pople got behind the Conservation Guardians and their efforts for Shongweni Dam!

PUSH AND PULL PADDLE

9 - 11 August: three days of FUN paddling on the Berg River, from the spectacular start ay Val De Vie above Paarl through the Swartland! alan@pushandpullpaddle.co.za

IMAGE Cape Town Sports Photography

Berg River

marathon 12 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 13

Solomon and Boros bounce back to take control Defending champions Graeme Solomon and Hungarian Adrián Boros had to fight back from a disastrous mishap halfway through the 62km first stage to take full control of the Berg River Canoe Marathon on the first stage.

Starting on a very full river swollen by two days of heavy rain in the catchment area, six teams settled into a fast-packed bunch for the first hour of the race, skirting around the low level bridge at Skooltjie that was deemed a hazard in the full river conditions.

Solomon and Boros were under pressure from youngsters Alan Houston and Stew Little, and the crew of Hamish Lovemore and Tyron Maher, as well as the international pairing of Czech Petr Mojžíšek and German Matthias Schmidt, but looked to have control of the lead bunch.

However Solomon lead the front teams into a dead-end channel in the river which saw them tumble from race leaders to around twelfth and scrambling to locate the quickest route back into the fastflowing river.

“Everything was going according to plan and then we got into this treeblock situation with two of the other guys. It looked like a tree had washed into a section of other trees,” said Solomon.

spectacular, aided by drama at Klei Rapid where the swollen river saw two of the lead bunch, Paul Marais and Alan Houston, take swims, and allowing Mojžíšek and Schmidt to break away alone at Blou Porselein.

Boros and Solomon ground relentlessly through the field and once they got back to the front they kept the bit between their teeth to earn an impressive seventy second lead over Lovemore and Maher, with Simon van Gysen and Paul Marais racing well to secure third overnight.

“The thing about racing on a full river is that it is so tiring because you are pulling against much bigger resistance,” said Solomon. “It is very difficult to actually break away on a full river,” he added. “At the halfway mark I thought we were going to finish with bunch of eight paddlers.”

Seasoned locals Heinrich Schloms and Louw Van Riet wrapped up fourth ahead of Mojžíšek and Schmidt.

The women’s race is lead by the solitary women’s team entry of Tracy Oellerman and Melissa van Rooyen, but the spotlight fell on former Berg women’s singles winner Bianca Beavitt who slipped in an eleventh hour entry as a solo paddler.

She raced with Evan Knight and Crispin Thompson at the front of the solo paddlers race, and ended the first stage in 14th overall.

“Suddenly we found ourselves in twelfth, and that is when Adrian decided to really pick up the pace and catch everyone,” he said.

While the full river attracted a number of last minute entries, there was also the withdrawal of Berg icon Edgar Boehm, who holds the record for most number of consecutive Berg finishes.

Their charge back to the front was

Boehm is nursing a broken rib and

14 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

reluctantly had to opt out of his bid for a 46th Berg medal on the trot.

Solomon and Boros seize Berg by the jugular Riding a one hundred cubic metre per second bullet of floodwater, overnight leaders and defending champions Graeme Solomon and Hungarian Adrián Boros extended their lead in the Berg River Canoe Marathon with a faultless display over the 48km second stage.

With the overnight stop at Zonquasdrift flooded by the overnight arrival of the floodwaters, Solomon and Boros set off with a seventy second lead in the bank over the charging youngsters Hamish Lovemore and Tyron Maher going into the king-maker stage.

“It was a bit worrying because the water-level had come up again overnight and we just didn’t know where that bubble of water would start and finish,” said Solomon. “There was very little visibility as well because of the heavy mist in the morning, and we got quite a big fright because we couldn’t see much ahead of us or behind us,” he said.

They didn’t bank on being caught by the chasing youngsters within the first half an hour, but Solomon kept his cool and marshalled his Hungarian partner calmly, sticking to their pre-race gameplan.

“They must have been going flatbox from the start to have caught us within five kilometres, and I knew they would pay for that later,” said Solomon. “We had a very clear plan today, and we planned to make our break after the single file section through Katkop.We made sure I went in first and he was second, and when we came out of that section we just went,” he explained.

“Adrián (Boros) is such a clever paddler and a great tactician,” Solomon went on to say. “He doesn’t get flustered, and we both know what our jobs are on the team.”

Solomon and Boros tightened the thumbscrews on the flatwaters into the headwaters of Misverstand dam to open up a two and a half minute lead over the tiring Lovemore and Maher, with local stalwarts Simon Van Gysen and Paul Marias posting another solid stage to retain third place, ahead of Heinrich Schloms and Louw van Riet.

Behind them Czech Petr Mojžíšek and German Matthias Schmidt had a days racing they would rather forget, as a strong early charge led to a spate of small mistakes and a swim for Mojžíšek that cost them two places on the leaderboard.

Zach Preyser and Bartho Visser and the KZN combo of Alan Houston and Stewart Little both benefitted from their slip-ups to move up the overall ranking going into the long third stage, which is raced as a mass start, meaning that paddlers can bank their leads by staying comfortably in the front bunch.

The Capensis Change A LIfe team of Khumbulani Nzimande and Siyanda Gwamanda improved their overall position, as did Paarl speedsters Jermaine Pietersen and Luke Stowman.

Bianca Beavitt finished in sixteenth overall and the second solo paddler home, the former Berg women’s title winner shadowing Maties paddler Evan Knight and Crispin Thompson in the solo race.

Melanie van Niekerk and Richard Allen were the first mixed double team home again, with the sole all-women team of Tracy Oellerman

Paarl challengers Jermaine Pietersen and Melissa van Rooyen enjoying a more incident-free day on the water. and Luke Stowman back into the frame.

High drama shakes up Berg on Day Three

A day of high drama on the tough third stage has shaken up the leaderboard of the Berg River Canoe Marathon, ending the challenge of race leaders Graeme Solomon and Hungarian Adrián Boros after Boros withdrew ill, and catapulting KZN youngsters Hamish Lovemore and Tyron Maher into the lead.

After paddling superbly to set up a hefty lead after the second stage, Boros went down with a virus overnight, leaving the powerful Hungarian in a fever and unable to keep down any medication.

He travelled to the start at Bridgetown where he broke the news to his team mate Graeme Solomon, who was forced to withdraw from the team event and continue as an unclassified solo paddler.

That news triggered a wave of frenzied attacks on the 15km of flatwater across Misverstand dam at the start of the gruelling 76km third stage as teams sensed the door ajar for a fresh assault on the podium.

German powerhouse Matthias Schmidt led the breakaway with his Czech team mate Petr Mojžíšek, working together with the Euro Steel duo of Alan Houston and Stew Little to open up a significant lead at the dam wall portage.

Shortly after that the visiting internationals got lost in a dead-end channel with Houston, letting the chasing group that included Gavin White and Ernest van Riet and the

After the Moravia bridge the relentless pace started to take its toll, and six boats forged a fastpaced advance party that took Lovemore and Maher to the stage victory and consolidated their new position atop the overall General Classification.

It also greatly enhanced the prospects for Houston and Little and the visiting internationals Mojžíšek and Schmidt, shunting both teams two positions up the leaderboard, and posing a real threat to the local veteran crew of Heinrich Schloms and Louw van Riet currently occupying third on the General Classification.

Anders Hart and visiting Kiwi paddler Andrew Mowlem raced well to break into the top ten, while the Capensis Change A Life team of Khumbulani Nzimande and Siyanda Gwamanda gutsed it out to remain in the top ten overall on the demanding long third stage.

In the solo paddler division, Maties paddler Evan Knight retained his top spot, with leading women’s paddler Bianca Beavitt right with Knight, Crispin Thompson and Pieter Englebrecht, all enjoying the unexpected company of Graeme Solomon in their bunch.

Melanie van Niekerk and Richard Allen were the first mixed double team home again, with Tracy Oellerman and Melissa van Rooyen persevering on the long day to stay in contention for the women’s team honours.

Lovemore and Maher wrap up Berg victory THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 15

Hamish Lovemore and Tyron Maher closed out victory in the Berg River Canoe Marathon by winning the final stage of the four-day race, with 19 year old Lovemore becoming the youngest winner of the 58 year old race.

The Durbanites never relinquished their grip over the front bunch that included the pairing of Simon van Gysen and Paul Marais, who wrapped up the second place, and a gutsy charge for the Euro Steel team of Alan Houston and Stew Little which vaulted them from fourth place onto the podium.

Maher and Lovemore, who was battling with stomach problems on

the final stage, managed the pace at the front of the race well, initially breaking away with Houston and Little, but they were then content to let Simon Van Gysen and Paul Marais rejoin the front bunch for the final sector into the fishing town of Velddrif.

“We were a little bit nervous coming into today,” admitted Maher. “We are relieved and excited to have won a race of this stature.”

“The last three years paddling with the MacSquad in Durban have been awesome and coach Lee McGregor has helped take my paddling to a whole new level,” he added.

IMAGE Curtesy Gameplan Media 16 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

Lovemore, who was thrilled to have his brother and family members arrive in time to witness the final day of the race, said that they had enjoyed the added excitement of the race for last step on the podium.

“Stew (Little) is my roommate and they spoke to us before the race about trying to make it onto the podium, and they got it!”

The crowd warmed to the courage of Czech paddler Petr Mojžíšek, who also fell ill with stomach problems on the night before the final stage, but when the local paddling community rallied around him and supplied him with medicine

to manage the problem, he persevered and helped his German partner Matthias Schmidt to fourth place.

The Capensis Change A Life team of Khumbulani Nzimande and Siyanda Gwamanda rounded out the top ten.

Heinrich Schloms and Louw Van Riet couldn’t hold onto their overnight third and finished the race in fifth position.

Behind them Giel van Deventer finished his 49th Berg, and the evergreen Jannie Malherbe, who was part of the first Berg in 1962 and won it on three occasions, completed his 47th Berg in the year he turns 80.

The solo paddlers race enjoyed much of the limelight as Evan Knight took the line-honours in twelfth position overall, ahead of Bianca Beavitt, who was also the first female paddler home.

gameplan media

SUMMARY OF RESULTS MEN 1.Tyron Maher/Hamish Lovemore 16:27:02 2.Simon van Gysen/Paul Marais 16:33:01 3.Alan Houston/Stewart Little 16:41:42 4.Petr Mojžíšek/Matthias Schmidt 16:46:23 5.Heinrich Schloms/Louw van Riet 16:53:37 6.Zach Preyser/Bartho Visser 16:55:23 7.Ernest van Riet/Gavin White 16:56:41 8.Jermaine Pietersen/Luke Stowman 16:58:37 9.Anders Hart/Andrew Mowlem 17:03:44 10.Khumbulani Nzimande/Siyanda Gwamanda 17:17:59 WOMEN 1.Tracy Oellerman/Melissa van Rooyen SOLO PADDLERS 1.Evan Knight 17:39:32 2.Bianca Beavitt 17:41:09 (1st woman) 3.Crispin Thompson 17:55:03 4.Pieter Engelbrecht 17:58:32 5.Pieter-Willem Basson 18:18:39

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 17

28 SEP 20km Downwind Along the coast of counties Dublin & Wicklow WSSL points on offer Equal Prize Money

r e t n e

webscorer.com

more info www.irishcoastpaddling.com

7 DEC 23 NOV 5 NOV 26 OCT 28 Sep

Irish Coast Challenge Dublin

West Coast Express Cape Town

Hong Kong Dragon Run Hong Kong

Perth Doctor Perth

20 Beaches Sydney

IMAGE Sandy Yonley, Gorge Downwind Champs FB page

The World Surfski Super League The WSSL is back thanks to the strong backing by China Silver Asset Management and there is lots to be excited about. Right up there must be the fact that they have chosen the some of the best races to call home. Kicking off with the Gorge Downwind Champs in the USA the tour then takes a whistle stop trip around the world before the winners are finally announced at the end of the 20 Beaches Classic on the 7 December in Sydney Australia.

The races are: Gorge downwind champs 15-20 July 2019 – Columbia river, Portland USA. With Kenny Rice and Teneale Hatton having taken the respective wins they get the series off to a resounding start with 150 points each.

Irish Coastal challenge 28 Sept 2019- Dublin IRE West Coast Downwind 26 Oct 2019 – Cape town RSA Hong Kong Dragon run 5 Nov – Hong Kong CHI Perth Doctor 23 Nov 2019 – Perth AUS 20 beaches classic 7 Dec 2019 – Sydney AUS The race organisers have realised that sometimes duty calls and the paddlers may be called upon to represent their countries and may not make every race so they have decided that the top 4 out of 6 races will count in open Male and

open female categories. This is great news as even the best made plans often go awry so there is provision for diversions along the way. It also opens the door for a paddler to put in a late charge at the West Coast Express and provided that they keep going to the next three races – he or she could steal the crown. So we will have no idea who the winner will be until the final line is crossed 1st 150 2nd 140 3rd 130 4th 120 5th 115

6th 110 7th 105 8th 100 9th 98 10th 96

- suspenseful racing at it best. What is certain is that we will only know who will claim the inugeral league title on the finish line of 20 Beaches.

This is going to be super exciting racing.

Points on offer for the Open Single Ski category only:

In a welcomed move China Silver Asset Management and the West Coast Express have taken the lead in offering serious prize money to the juniors at the WCE. As Russell Sadler - race organiser puts it “we understand the costs associated with international travel and racing so in order to stimulate the growth of professional international surf ski paddling we have offered good prize money to the junior devisions.” This could be the springboard an aspiring paddler needs to start their career.

Looking forward to seeing the next WSSL Champ getting a solid start.

We believe that the world of surf ski will benefit hugely from the new series and structure that it will bring to racing around the world. Four out of the six races are very well established and are already receiving

a huge amount of support from the paddlers and the other two races are the new kids on the block but are showing signs that they will be a force to reckon with in the near future.

The newest race is the West Coast Express. Even here the race organisers have chosen a route that is almost guaranteed to have wind – that of Milnerton to Melkbos on the West Coast of Cape Town. The start is set to be against the majestic back drop of Table Mountain before the paddlers head north for an incredible 22km of downwind paddling.

The World Surfski Super League organisers have teamed up with some of the worlds best race organisers, to run exciting surfski races along world renowned paddling routes around the globe and have topped it off with some serious prize money to boot.

These race formats will see local paddlers rub shoulders with the worlds top paddlers in their bid to amass points and hard cash at every race.

There is serious prize money for each event, as well as overall series winners prize purse.

WSSL SERIES PRIZE TEMPLATE (USD) Top 8 male and female positions will receive the following prize money at the end of season one: 1st 5000 2nd 4000 3rd 3000 4th 2500

5th 2000 6th 1500 7th 1000 8th 500

Gorge Downwind Champs The Gorge Downwind Champs (GDC) is a festival and celebration of downwind paddling and racing.Thanks to the visionary efforts of Carter Johnson (the event creator and organizer), the GDC has become a colossal event in our sport with over 750 spots selling out within 48 hours. Athletes travel from all over the country and the globe to compete in what has become the largest downwind event on the planet.

I have raced this event every year since its debut in 2015.

That first year, despite not feeling fit, managed a shocking 4th place finish. Since then, I have returned every year, fitter, faster and hungrier, hoping that I would finally finish on the

podium. I finished 4th place in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Coming to the race this year, I once again hoped for something different.

Race Morning From the moment I woke up race morning, this year felt different. Usually, the excitement and anxiety from the race defeat me before I start. In years prior, I had slept horribly the nights before the race and felt a near panic about messing up my race.This year, I slept well and awoke relaxed and refreshed. What’s more, I didn’t feel worried about making a mistake in the race, I just wanted to be out there competing. When the race finally did start at 12:45pm, I

IMAGES Sandy Yonley, Gorge Downwind Champs FB page

had been ready to go for hours!

This year, the wind wasn’t the legendary 35 knots from 2018, but with consistent 20 knot wind over the whole course, I knew we would be surfing from start to finish.

Ready, Set, GO! As soon as the start was called, Macca Hynard fired off the line. He jumped the first wave, linked onto the second and left the field scrambling behind him. Kenny Rice, Cory Hill and I tore after him down the middle of the river. Despite his lead, Macca settled into a rhythm, giving Cory the opening to pull up even with him, Kenny and I in pursuit just behind. Shocked that no one else was around us,

I realized that this might very well be the four person fight for the podium. But my assessment was premature. A quick glance to the left revealed Sam Norton absolutely flying on an inside line.This was going to be a dog fight. In years past, this frantic pace off the line was where I would lose touch with the leaders. I ramped up my pace, determined to stay in the fight.

Sam’s speed and inside line proved to be more than just an early threat. He hammered into the lead and at one point looked like he would leave us behind.

Cory not wanting to let him get away, cut left and joined Sam on the inside line, leaving Macca, Kenny and I to battle up the middle. I decided to not follow

them and stick with my race line.The waves weren’t massive, but they were enough to keep me from chasing Sam and Cory in the river eddy. I hoped that with over an hour left to race, surfing well and conserving some energy would pay off more than a slightly quicker line.

As we rounded the first major bend in the river, marking 4 km into the race, our lines converged. Macca, Kenny and I pushed hard around the bend and closed Sam and Cory’s lead. Suddenly, we were all back together and we weren’t just close, we were comically close.

Sam was still holding onto the lead, but Cory and Kenny were surfing just one wave back, flanked by Macca and I one

wave further back.The top five positions had all converged into a flying V pattern. I could practically touch everyone but Sam with my paddle.

For the next few minutes we stayed in this tight formation.

Every move made by one athlete was countered by the other four. However, because we were all so close, the others were limiting the options of where I could surf and neutralizing my biggest advantage. What’s more, with five athletes so close, if we stayed like this to the finish, a simple mistake could see any one of us in 5th place instead of on the podium. I decided to take a gamble. I cut left and surfed into my own water. I knew these

waves and I knew I was capable of challenging the others in the surf. It was time to prove it. I put the others out of my mind and just focused on the wave patterns around me.

I settled into a trance, scanning for openings in the waves, pushing when I saw one, then immediately relaxing again after my sprint. I pushed over and over again until I pushed over one too many waves and watched my heart rate peak to 181 beats per minute (bpm).

“Calm down,” I told myself, “you are not even half way!”

With my lactic threshold at 178 bpm, I knew that a sustained push in the 180s could be catastrophic to my race. I gathered myself on the wave and took the opportunity to check in with my competitors.

To my surprise, I was sitting in second. Kenny had come with me on the left line and we had

separated ourselves from the group. Cory and Macca were still close on our heels, but we had definitively moved into the lead. What’s more we had reached the point in the race where Kenny, two time defending champion of the Gorge, had made his definitive break for the lead. If I could just hang on to him, I might be able to hold onto this second place.

I surfed over to him, pushing hard to keep in touch. With my adrenaline spiking, I managed to push onto the wave next to Kenny. My momentum kept me moving and, spotting another opening, I sprinted again. I crested over the wave and, wait …

I was one wave ahead of Kenny.

I looked around stunned.There was no one else around me. I WAS WINNING!!! The thought struck me like a physical blow.

For the first time in my life, I was in the lead of a major international race. I almost let out a yell of excitement. It only lasted a second, however, as Kenny jumped up beside me and then skipped ahead. I shook my head to refocus. While leading a race had been a long time goal for me, there were more goals on the table and if I wanted to finally break onto the podium, the half way point was hardly the place to celebrate.

Kenny surged hard again and his one wave lead became two, then

three. I looked around and Macca and Cory were right on my heels. “Ok, Austin, focus!,” I hissed to myself. I pushed Kenny from my mind. He was charging ahead to his third Gorge title and that was fine. His lead was no longer my concern. I needed to focus on surfing. And maybe, just maybe, I could hold onto this second place.

I surrendered to the pain of the race and the rhythm of the waves and gave it everything I had. Once again, I forgot my competitors and fell into the trance of downwind surfing. I pushed for every opening, giving my sprints all I had and using every ounce of speed the waves offered. I made no mistakes. I let the kilometers slip by, only registering them as lap beeps on my watch, indicating another had passed.

When I finally did look around, I couldn’t see anyone. From what I could see, none of the top guys were near me. Kenny wasn’t in sight ahead, but at the same time I couldn’t see the athletes behind me. Wait, what was that to my right? I finally spotted a black boat off to my right, “it must be Macca,” I thought and my heart sank.Though we were roughly even, he was maybe a wave ahead and having made up that much ground on me, he was clearly going to leave me behind. I looked over again to check his movement. Wait, that wasn’t Macca, it was Kenny!

I had somehow reeled Kenny back in. I was still in this race for the win!

I put my head down and went back to surfing. Every few waves I would look over at Kenny, expecting him to have

pulled ahead, but every time I looked he was right there. We held even for the next three kilometers. It was extremely hard to tell who was in first on such radically different lines, but with a bottleneck in the river approaching, we would soon see who was leading.

When our lines finally merged, we were dead even. Kenny looked so strong. It was obvious why he had won this race twice in a row. I was pushing my limit to stay with him, but if I could just hold on, I was less than 16 minutes away from possibly winning.The next three kilometers of racing were surreal. Kenny and I seemed to be perfectly matched. I would push hard and surf ahead, only to have him answer with a surge of his own. We traded the lead back and forth, weaving to the right and left of each other. Each one of us trying to make a move that would solidify a win, neither of us able to shake the other. It looked like we were destined to battle it out to the last seconds of the race.

I am not insinuating in any way that Kenny did the wrong thing.

It is my strong belief that surfski racing is all about maximizing any wave that comes your way. I would have absolutely done the same thing in his position and if I wanted that wave, I should have been a) paying attention and b) in the lead to better maximize that wave. I even ended up surfing the media boat wake in the last fifty meters to the finish.

I pushed hard to try and catch back up, but I had run out of waves and time.The conditions flattened out in the last few minutes and Kenny’s dominance could not be denied. He held me off, despite my best effort and I finished 6 seconds back in a close 2nd place.

Though, gutted to have come so close and finish the race just feet away from my first win. I could not have been happier! I had taken the King of the Gorge to the line, held the lead of the Gorge Downwind Champs for the first time in my life, and gone wave for wave in a race battle I will always remember.

A huge smile split my face and I claimed it.

AUSTIN KIEFFER

With the race finish in sight, I made the mistake that cost me the race.The media boat that had been following our battle moved up ahead of us. I was focusing on the runs and didn’t pay attention. Kenny, who was aware of his surroundings, pushed hard catching the boat wake and jumping ahead. I had been just behind him, almost tapping his stern and suddenly he was gone.

Final Results: Kenny Rice, Austin Kieffer, My heart sank.

Cory Hill, Macca Hynard, Sam Norton

26 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 27

IMAGE Bertie Baard SA Canoe Marathon FB page

south african

Marathon Champs

This year the annual marathon championships to determine SA’s best male and female paddlers were held at the Cradle Moon, Muldersdrift. We enjoyed such warm weather, that one could easily forget that it was winter; which was a great change from the cold we had enjoyed previous weeks in Gauteng. I think the other provinces that came were just as relieved as we were for the respite!

The three days were filled with action from early to late, and just 28 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

when you think you’ve seen the best race of the day, the next just proves your theory wrong. The paddlers were all determined to bring home the gold, the spectators were all eager to cheer on the finishers, and the wind didn’t blow anyone away – what more could you ask for?

There are always ‘big names’ in races, and all though they give a good show for the gold, the younger paddlers were all eager to prove their worth this year – and

that was something incredible to see. From Under 8’s all the way through to Sub Great Great Grand Masters, there really was a lot of talent, determination, and pure grit on display. It was interesting to see how the competition could be just as hard in the K2’s as the K1’s – that’s not even saying anything about the competition between the men and the women. These folks came to paddle – and to be first, of course!

If you missed it this year, I highly recommend that you check your

IMAGE Lesly Eastwick, West Rand Photographic Club, SA Canoe Marathon FB page

IMAGE Bertie Baard SA Canoe Marathon FB page calendar and book out next year. (Even if you attend as an enthusiastic supporter, and not a paddler, it is definitely worth the time and effort!)

Because there was so much action, and therefore results, I’d just like to highlight a few: SENIOR WOMEN K1 When the two powerhouses of women’s marathon racing Bridgitte Hartley and Jenna Ward line up on the start line it is pretty much

a sure bet that there is our Open Women’s Team that is going to China right there. The joy of watching them is that it is you just know it is going to be a race as both of them are fighting for first place.

Jenna has really been focusing on marathons and has made the huge commitment to race in Europe over the last year or so in order to learn from the best. Bridgitte on the other hand has taken a far more multi-disciplinary approach to her paddling lately. She is off to Hungary

at the end of August for the Canoe Sprint World Championships in order to secure her fourth berth at the Olympics then off to the Africa Games before jetting off to France for the ICF Open Ocean World Championships. In the mix was Nikki Birkett who was still recovering from a bout of flu that had forced her to retire the day before and Morgan Ziervogel who was making a quick outing to marathons from her traditional discipline of sprints. They were THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 29

followed by Tracey Oellermann and Melissa Van Rooyen who were putting in the miles in training for their team event at the 2019 Berg River Marathon.

The problem with so few women is that there is nowhere to hide or recover during the 25.9km time trial. From the gun the trio of Bridgitte, Jenna and Nikki set off at a pace. The pace at the beginning was steady enough for Nikki, who was still recovering to flu to hang on. But during the first portage it became apparent that one needs to be super fit to hold on to the powerhouse pair. At the end of the portage Bridgitte sensed the advantage and put the hammer down, Jenna was very quick off the pier and managed to follow but Nikki was not so lucky and soon there was a noticeable gap between her and Jenna and Bridgitte. And so it began, up front there was Bridgitte and Jenna trading places and behind then was Nikki behind her Morgan leaving Tracy and Melissa to exchange places and practice their slip ridding.

30 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

In the end it was Bridgitte that turned up the heat on the last portage and put a sizable gap between her and Jenna giving her the chance to coast across the line and take the win securing the first paddler spot for the SA Team going to the World Champs in China.

Short Course Women: (This is a new-founded favourite – what an excellent & exciting race!)

Bridgitte Hartley (KZN) took the win with Jenna Ward (KZN) a short minute behind. A mere minute later saw the finish of Melissa van Rooyen, also from Kwa-Zulu Natal.

SENIOR MEN The senior race was world apart from the women’s race. Until the first portage there were eleven boats up in the mix all vying for a piece of the action. The surprises in the mix were U23’s Stewart Little and Callam Davis who had raced the day before and were now mixing it up with the some of the best paddlers in the world.

As the men came in for the first

portage there were eleven boats in the front bunch but after the portage it was down to eight as World Champion Hank McGregor put the hammer down for the first time and the paddlers caught at the back fell off the pace. At the end of the shake off it was down to Clint Cook (GAU) Steward Little (KZN) Hank McGregor (KZN) Andy Birkett (EC) and Stuart MacLaren (WC) with Nicholas Notten (WC) with a little work to do at the back of the pack.

But marathon racing is not without its heart break and this year it come in the form of Stu MacLaren who had put in a good fight with the leading bunch all the way through the eight portages only to fall out of his canoe at the put in on his second to last portage and thus end his chances. We are sure that Stu would have been in the thick of things all the way to the finish had it not been for the swim.

At the end of the last portage Hank was in the perfect position leading Andy, Clint and Nic and we all waited to see who would light the

afterburners first. This was going to be tough – 2 positions and 3 medals were on the line. We did not have to wait long as Andy took the inside at the turn and came charging out the turn and slipped past Hank in the process and it was game ON! Next came the charge from Nic and he too managed to sneak his nose passed Hank on the way to the finish line. This was super exciting racing at its best. It was neck and neck for Hank and Nic all the way to the finish with Andy managing to stay just clear of the fight happening just behind him. Andy sailed over the line to claim the Men’s K1 Marathon Champs with the nose of Hanks boat right at his cockpit and Nic only .3sec behind him. What a show!

Short Course Men: Hank McGregor (KZN) took victory with Nicholas Notten (WP) with just a minute between them. Stewart Little (KZN) rounded off the podium.

K2 SENIOR WOMEN Once again the Kwa-Zulu Natal paddlers had their ‘A’ game

on. Bridgitte Harley & Christie Mackenzie were first with a 3 second lead on Jenna Ward & Kyeta. Bianca Beavitt & Melanie van Niekerk did the Western Province proud by rounding off the top three.

K2 SENIOR MEN In the men’s race it was it was a tough battle for the first half between the leading boats of McGregor/ Birkett, Masina/ Hattingh, Notten/ MacLaren, Cook/ Van der Walt and Evans/ Mackenzie.

But the boats of Notten and Evans appeared to get tied up at the end of the fifth portage and that gave the boats of McGregor and Masina the gap that they needed to really deliver the hurt and put a significant gap between them and the chasing pack. For a while it looked like the Notten boat was hoping that they could work with the other to close the gap but when that did not materialise they were left to go it alone. Although they put in a titanic effort to bridge the gap showing just what great form they were in coming in to the champs it was not enough to make a serious

dent on the boats ahead of them because they were locked in the race of their lives. In a surprise turn of events it was the brand new U23 pairing of Alex Masina and Louis Hattingh that were having the race of their lives. Both Alex and Louis have been doing a huge amount of work in sprints but 29km is a far cry from the 5000m that even Louis has been training for. But they hung on to the McGregor wave with the tenacity of a pitbull and even took the pull every now and again.

In the end the experience in the McGregor / Birkett boat trumped the sheer exuberance of youth to take the win with a mere 19 milliseconds split. Western Province paddlers Nicholas Notten & Stuart Maclaren brought home the bronze.

IMAGES Lesly Eastwick, West Rand Photographic Club, SA Canoe Marathon FB page

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 31

Pete Marlin 2019 is coming...

IMAGES Pete Marlin Surfski Race FB

Once a year there is a migration of surf skis along the coast. Unlike traditional migrations that start in one place and finish in another, this one sees cars with skis and cars towing skis converging on the town of East London for the Pete Marlin Surfski Race. The race is essentially a memorial race for the late Pete Marlin – an opportunity to celebrate his life. Pete tragically lost his life while competing on the Umkomaas river race in 1988. This year it is going to be held on 2/3 November and entries are open.

We caught up with Barry Lewin who seems to have East London his second home having done the last 10 races in a row and asked him what the attraction was. Barry has a win and numerous seconds under his belt so we figured that he knew what he was talking about. The first thing that was apparent is that there are numerous remarkable aspects to the race that make it so enjoyable. First up Barry says that it is the people involved in the race that make it so great – they are welcoming and very accommodating 32 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

and they go out of their way to put on a solid race. Secondly according to Barry is the low cost of the race.

At the Pete Marlin you get two days of racing for the price of one plus a great vibe and goodie bag to boot.

The third aspect that really counts in their favour is that one is pretty much guaranteed a safe start and an achievable 19 – 22km of downwind.

With the options of starting at either Orient Beach or Yellow Sands it doesn’t matter if the wind blows East or West the race is going to be on! 22km is achievable for a wide range of paddlers so there will be everyone from the racing snakes to the occasional weekend warrior lining up for their chance to have paddle the rugged coastline.

Thanks to the longstanding support from Dischem who has been a committed sponsor and more recently FENN, Investec and SNG Grant Thornton the race organisers have been able to build this race in to the iconic race that it has become. The first thing is that the race organisers have been able to offer fantastic prize money – this

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 33

year there is R100000 in prize money with equal prize money going to men and women. With R10000 going to the fastest man and woman in a single you can bet that the top SA paddlers will be lining up for their chance to take it home. The race favours the singles race with the best weather day and most of the prize money being allocated to that end.

34 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

But the sponsors pull out all the stops in order to give the normal paddler the best experience by laying on safety on the water, goodie bags and sponsorship of trailers from Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal to ensure that you and all your mates and their skis can get down to the race.

With less than 100 days to the

start, now is the time to book your spot on a trailer. This is often the Gauteng Surfski Champs weekend so there are traditionally at least 20 paddlers that make the trip which really adds to the vibe as these paddlers celebrate the sea air.

Get hold of your local club or the race organisers to find out who is organising the local trailer. With 13 weeks to go, try and line up your

doubles partner now... this way you can plan which double ski you are going to use and book it on a trailer now.

Want to do the Pete Marlin but not sure that you can afford the accommodation? Not to worry, as part of the great hospitality that the East London paddling fraternity provides, a number of paddlers host paddlers from out of town in their homes. How awesome is that! Mail petemarlin@bordercanoeclub. co.za for details and to book your spot.

Heading to Pete Marlin 2019?

You have 13 weeks to get race-ready, I can help you prepare!

To help you have your best race, I am offering a 12 week program aimed predominantly at those who have full-time work and limited training time. My program is based the training principles that I have employed for the past 4 months, from which I have seen my best personal success in the past few years. The primary objectives of the program evolve around sustainable training schedules, effort management and a closer look at the little things that can make a difference to your race.

the package includes - Weekly program based on 3-5 paddling sessions a week.

- 1 x one-on-one session to look at technique and personal goals for the race.

- Discounted individual sessions if required.

- Weekly group training session at FHBSC exclusively for PM group.

R1500 per person.

Commencement will be 5 August.

Contact Ian Black on 072 727 5411 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 35

Mauritius IMAGES Rob Mousley

Ocean Classic Downwind Week The 2019 Mauritius Surfski Week always offers fabulous conditions for paddling, but this event had been spectacular. I arrived on the Monday evening, and paddled downwind every day – Tuesday was a fun mellow run, on Wednesday the wind was just that bit stronger and the waves a little bigger and Thursday saw us paddling in perfect conditions – 20kt and 2m swells in crystal clear 23C temperature water. Bliss.

36 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

Shuttle back to the Tamassa Resort, chill with the other paddlers at the burger bar… Eat, drink, socialize in the evening. Sleep, repeat!

Chatting to paddlers from Singapore, the Netherlands, Dubai, India, Germany, they all said the same thing: they’d all come for the warm water and downwind paddling – and they’d had exactly that.

Although some find it difficult to believe, life does stretch beyond paddling; there was plenty of surfing, sailing, running, fishing and diving happening. On the final day a group

of us dived for nearly two hours with wild spinner and bottlenose dolphins on a reef in the open ocean off Le Morne. Outrageous experience. (And we saw a humpback whale on the way there.)

FTL Relay Race The day before the main event, some forty of the paddlers took part in a warm-up relay race: four teams of ten paddlers, start dismounted in deep water, 1km lap, GO! Everyone managed the deep-water

remount, both styles (sidesaddle and straddle) were used, some were more elegant that others…

And there was a serious side to the exercise – if you couldn’t get back on your ski in the protected waters inside the reef, then you shouldn’t go outside into the deep!

Team Hayley Nixon ended up winning the relay – the world surfski champion dicing the last lap with fellow Durbanite Jenna Ward whose team took second place.

Investec Mauritius

Ocean Classic (and ICF Ocean Racing World Cup) Having been so kind to us all week, Mother Nature turned nasty on Saturday morning: overnight the swell had increased to over 3m and closed out the reef passes.

Accompanied by a 25kt wind, the wave conditions meant that the escort boats couldn’t get out of the lagoon and the decision was reluctantly made to keep the race inside the reef.

A spring high tide meant that the paddlers could take direct lines across the shallow water – and the race became a 13.5km sprint. For much of the course, however, the water was anything but flat, the wind chop swirling with the tidal currents mixed with the incoming waves at each gap in the reef.

Women’s Race With the women starting ten minutes ahead of the men, Hayley Nixon burst off the line on what she knew would be a hectic, fast scramble to the finish.

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 37

Fellow Durban paddler Michelle Burn responded, and a tight group formed, Burn leading, Nixon and Yanda Morison (Aus) on either side and Jenna Ward (RSA) and Bonnie Hancock (Aus) bringing up the rear.

Moments later, Nixon and Burn broke away and it became a twoboat race as they diced, now following each other, now moving apart as they tried to find some advantage in the rough, swirly water.

As they passed the gap in the reef at the Baie du Cap, Burn took a line closer to the reef and for the next few km lead the way along the coast. Nixon put her head down and half way to the point at Le Morne, had moved back into the lead. Burn made a last move before the turn, but had to face the last kilometer sprint with a 20 second deficit.

On the flat water, Nixon was not to be hunted down, and the women crossed the line, order unchanged.

“The field was hugely competitive with pedigree flat water paddlers like Jenna Ward,Yanda Morison and Bonnie Hancock in the mix.

“It was a cat and mouse battle with Michelle,” said Nixon, “I was stoked to take the win again.”

Men’s Race At the front of the men’s race, defending (and six-time previous) champion Hank McGregor knew that the threat would come either from current ICF Ocean Racing world champion Cory Hill (Aus) or German surfski champion Gordan Harbrecht. Also, new to Mauritius, but very much in contention was Cape Town surfski ace Nicholas Notten.

As they started, the German 38 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

sprinter exploded into action; “Gordan went out hard from the start,” said Notten. “He was really, really strong.”

Notten managed to hang onto Harbrecht’s wave and the two men surged into the lead.

When Harbrecht finally eased off the pace, it was to find that Hill and McGregor weren’t far back and for the next 8km, Hill, Notten and Harbrecht traded positions, with the wily McGregor always on the slip, never letting any of them get away.

“Finally I came off the bunch,” said Notten. “The pace was just too much for me.”

When I spotted the three leaders rounding the point at Le Morne, McGregor was in the centre, with Harbrecht to his left and Hill to his right.

At that was when Harbrecht, unfamiliar with the route, called out, asking how far it was to the finish.

“When Cory told him and he realized how close it was, he kicked,” said McGregor. “30 strokes, 40 stroke, he just didn’t stop…”

“But to my surprise, when I checked on Cory, he wasn’t there anymore, we’d dropped him,” he said.

So, in the end it came down to a relatively straightforward, marathonlike finish and although video shows a sprint, it was never likely that Harbrecht would get the better of the vastly experienced McGregor.

“It was a good race for me,” said Harbrecht. “And this is such a beautiful place. I will be back, and the next time, I’ll be bringing more Germans with me!”

“I was stoked to take my 8th title,” said McGregor. “With the easy travel from Durban, this is by far one of my favorite events.

“Although we all want to paddle on the outside, it was the right call by the organizers, and it made for a tough race.

“One of the problems with Mauritius,” he laughed, “is that it’s such fun that it’s sometimes difficult to remember that you’re here to race! Thanks to the organizers, the sponsors, to Fenn and the Heritage Le Telfair hotel for putting me up.”

2020 Mauritius Surfski Week

But McGregor was expecting the move and easily contained the German sprinter. “I had to keep my eye on Cory as well,” said McGregor. “The currents are different in the deeper channel where Cory was and I didn’t want to let him accelerate through.”

Planning has already begun for next year’s event and the first decision is to detach the prize-giving ceremony and lunch from the main race to make it easier to implement the window period to ensure the main race is run outside the reef.

Complicating the picture, there were moored boats in the channel that were weaving back and forth in the current. McGregor didn’t know whether to go right or left of the obstacles, potentially allowing either one of his rivals to gain an advantage.

“Next year, we’ll be running the race on the first suitable day of the window period,” said event organizer Albert D’Unienville. “The prize-giving ceremony and party will be on the Saturday, and if we need to, we’ll have the relay/fun event on that day.”

ROB MOUSLEY

Andrew Hall, The Fish Hoek Beach Sports Club competition winner, is back from the Mauritius Surfski Week.

Here is what he had to say about this awesome opportunity...

Mauritius Surfski Week 2019 was an absolute highlight in my paddling year.

Having wanted to go for years, I jumped at entering the FHBSC competition, although discounted any chance of winning. The organization of the event was fantastic, as was Neil Kirkwood’s assistance with my arrangements for the week.

The social aspect of the week was great fun, but without a doubt the highlight was the paddling - three excellent downwinds during the week, a fun relay event

in the reef, and then the race itself. Although a bit disappointed to not race on the outside, it was the right call, and the race inside the reef was still a good grind.

It was a great opportunity to spend time in a ski in perfect conditions and warm water. I would highly recommend it to novices and pros alike.

I’ll definitely be back for the Mauritius Surfski Week, and look forward to entering the FHBSC competition for 2020!

ANDREW HALL THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 39

IMAGES supplied by athlete 40 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

CHRISTIE MACKENZIE

ON THE WAY TO CHINA

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 41

We catch up with international paddling athlete and The IIE’s Varsity College Cape Town student Christie Mackenzie who won gold in just under two hours for the Women’s Doubles U23 with partner Bridgitte Hartley and silver for an end sprint during the recent 2019 SA Marathon Championships at Cradle Moon Muldersdrift Gauteng.

challenges she faced at the start of the singles race and how she made up for it in the doubles race.

Mackenzie also discusses how she was selected to participate in the K1 U23 and K2 Senior Women’s SA Marathon Team for 2019 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Shaoxing China from 17 – 19 October.

Mackenzie talks us through the

Over Mackenzie’s sporting career

she has demonstrated that with hard work and commitment you are able to achieve anything you put your mind to. She remains a great inspiration to her peers and proves the true meaning of VC Sports Life.

We take a look at how Mackenzie’s journey and passion for paddling began and her subsequent selection to represent SA for the world champs.

What sparked your interest in paddling?

When I was 12 years old my Dad took me down the uMzimkhulu river and I just fell in love with the sport.

Who inspired you along your journey ? who is your biggest inspiration today – and why?

My family, friends and boyfriend have always supported me through the tough days of training to be able to compete at the level that I do. My biggest inspiration is my little brother, Hamish Mackenzie, he has 1 silver K2 medal and 1 K2 bronze medal in the world ICF canoeing championships and he is my little hero.

When did you decide to start racing competitively?

I was very young when decided I wanted to start paddling competitively at Epworth High School. I moved to Durban to train with Lee McGregor and his Mac Squad.

What are your greatest successes and why?

My last two K1 Dusi’s, the first when I came 2nd place I was only 17 years old, it surprised everyone, and I enjoyed doing that. My 2019 Dusi K2 where I came 1st place and I was only 19 years old, it was a close race over three days, I knew I was capable of winning and I saw huge match temperament come through in the racing which I was proud of. My bronze medal in the U18 ICF World Marathon Championships will always be a highlight of mine as I was competing internationally in my own country with the home crowd screaming for me and it was very special to win my first world medal on home ground.

What were your biggest challenges, why and how did you overcome them?

The weather in Cape Town makes it very difficult to find motivation to train and without training you lose, so determination and the will to succeed has had to be a big part of my training, falling out and swimming have been problem areas of mine, so hours spent tripping and learning the river had to take place.

What about your training programme - do you have a specific race lead up/ training regime or do you follow a more general programme?

My coaches set a training program for me, they have thought it out for the build up to each race and I trust their judgement.

Do you train on your own or do you have a coach?

have a coach and a training squad who motivate and train with me.

You also won at KwaZulu Natal Marathon Championships (Durban) and the SA Marathon Championship (Cradle Moon, Muldersdrift)? Which race did you enjoy most and why?

I enjoyed SA Marathon Champs because there was tougher competition and the racing was more difficult.

Do you follow a particular diet and mind sharing some detail?

I follow no particular diet as I have always been and preferred healthy eating and living, the only thing I have to be mindful of coming up to competition being a student is the amount of alcohol and partying I do.

Talk us through SA Marathon Championships at Cradle Moon, Muldersdrift – Did you do a recon of the route beforehand?

My boyfriend lives near that area, so he took me on the course before my races and showed me places on route where I could take advantage of my competitors.

42 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

Did you have a strategy going in to the race?

In marathon races anything can change and happen so your strategy has to be dynamic so much that you don’t get flustered the unexpected happens, but my strategy for my two races were different, for K1 I wanted to be ahead on the portages and for K2 I knew that my partner was strong enough for an end sprint if it came to that.

At which point in the race did you realise that you had it?

In our K2 race I knew we had it when we won the sprint into the portage, I knew we were strong enough to do it at every point in the race. The K1 race I knew I had lost when I realized I was weaker than my competitor on the portages.

Looking to 2019 what is next?

All the lead up races to China is the goal and the bug race in ICF Canoe World Marathon Champs.

How do you maintain a balance between your studies,your paddling and having a social life?

I have been better at doing this as I get older, but it remains an emotional rollercoaster.

Who are your sponsors and how did your relationship start with each of them?

Each of my sponsors noticed my talent and approached me to help get me closer to achieving my goals. All my equipment is paid for by my sponsors, Euro Steel and Gara Racing Paddles. The IIE Varsity College helps me with my tuition through a sports bursary and the KDG Group has helped me tremendously by funding my car so that I can get around in Cape Town. I couldn’t do any of this without my sponsors.

Do you train throughout the year and how do you handle the cold?

I do train throughout the year, I struggle a lot with the cold, but my equipment and warm active wear helps me manage.

Do you have any scary paddling experiences to share with us? How did you handle them.

I have only had one experience that has left me very respectful of the dangers of the sport. As a 15-year-old girl I almost drowned whilst tripping the fish river, I fell out my boat before a bridge and the water almost pushed me under its where all the trees and twigs get stuck and you can’t get washed out the other side which means you can drown. My body’s adrenalin kicked in and I was strong enough to hoist myself on top of the bridge which I would not have been able to do in any other situation. This fear has stuck with me and reminded me that safety comes first and to just be aware of what can happen at any given moment.

Deidré Daniels

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 43

SA SUP champs

IMAGES Xpression on the Beach 44 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 45

The 2019 South African Stand up paddle board champs were held last weekend in some great waves at Surfer’s Corner, Muizenberg.

This is the biggest wave riding event of the year and draws South Africa’s top SUP athletes from all over the country.

The Open divisions are highly contested as the event is one of two of the deciders for the SA Team to go to world champs.

46 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

These exciting heats were made up of SA’s Top competitiors with the likes of Dylan Frick (strand), Thomas King (Muizenberg) , Jethro Johnson (East London), Matthew Maxwell (Tableview) and Henco Scholtz (strand) just to name a few. With an extremely tight final, with first place been tossed back and forth, in the end it was Dylan Frick taking the win.

The open ladies put on a incredible show with Tarryn King ( muizenberg) ,Tammy foster (tableview) , Penny Stemmet ( Strand) and Chelsea Van Rooyen (Fish hoek) all making the final. In the end of a tight final it was Tarryn King taking the win.

The Social divisions this year had the most entires which was awesome to see how the sport is growing.The Social Men’s

final was tightly contested with Mike Foster taking the win over Sinda Takatana, Cameron van Niekerk and Josh Coetzee.

In the Ladies division it was Natalie Thomson taking the win over Sune Hutchinson, Chiara Vorster, Lizanie Teron and Gaby Noordgard.

The Junior boys and girls and the future of our sport put on some great surfing for spectators. In the girls division Keena Thomson took the win over Chiara Vorster. In the boys division it was local west coast shredder Cam Tripney taking the win over Miguel Terblanche

and Adam Lawrence.

Last but definitely not least we had our Legends and Diva’s divisions.The legends division is always tightly contested. In the end Gary Van Rooyen took first place over Dave Maxwell, Francois Frick and Mike.

The Diva’s division was won by local lady and author Missy Volker with Elleni Smyth second, Sue Maxwell 3rd and Dominique Venter 4th.

serious skill and won the ladies while Thomas King won the men.Tom hardly even toughed the water during the 30min final.

A massive thank you to all participants, sponsors and spectators for helping us host an unforgettable event.

See ya next year!

Tarryn King

This year SA Champs made history by crowning the first ever SA Foil Champions.

Tammy Foster showed some

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 47

48 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

JCC Vaal

River Marathon

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 49

50 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

22 & 23 June 2019 Wow, when the comments after the race start with how the mist was so thick paddlers couldn’t identify the rapids, then you know that it was quite a race! The Vaal River Race is a gruelling two-day paddle on the Vaal River, but every year, it sports a different surprise. Just when you think the river cannot change, we get a flooded Vaal, or draught, or tree blocks, or mist. (There are stories and stories to be told about that!)

The race itself was a success like it always is. The race is one of a few that allows the committed paddler and social paddler to compete in a great setting, where it is not always the fittest that come out first, but more often, the paddlers who know the river. (Sounds a bit like the Berg River Race there, but it is true.)

Mzamo Zondi (LEM) & Peter Chissano (JCC) raced to take first place after two great days of paddling. Under 18’s Connor Erwee (DAB) & Wongama Makasi (SOW), took second place overall. Katiso Hlahatsi (VIC) & Colin Ledwaba (VIC) were just a minute behind.

Sowetan Club paddlers, Sibusiso Chwayi with partner Zanentlantla Mbala, were the first Under 23’s to finish. Watuni husband & wife team, Kobus & Caroline Filmalter, came in first for the mixed doubles, as well as the first Veterans. Another interesting finish was 7th place overall team, Brian Longley (DAB) & Peter O’Connor (DAB), who were the first Great Grand Masters.

Raymond Rorich (CEN) & Nadine Norval (CEN) were the first Sub-Vets to finish. The first Sub-

Masters were also a mixed-double combination with Anton Nel (VIC) & Shellee Nel (VIC).

If you have not yet paddled the Vaal River, I would heartily invite you to come join us next year. This is one of the few races where being a paddler is great, but so is being a second. There are ample viewing points, great food and outstanding hospitality.

Hope to see you there!

NATALI COETZEE

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 51

Opinion

Great Design is in the details

Kayak design is one of those things that is as much art as it is science; from a performance point of view and also from an aesthetic point of view. I often get asked if I run computer simulations when I design kayaks. I do simulate a number of different elements during the design process, but the final design is still 52 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

the result of my own understanding, knowledge and experience combined with physics and number crunching. The reason is simply that with the exception of sprint kayaks that operate in a straight line on flat water, most kayaks are designed to perform in a variety of different, ever-changing conditions.

Because the design of a kayak is not something that you can simply put a number on to determine whether it is good or bad, there is often much debate about this subject.

The purpose of this article is not to discuss any specific design, but rather to give you the right tools so that next time you’re arguing about

a kayak form and function or want to compare two different designs, you will have a better understand of what to consider.

Let's start with the basics...

What is the difference between a kayak and a canoe?

It is determined by how it is used, not by what it looks like. A kayak is paddled in a seated position, with a double-bladed paddle. A canoe is paddled in a kneeling position, with a single-bladed paddle. That’s it. The method of paddling naturally influences the design; there is no mistaking a Canadian canoe for a whitewater kayak, for instance.

But often the same craft can be fitted with different outfitting to be paddled either as a kayak or a canoe. In South Africa, 99.9% of paddlers are using kayaks, not canoes.

HULL DESIGN ASPECTS THAT INFLUENCE PERFORMANCE The most important thing to keep in mind regarding the different aspects of a design, is that none of these aspects work in isolation. It is the unique combination of these different aspects in a design that determines the performance.You can’t just look at the width of a kayak, for instance, and use that as the sole indication of the stability or speed of the kayak. The hull cross-section profile, rocker profile and length all have an influence too.

Length The longer any specific hull design is, the faster it will be, as the longer shape will have less form

drag. However, the length can’t be increased indefinitely, because as the shape gets longer, the skin friction drag increases. There comes a point where the increase in skin friction drag negates the decrease in form drag.

TERMINOLOGY

Keep in mind that it is not the full length of the kayak that determines the speed, but the length of the waterline. Some kayak designs, especially whitewater and ocean kayaks, tend to have a large part of the bow and stern out of the water, which means the waterline length is much shorter than the length of the kayak.

Bow front of the kayak.

Stern: back of the kayak.

Splitline: parting line where the two halves of a kayak is joined (in the case of composite and thermoformed kayaks) or where the mould halves meet (in the case of a rotomoulded kayak, which is moulded in one piece).

Racing kayaks tend to have very little rocker, so the waterline length is almost the same as the kayak length. Some racing kayaks and surfskis now sport inverted bows, which causes the waterline length and boat length to be exactly the same.

Deck Top of the kayak. Although not technically correct, in the case of kayaks everything above the splitline is generally considered to be the deck.

Width In general, wider means more stable, but also slower. However, as I pointed out in a previous article, you are only as fast as you are stable. If you paddle a kayak with a hull that is theoretically faster, but you spend 20% of your energy just on balancing the kayak, you will actually be faster on the water by paddling a slightly wider kayak that is more stable, where you can put 100% of your energy on propelling yourself forward.

When we talk about the width of a kayak, we normally refer to the beam, in other words, the width at the widest point. The width of the hull towards the ends of the kayak, both on the bow and stern side, also has an effect on both the speed and the stability of the kayak.

This is especially true on rivers and

Before we can discuss how design features affect the performance of a kayak, it is important to get the terminology right.

Hull Bottom of the kayak. Again not really technically correct, but generally everything below the splitline is considered to be the hull.

Rocker profile The profile of the bottom of the hull, when looking from the side.

Form: The outline of the kayak when looking from above.

Beam Width of the hull.

Hull cross-section profile: The profile of the hull, perpendicular to the length of the kayak. When you see a picture of a cross-section profile, it will generally be the shape of the hull at the widest point of the kayak.

Sidewall Side of the kayak, which can include sections above and below the splitline, depending THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 53

on the ocean, where there are more factors at play than just straight-line speed in stable conditions.

Cross-section hull profile This has a huge effect on stability.

Below are the basic types of hull profiles with notes. o Rounded. It is the hull shape with the least form drag and also least skin friction drag; in other words, the fastest. It also happens to be the most unstable hull shape. o V-shaped. This shape tends to have almost as little drag as rounded, with the added benefit of tracking well. This shape generally have great secondary stability but not so much primary stability. o Flat. This shape typical has more drag than round and V-shaped, but it has great primary and secondary stability. Flat hulls also tend to be more manoeuvrable. o Pontoon. The most stable of all, but also the most drag, both in terms of form drag and skin friction.

This doesn’t tell the full story though. For instance, a well designed, narrower flat hull can be as fast but more stable than a wider, round hull.

It is also common for kayak designers to use a combination of these different profiles on a hull. For instance, the hull can start V-shaped in the front, which then blends into a round shape towards the middle,

54 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

and then goes into a flat towards the back.

Rocker

Displacement vs planing hull A displacement hull is a hull that literally displaces water as it moves forward. A planing hull climbs on top of the water once it reaches the right speed. This means that just about all kayaks have displacement hulls, with the exception of waveskis, surf kayaks and some freestyle kayaks. Some well-designed sprint kayaks and surfskis do lift out of the water to some degree when they move fast enough, even though they won’t be called true planing hulls.

The advantage of planing on top of the water is that it reduces drag substantially, which enables it to move a lot faster over the water.

On a wave, the surfing action combined with gravity produces enough speed to generate lift.

On flat water, it is impossible to create enough speed by paddling to create sustained lift. Also, the same design features that enables a hull to plane at high speed actually increases the drag when the hull is in displacement mode, making it even harder to create enough speed to start planing in the first place. For this reason, the aim of racing kayak designers is to create the most efficient displacement hull, rather than trying to create a true planing hull.

More rocker means more manoeuvrability, but it increases drag, so it makes the hull slower.

Less rocker means less drag, but it decreases manoeuvrability. For this reason flatwater kayaks that are intended to go straight most of the time have very little rocker, while kayaks made for whitewater or riding ocean swells have more rocker.

This is then also the reason why many racing kayaks (K1s and K2s) that were adapted for river racing in this country by simply adding more volume on the deck tend to be quite horrible in technical rapids where manoeuvrability is more important than speed.

Apart from the amount of rocker, the type of rocker also plays a role. Most kayaks have a strictly continuous rocker, but some have what we call kick-rocker, which means the centre part of the hull can be relatively flat, while the ends are kicked up.

Bow shape A sharp bow pierces through the water, which makes it faster and helps the hull to track better. It also pierces through waves, which can be an advantage in some conditions and a disadvantages in others.

A rounded bow pushes against the water instead of piercing through it, which makes it slower. But the added volume in a rounded bow also rides over waves easier, which can be an advantage in some conditions.

Another common type of bow is the highly rockered flat bow. This is typically used on craft that operate mostly in the surf zone, where this type of bow prevent the nose from diving when surfing on a steep wave.

Sidewall profile o A rounded sidewall is very forgiving when paddling in rapids, as it is less affected by currents. It also makes a kayak easier to eskimo roll. o Flat or straight sidewalls are a lot more responsive to currents, which can be a downside if you’re paddling at the limit of your capability, but it can also provide a lot more control in some conditions. o Flared sidewalls decrease the tendency of waves to crash over the deck, which increases secondary stability. Flared sidewalls also means that the bottom part of the hull tends to be quite a bit narrower than the beam, which means a reduction in primary stability.

Chines

o Hard chines improve the primary stability of a kayak. They also help with tracking on flat water, and for carving in rapids. They are more prone to cause capsizing in choppy conditions and in surf launches and landings though. o Soft chines improve the secondary stability of a kayak and it also improves speed. This is ideal for ocean swells and choppier conditions, and therefore common on sea kayaks and surfskis. o Multi-chine. In recent years, more kayaks with multi-chines have been designed, especially on the recreational side of paddling. This is an attempt to increase both the primary and secondary stability of a kayak.

However, the increase in form and skin fraction drag is also substantial.

In my opinion, all multi-chine kayak hulls are too compromised and have very bad performance. There are more efficient ways to create the same benefit in terms of stability, without compromising the performance of the hull.

on the design.Rails/Chines: Edges on the hull, generally towards the sides, running along the length of the kayak. Another way of looking at it, the chine is where the bottom of the hull meets with the side of the hull.

Displacement The volume of water that is displaced by the hull at a specific load weight.

Waterline The waterline of a hull is the line where the surface of the water meets the hull.

Drag The resistance to forward motion. Factors like wind, waves and water depth all influence the drag, but as far as the hull itself is concerned, there are two main forms of drag: Form drag (also called pressure drag): this is the drag caused by the displacement (pushing away) of water as the hull moves forward through the water, as well as the drag caused behind the hull where the water fills the gap again (commonly called the ‘vacuum’ behind the hull, which is not technically correct, but quite descriptive). The actual shape (form) and size of the hull determines this drag. An efficient shape that cuts through the water will have less form drag.

Skin friction drag: This is the drag caused by friction of a fluid against the surface of an object that is moving through it. It is directly proportional to the area of the surface in contact with the fluid and increases with the square of the velocity.

Stability This is essentially the resistance to rolling side to side.

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 55

Length-to-beam ratio The ratio of length-to-beam has often been used as a measure of the potential speed of a kayak, so I mention it here for completeness sake. However, while it does give an indication of the sleekness of a design, there are so many other factors at play that I rarely use this ratio myself for any practical purposes.

Form

through the swell and waves, rather than climbing over them.

massive impact on the aesthetics of kayak, which matters!

o Fish Form: Widest ahead of the cockpit, this form has a more blunt entry. The bow typically has more buoyancy, which has advantages in whitewater as well as in the open ocean.

Volume

o Symmetrical Form: Widest in the middle, while the shape toward the bow and stern are pretty similar.

This shape increases the kayak’s manoeuvrability, and generally has fairly even volume distribution between front and back, making it a good all-rounder shape.

DECK DESIGN ASPECTS THAT INFLUENCE PERFORMANCE o Swede Form: Widest behind the cockpit, this form has a longer and more slender entry, giving efficient cruising speeds. Kayaks with this form tend to have great acceleration and track well. The narrow bow will cut or spear

56 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

When I design a kayak, I always start with the hull, as the hull has the largest influence on the performance of a kayak.

Nonetheless, the deck has a substantial influence in terms of the amount of volume, where the volume is positioned, the shape, and the height. The deck also has a

The volume of the deck determines how stable the kayak will be when loaded to the max. It also determines how quickly the boat will resurface when going through waves or holes. But, more volume is not always a good thing though.

More volume means more of the kayak is exposed to wind, which can be a major factor when racing, and it also affects handling on open water. When surfing on waves, the volume of the back deck has a big influence on the angle of the kayak, and can determine whether the bow will get buried at the bottom of the wave or allow it to ride up.

Peaked decks vs flat decks Peaked decks resurface faster when going through waves than flat decks. But again, there needs to be a balance. If it is too peaked and too buoyant, the kayak will start bouncing when you paddle through

waves, making it difficult to control.

Peaked decks are also affected more by wind. For this reason, flatwater racing kayaks tend to have low volume, flat decks.

Height of the front deck vs back deck If the front of the deck is substantially higher or lower than the back deck, wind will push harder on the high part of the deck, which can keep blowing you off course, especially on big open water.

Cockpit height A higher cockpit generally means better protection from the elements. It also means less chance of water spilling over the deck into the cockpit, in the case of sit-ontops or when paddling a sit-in kayak without a spraydeck on.

A higher cockpit can get in your way though. If it is too high for your body proportion, you will feel swamped with the high cockpit around you, and you might hit your elbows on every stroke. A high

cockpit also makes it more difficult to remount the kayak if you take a swim.

There are many more subtle design aspects that influence the performance of a kayak; all designers have their own tricks that they would like to keep secret.

There are also other factors that affect performance in the long run, like outfitting, choice of materials and quality of workmanship.

Kayak design is a fascinating process. Over the past 20 years, I have designed over 50 different kayaks covering a diverse range of paddling disciplines. Most of these designs made it to production, while others stayed in the prototype phase. But I'm still learning, and every new design brings new challenges. I find it most rewarding to be able to combine elements from seemingly unrelated concepts and designs, to create a new whole that has a unique application and spot-on performance.

Primary stability: The stability of the kayak when it is in upright position. In simple terms, this determines how wobbly the kayak feels when you sit on it.

Secondary stability: The stability of the kayak when it is on edge.

In simple terms, how likely it is to fall over once the kayak has tilted a bit.

Tracking: The ability of a kayak to keep going in a straight line without steering input.

CELLIERS KRUGER

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 57

58 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

IMAGE Scottburgh to Brighton FB page

Scottburgh to Brighton It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I lined up at the start of the 2019 Scottburgh to Brighton Surfski Marathon. The prospect of a gruelling 46km of battling the elements does little to settle your nerves, especially with the storm conditions forecast on the preceding days. The typically south coast race briefing of “I hope you got all the s… you’ll need out there” did help a little…

The Scottburgh to Brighton was the first proper surfski race I ever participated in about 30 years ago as a junior. I had watched a number of S2B races go through the mandatory check point at Amanzimtoti Beach (Toti) as a nipper and decided that this was the race that would set me on my course of ocean paddling adventures. DJ and I were offered an old battered double ski that we fixed up in anticipation of conquering the journey northwards along the southern KZN coastline.

We negotiated the surf zones successfully, plugged our way through to the finish at Brighton and learnt a few hard lessons about

perseverance. As the only junior double ski crew on the day, we also walked away with a title and a prize. I completed a couple more S2B races over the following years, the last of which was in 2001 in a lifesaving specification single ski, and have followed the race with interest ever since.

So, it was with a sense of excitement and nostalgia that I decided to participate in the race again after a lengthy absence. It was a last-minute decision to enter following the cancellation of a two-day river race in the Western Cape and an offer of a surfski to use for the race. Race organisers Stan Whiting and Mike Chiazzari, both of whom had been encouraging influences in my early sea paddling days, introduced a Lifesaving Specification Ski category for the 2019 race and I was keen to support their initiative.

The Scottburgh to Brighton race is ensconced in tales of paddlers taking a beating in the wave zones of Scottburgh, Toti and Brighton – three typically unforgiving beach breaks south of Durban. The

prospect of damaging an expensive, light weight racing snake of a surfski has become a popular excuse for not rising to the challenge. The idea of using a stronger surfski that has been specifically designed to excel in the surf zone seemed like a useful alternative. The relative unknown counter argument lies in the performance sacrifice of the ‘spec’ boats over a longer race distance. I was fortunate enough to be offered a Fenn LS single ski similar to what I had used for training off my current home beach of Milnerton in Cape Town. Paddling someone else’s surfski, particularly one that you haven’t had an opportunity to set-up to your specific preferences, certainly adds to the pre-race nerves. I have an on-off relationship with dead-leg that I prefer to avoid.

A cold front edging its way up the coast line promised to bring a strong south westerly wind with good following swells. We were preparing ourselves mentally for a mix of big surf and good runs and adrenaline levels were running high. Nervous banter flowed back and forth on social media and all THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 59

sorts of predictions were being offered up. The pre-race call to exclude the beach checkin at Toti was made at the official race briefing at Brighton Beach on the Friday evening in anticipation of big conditions.

I headed down to Scottburgh Beach on a typically dark KZN morning to be greeted with very little wind at all. A mixture of mainly relief and some disappointment was evident amongst the paddlers gathering on the grassy banks in front of the car park. Revised forecasts now predicted a light off-shore breeze for most of the race with the possibility of a head wind welcoming us to the Bluff.

Everyone was peering into the darkness trying to determine the best line out through the moderate surf conditions.

It was good to see a couple of the legends of South African surfski paddling line up for the start along with some of the current stars and future contenders. Tony Scott and Mark Lewin were participating in their 40th and 36th races respectively – unbelievable achievements by true icons of the sport.

Race conditions turned out to be sublime. The single ski start was fortuitously timed and most of us managed to get past the Scottburgh backline without so much as getting wet. The lead group of Bevan Manson, Tyron Maher and Gene Prato set off at a good pace and quickly opened a gap on the chasing pack.

Oliver Burn cut a solo line just behind the backline and a group of five single skis came together around the Green Point lighthouse and worked together 60 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

to make lighter work of the flat, almost windless conditions.

I found myself alone on my ‘spec’ ski and enjoyed the rolling greenery of the south coast that I had grown up with. It was an almost spiritual journey heading north past land-marks that had been crucial in race tactics in years past.

The modern racing era of GPS watches and heart rate monitors has certainly simplified the act of pacing yourself over longer races that you are not necessarily familiar with. I amused myself by trying to remember where the various distance points were with varying degrees of failure. I hadn’t seen Dean Chiazzari, the only other paddler on a ‘spec’ ski, since the start and had no idea whether he was ahead or behind me at that stage.

Races like the Scottburgh to Brighton don’t typically attract large numbers of competitors and paddling in isolation for prolonged periods can be quite common. My anti-social tendencies were well rewarded as I went past Karridene, Winkle, Warners, Chain Rocks and the safety boat off Toti beach.

A quick check with the safety crew confirmed that Deano was behind me and I had to keep my efforts focused to ward off his challenge. The middle third of longer races poses the biggest mental challenge for me and I struggled with concentration as I passed Pipeline Beach and approached the mini-bluff just before Dakota Beach. The race line was direct and close to the backline for most of the day and we passed well inside the tanker buoy off Tiger Rocks. The mental

image of a mince bunny from the nearby Island Hotel in the Isipingo Beach mangrove swamps reminded me of my ‘official duties’ of fetching lunch as a seasonal lifeguard along the Toti beach front. I joined up with Trenton Lamble and Oliver Burn for a few kilometres and we shared the pull towards the canal cutting that signifies the home stretch.

The leading double ski of Q-ball and Hophead flew past us like a flying fish. We attempted to hang on the slip but that didn’t last long and only served to fragment our efforts for the final kilometres to the beach at Brighton. The prevailing northeasterly ground swell had provided some excellent beach breaks for the surfers spread along the coastline, but made for a challenging entry into Brighton Beach. My arms were tired and I didn’t have much left in the tank to successfully chase the back of a passing wave. I had a quick rinse in the mid-break before getting my borrowed ski onto the beach unscathed.

Line honours for the day went to

Bevan Manson with yet another long distance surfski race win.

Tyron Maher came home in second, fresh from his Molokai Channel Crossing a month earlier. Third placed single ski was Gene Prato.

Quinton Rutherford and Mark Perrow romped home first in the double ski category. Zoog Haynes and Lance Howarth paddled into a solid second position whilst Barry Painting and Bradley Boulle claimed the third step of the podium. Nhlanhla Ncayiya was the lone competitor in the beach run category and completed the 46km distance with apparent ease.

I managed to open a bit of a gap on Dean Chiazzari in the second half of the day in the Lifesaving Specification Ski category. The hard work I had put in the previous evening had paid dividends. I was pleased with how the day had unfolded and am encouraged to return for another ‘spec’ outing next year. Sizing up the competition for the day, and analysing the race results with the index, I can honestly

say that my time for the day was about five minutes slower than what I would have achieved in my usual hybrid Fenn Elite S. I applaud the efforts of the race organisers for introducing the category and think that it opens the door for competitors that might otherwise decide not to participate.

Stan Whiting and Mike Chiazzari did an excellent job of organising a fantastic event and I look forward to seeing an increase in support from surfski paddlers from all over South Africa. The Scottburgh to Brighton race is iconic and should be on the bucket list for any surfski paddler.

The race organisers are looking to introduce more race options to further encourage participation.

The safety crews from the South Coast lifesaving clubs provided an excellent service on race day.

crispin thompson THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 61

Scottburgh to Brighton 2019 Results

1 2 3 4 5 6

DOUBLES QUINTON RUTHERFORD MARK PERROW ZOOG HAYNES LANCE HOWARTH BARRY PAINTING BRADLEY BOULLE MALCOLM CAREY EMILIO CHICCARO CLINTON WISSEKERKE CRAIG WEBSTER GUY COLLYER BRETT FROST

3:52:53.94 4:10:21.16 4:12:38.69 4:18:39.85 4:25:22.74 4:41:54.26

7 8

EDDIE SMITH MARK JOHNSON

4:51:53.19 5:04:41.12

DONALD VOYSEY RUSSELL SOLOMON

SINGLES 1 BEVAN MANSON 2 TYRON MAHER 3 GENE PRATO 4 BRENDON DELPORT 5 LANCE WYLY 6 ROWAN MATTHEWS 7 OWEN GANDAR 8 CRISPIN THOMPSON 9 TRENTON LAMBLE 10 OLIVER BURN 11 MARC DESCOINS

3:52:31.43 3:54:27.80 4:06:07.55 4:19:28.84 4:19:46.21 4:20:26.65 4:21:45.55 4:26:27.14 4:28:15.29 4:37:34.12 4:39:32.07

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

4:40:46.13 4:46:06.24 4:48:22.19 4:48:57.74 4:56:35.11 4:57:23.88 4:59:04.74 4:59:07.37 5:01:33.92 5:06:55.67 5:10:55.25

MARK GARDEN TREVOR MAHER ANTHONY SCOTT MARK LEWIN DEAN CHIAZZARI GAVIN BOTHA NHLANHLA NCAYIYA RAY VAN DER POLL PAUL CORMACK CHARL MASSYN SIPHO LUTHULI

Juniors represent in Ireland Junior International Canoe Polo Championships 2019 take place in Belfast, Ireland from the end of July.

South Africa has two teams taking part with our national u18 ladies playing in the u21/u18 ladies division and the u18 men playing in the u18 men division. Two more players are part of an u15 United Nations team, playing in the u15 division.

Only two of the players have toured with the national squad before and the international experience will be vital in the growth of the players! There will be live results and live-streaming available. If you would like to follow their progress keep an eye on the RSA Canoe Polo Instagram for information. @rsacanoepolo is the tag!

With development tours like these the teams are going into the tournament with the goal to learn and grow as much as possible. The level of competition at this tournament is a lot higher than in South African tournaments, so our teams will be looking to cut their teeth on some tough competition!

This is ideal preparation for the World Championships in Rome next year!

After this, the next step in the journey to the 2020 World Championships in Rome will be the African Championships

64 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

2019 which are taking place in Knysna from the 20th to 23rd of September.

South Africa will be out in full force to try qualify our teams for the World Championships. All the teams face stiff competition to qualify and in particular the senior men’s team which will be facing an experienced and motivated Namibian men’s team. As well as the African teams, there will be teams from Reunion and Australia taking part as well as a few club teams from South Africa.

The teams for the African Championships will be confirmed in early August. They were selected from a squad of players announced at SA Championships in April. For World Championships, there will be series of training camps before and at SA Champs 2020. The teams for Rome will be announced after these camps to allow the teams to prepare well in advance for the World Championships. For all of the teams, the African Champs also serves as a selection event.

DON WEWEGE

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 65

Canoe Polo Tactics

What is a zone?

Anyone hanging around canoe polo events and training sessions will hear about a zone but they often ask; “What is a zone?”

In a canoe polo pitch, there is an area of 6m from the goaline where players are allowed to jostle other players even if they don’t have the ball. When a team is defending, they form a barrier around their goalkeeper. This barrier is called a zone.

making it more difficult to score. As long as they are causing the impact within the 6m area, it is legal. If a player obstructs another player who does not have the ball outside of that 6m area, they will get penalised.

There are a number of different formations of the zone, just like you get in soccer! The most common in international polo at the moment is a 3-1 with a single player out in front trying to block passes and The defending team will use their the other three players preventing kayaks to prevent the attacking attackers from getting close to the team from getting close to the goals, goals. Another common formation

The attacking team successfully getting their player in front of the goallie to have a shot.

66 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

is a 2-2 which uses two players out in front and generally two stronger players at the back.

The attacking team will generally try to move players out of position in the zone. When clearing defenders out of the zone, whoever can get their boat under the opposition’s boat is the king! It takes great skill and power to stay in control when another player has his kayak under yours!

DON WEWEGE

The defenders holding their zone to prevent any attacks from having a 1on1 with the keeper.

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 67

in review

epic v7

68 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 69

Is the Epic V7 a surfski or river kayak?

Perhaps it is somewhere in between. It was designed as a surfski for use on the sea, but functions equally well as a kayak on moving water.

As a plastic craft weighing 24kg and 5.4meters in length, speed becomes relative. The V7 is hardly likely to be competitive in an ocean racing surfski event, but does allow you to participate when you want to. It cannot provide much competition against a K1 river canoe in a speed or endurance activity, but is virtually indestructible over the rocks in a flowing river. Against other plastics designed for river canoeing and tripping, it becomes the envy of individuals on shorter and more cumbersome craft.

The Epic V7 is an ideal boat that you can start with on flat water or the sea. With its fundamental stability, it is easy to propel and you can work on your stroke without the continual fear of capsizing. It has a comfy seat and the leg length is rapidly adjustable for your body dimensions. With its dual system offering an under-stern or overstern rudder, it can quickly be prepared for rocky water activities

or the open sea. Using the understern rudder, the craft can surf swell and can also be used in a downwind endeavour, but this can be tough compared to a fast and manoeuvrable surfski. If using the craft in heaving water, it is best to fill the stowage volume behind the cockpit with pool noodles to provide buoyancy, because water can get under the hatch cover.

The single stowage space is too small for over-night river tripping.

the open sea. Once achieved, an individual can then confidently link up with an intermediate to advanced surfski group.

A novice can start on one of Paddle Experience’s stable plastic craft and move on to a V7 on flat water, then progress to the sea as he or she becomes more comfortable with the craft and the demands of rough water, also switching to his or her own craft.

kevin brunette With this arrangement and the relatively high speed it can reach, the craft is best suited to longer single-day distances. On an A to B graded river such as the Paddle Experience offers kayak Orange River along the South adventures and paddle coaching in African border, distances of the Western Cape, South Africa.

30km and more are easily achievable. While navigating a remote environment such as this, it is reassuring to know that your craft is unlikely to sustain disabling damage.

The craft’s ability to support technique using a wing blade shape promotes a more vertical stroke combined with body rotation compared to wide rudderless craft. Its flexibility has provided good reasons for local Cape Town company, Paddle Experience to acquire a number of V7s to assist clients in negotiating the challenging transition from flat water to

Check out Oscar on the V7! Awesome sound track too!

IMAGE Photos By Carolyn J Cooper 70 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

9 1 ‘ r e b 13 Octo 9am @ Peninsula Canoe club

Short Course 2km Paddle 2km Run

family event! Enter as either a relay team or an individual!

All you need is a pair of running shoes, any paddling craft that Long Course can go the distance, paddle and 6km Paddle of course lifejacket!

5km Run

Find out more: Zandvlei Duathlon THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 71

Upper Body Ready

72 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 73

The sample exercises below are ones you can include in pre-season programs for upper body power and strength to help you prepare for water training. As you get closer to race season and you are spending more time in the boat, you will want to decrease the volume (number of sets and repetitions you do each workout) during your strength training and supplement with pushing exercises, triceps dips, pushups, and so forth to prevent overuse in the muscles.

1. UPPER BODY PULL

2-Dumbbell Standing Rows OR Prone Barbell Bench Pulls

Pronation

Prone bar bell pull If you are affiliated with a rowing or paddling club that has a land-based training area (like many college crew teams), prone barbell bench pulls (left) may already be set up for you.

If not, you will need a high bench or sturdy padded board with space underneath you to set up a barbell (see illustration) at arms’ length so that you can pull directly into the

chest. Otherwise, the “home” or dumbbell alternative, the 2-dumbbell standing row (right) is to stand with feet shoulder distance apart, lean forward with a flat back, slight bend in the knees, weight in the heels, and two dumbbells (palms facing thighs) or a barbell held in both hands, and then on an exhale, pull the weight in toward your belly

button. Off season, cycle through workouts where you are a) using lighter weight and completing more repetitions (for strength endurance) and b) performing more sets, using heavier weight, but fewer repetitions per set (for strength and power.)

2. PADDLE DRIVE

Straight Arm Standing Lat Pull Downs To perform this exercise, stand with feet hip distance apart facing a cable stack loaded with light weight. Feel free to play around with attachments – pictured is a rope attachment, but you can also use a straight lat or “wiggle” triceps bar depending on the position your hands will be in for your sport. Keep your abdominals tight, arms nearly straight but not locked in place, and body straight from shoulders to feet. Exhale as you bring the bar down in an arc to your thighs, and inhale as the bar returns to starting position. Keep a light, open grip on the bar to prevent pulling; concentrate on pushing instead. Avoid leaning forward excessively so that you can more effectively recruit the abdominals. Bending the elbows turns this exercise into a triceps exercise – one of the “pushing” options. To prevent any discomfort in the lower back, hold the abdominals tightly throughout and you can try staggering one foot in front of the other for a wider, more stable platform.

74 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

On pulley with cable

3. TORSO ROTATION

Seated Ball Oblique Twists (pictured at www.bodyresults.com/e2medballs.asp) AND Twisting Back Raises To strengthen the rotational muscles in the lower back and the obliques, you can use either a glute-ham bench or a 45-degree or 90-degree Roman Chair apparatus.

Make sure you position yourself on the bench so that you can have as much range of motion through the hips as you can comfortably get. (Men may want to look for a bench with two hip pads and a narrow depression or cut-out in the middle, for obvious reasons!) Let the torso hang down toward the floor, and position your hands at your lower back, across the chest, behind the head, or hanging straight down below your shoulders with one weight clasped in both hands. Exhale as you lift the torso upward and twist arms and body to one side, just until your trunk is even with your legs, then return to the bottom and come up to the other side, alternating back and forth. It is a good idea to start with straight back raises (no twists) first to be sure you have an appropriate level of lower back strength and endurance, then include the twists unweighted, before adding resistance. Avoid hyperextending the back (coming up too high) and if you have had any history of serious back injury, be sure to check with your health care provider before adding this exercise.

4. SHOULDER ENDURANCE

Seated BB Shoulder Figure 8’s Seated BB Shoulder Figure 8’s A creative option to strengthen the smaller muscles in the shoulders, as well as the trunk and forearms, is a dry-land paddling exercise perfect for kayaking and canoeing. Sit on a box or bench with legs together or extended out in front of you. Hold onto a Bodybar (5-10 pounds) or very light barbell, a dowel with a light ankle weight or “weight donut” firmly secured to each end, or you can simply hold onto two paddles for a little added resistance. Build up to being able to “air row” for 3-5 minutes per set. In order to provide resistance, attach your paddle or dowel to a light cable stack or theraband firmly affixed to a vertical pole not too far in front of you and work each side of the body at a time before setting up on the other side. Keep in mind that therabands will give you the most resistance at the back, instead of the front as in paddling, so cables (where the weight stays constant at start and finish) will be your best bet if you can figure out a setup that will work for you. With resistance, this exercise turns into more of a “Paddle Drive”

Courtenay Schurman court@bodyresults.com

www.bodyresults.com THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 75

OUT&ABOUT Not a breath, hardly a wave and a sparkling blue sky greeted the assembly of paddlers for the third race of the G-Bay Winter Series.

A collective invite to the greater Peninsula paddling community brought numerous new faces of SUP and Proners along with a few surfskier joking they needed to renew their passport for the outing to the other corner of False Bay. In ideal conditions for PBs the race for the 8.35km short course from the Main Beach corner along the cliffs to the 5 Houses Rock returning back towards Harbour Island for a clockwise lap and back to the start saw Harry Lake in 53m43 take the honours over Scott Hogg with Jurie Wessels over 65 Bullet a few minutes behind whilst Lizl Hobson lone ski lady improving her PB in 01h04m03.

The SUP saw Rory Smith steak 76 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

home in 56m27 whilst recently recrowned SA SUP Wave Champ Dylan Frick on a 12’6” board appeared to be teasing his father Francois as they hit the beach together but some 17 seconds separated them as Frick senior caught his breath to make the finish line in 59m14. Joshua Coetzee of Team Natural Energy and Guy Bubb of SUP Cape Town rounded out the male SUPs with 12 year old Chiara Voster showing her mettle as the lone female in 01h06m25 whilst in the Proners saw junior brother Ethan home in 01h12m17 ahead of Tyra Buncombe in an impressive 01h18m22.

The two lap long course was a ding dong affair between Ian Trautman a Fishoek powerhouse and Ernest van Riet fresh from a top 5 team in the Berg River Marathon finish that saw Ernest sneak the advantage

in 01h20m46 averaging 12.5kmh whilst Anton Holtzhausen held off a speeding Bianca Beavitt the first lady and 2nd overall in the individuals at the Berg River Marathon whilst Rodin Tindall of Freedom Paddle teamed up with Dimmie de Milander took the doubles and provided an entertaining video for the days scenic route.

Again the ever improving Kira Bester took the junior ladies with Helen Rossouw rounding out the ladies podium, with Gary Pepler again taking the advantage over Charles Murless the long Bullets.

Kit Beaton, the first Proner to complete the 50km Cape Point Challenge and 28km Freedom Paddle around Robben Island with Jadon Wessels, had a gentlemen’s agreement to only race the last 1.5km that saw the young gun 18yo pip Kit a seasoned Bullet by

G-Bay Winter Series Race 3

a meagre 4 seconds after 16.7km averaging 7.80 kmh.

With a fantastic turnout that has seen the attendance numbers double since Race No 1 with a special appearance from Rob Moody and Tim Fey Venn both finishing their first PE2EL in December along with stalwarts Gareth Pinky, Patrick Elay and Paddle Magazine editor duo of Tracy and Terrence Ward showing the appeal of participation beyond the Helderberg community.

Race No 4 : Sunday, 4 August It has a similar pattern to Races 1 & 2 for a brewing storm forecast with a strengthening N wind to increase during the day but with a small swell period and the shelter of the cliffs should enable the race to run before the grey clouds set in and conditions amplify. Register for Race 4: www.webscorer.com

All race updates and info available via G-Bay Winter Series FB profile Whatsup Group For the video click here.

Special announcements: Malan Lourens Viljoen have pledged R 2000 and free will drafting towards the series. The cash will be divided up into 5 x R400 lucky draw for paddlers than have completed three races and will be drawn at the final race.

Manor on the Bay have offered a nights accommodation for two which will be used as a raffle draw to raise funds for Kira Bester an SA Junior National team member going to ICF World Surfski Champs in September.

The G-Bay Winter Series key focus is to ensure the format and course options are accessible to all surfski,

SUP and prone paddlers within the protection of the Gordon’s Bay corner that is well sheltered from strong winter conditions. Post race a complimentary soup with bread is served by hosting eatery Potters Pantry and with NSRI Station No 9 on standby for any emergency and safety requirements as a portion of the entries fee collected allocated to support their endeavours The series ensured #EveryonesAWinner as all paddlers are eligible to receive a lucky draw prize whilst podium places get bragging rights and photos.

Many thanks to the sponsors #FunkyPants, #FreedomPaddle, #MockePaddling, #NaturalEnergy, #BriansKayaks, #GoDeep, #RYD, #CapeClassic, #TriggerfishBrewery, #Ecostake, #ManorontheBay and #MalanLourensViljoenAttorneys.

JAMII HAMLIN THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 77

WHERE TO GO Walshacres Farm Stanford, Western Cape

78 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

Walshacres is a delightful spot to call home where you need to get away from it all!

Situated right on the Klein River you could not find a better place to launch from to explore this beautiful stretch of river, with all three cottages being within 100m from the water., you really will not want to head home.

The accommodation really is delightful, with everything you could possibliy need. The stove and hot water are on gas. The rest is on electricity. They have even thrown in wifi if you simply cannot escape the digital world.

Apart from the double bed in a seperate room, all other beds are in communal spaces. There are two braai areas, all well equipped, and include wood! A stunning lawn to chill on with a trampoline for the kids (and big kids) rounds this stunning space off.

ACTIVITIES

PADDLE Bring your own canoe or kayak, or use one of theirs to explore the Klein River, with its abundant birdlife, ad gentle meandering through Stanford.You can head out for a short paddle, or all the way through to the lagoon as it winds its way through towards Hermanus.

FISH It is easy to find a quiet spot to cast your rod.

EXPLORE Head into the heritage village of Stanford to explore. “The heart of the village boasts an original market square, a village green and a miscellany of shops and places to eat. Quaint Victorian houses dot the tree lined streets where villagers have time to stop for a friendly chat or a cup of coffee and a delicious piece of cake just freshly baked at one of the local eateries.” Stanford Tourism

WHERE TO FIND IT 20km from Hermanus R43( Stanford direction ), 3km before Stanford. Turn right into “Walshacres Farm”, follow signs OR 3km from Stanford in Hermanus direction, turn left into “Walshacres”.

CONTACT Nina Metcalf 082 614 6322

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 79

Let’s Race Events , events & more events

80 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 81

EASTERN CAPE DATE AUGUST SUN 11

RACE Breakfast Series - Paddling Shop 1

SUN 18

Breakfast Series - Paddling Shop 2

SUN 18 SUN 25

Border Winter Series 3 Breakfast Series - Paddling Shop 3

SAT 31 SEPTEMBER SUN 1

Kowie Intercity Challenge

SUN 1 TUE 10 WED 11 SAT 14 SUN 15 SUN 22

Border Winter Series 4 Canoe Polo Africa Championships Pre-Fish

Breakfast Series - Paddling Shop 4

Sunday’s River Angling Club, Port Elizabeth, 7.30am, 9km or 18km Sunday’s River Angling Club, Port Elizabeth, 8am, 10km or 20km

CONTACT info@thepaddlingshop.co.za

info@thepaddlingshop.co.za

secretary@bordercanoeclub.co.za

Sunday’s River Angling Club, Port Elizabeth, 7.30am, 11km or 22km

info@thepaddlingshop.co.za

secretary@bordercanoeclub.co.za

Sunday’s River Angling Club, Port Elizabeth, 8am, 12km or 24km

info@thepaddlingshop.co.za

secretary@bordercanoeclub.co.za

Knysna

ICF

FRCC

SAT 21 MON 23 FRI 27 - SAT 28 OCTOBER SUN 13 FRI 18 FRI 25 NOVEMBER

Canoe Polo Africa Champs

Gamtoos, Jeffrey’s Bay, 10 & 20km Knysna Waterfront

Hansa Fish Marathon

SA K2, Craddock, 84km

SAT 2 SUN 3

Pete Marlin Ski Race

FRI 8 FRI 15 FRI 22 DECEMBER SUN 22

Border Summer Series Border Summer Series Border Summer Series

SAT 28 MARCH SAT 7 - SUN 8

Dirk Ellis Gamtoos Challenge

DETAILS

John Woods Challenge Border Summer Series Border Summer Series

dirk.ellis.jnr@dirkellisvw.co.za

secretary@fishmarathon.org.za

ndf@adept.co.za

secretary@bordercanoeclub.co.za secretary@bordercanoeclub.co.za secretary@bordercanoeclub.co.za

ECCU S1 & S2 champs, East London

secretary@bordercanoeclub.co.za

secretary@bordercanoeclub.co.za secretary@bordercanoeclub.co.za secretary@bordercanoeclub.co.za

Carey Olsen Sharl Point Surfski Sporty Anderson Surfski

St Francis Beach, 18km

secretary@stfrancispaddlingclub.co.za

St Francis Beach, 8am, 15km

Clinton Hempel 076 412 6091

SA Canoe Polo Championships

Knysna

82 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 83

GAUTENG DATE AUGUST SUN 4 SAT 17 SUN 18 SUN 25

SAT 31 SUN 1 SEPTEMBER SUN 8 FRI 13 SUN 15 OCTOBER SUN 6 SAT 19 SUN 20 SAT 27

RACE

DETAILS

CONTACT

Paddling Race SAMC Watuni Klip Sprints 5 FLCC Klip

Parys, 2 or 5km, 9.30am

office@vagabondkayaks.com

Roodeplaat Ixoxo Manzi to Caravan Park

info@gcu.co.za

VKB

Reitz, Free State, 70km

info@dabulamanzi.co.za

Paddling Race ERK Nite race Schools League

Parys, 2 or 5km, 9.30am

office@vagabondkayaks.com

ERK

info@gcu.co.za

Paddling Race Likkewaan 2 Day Race

Parys, 2 or 5km, 9.30am Parys

office@vagabondkayaks.com

DABS 4 Hour Enduro

Dabulamanzi Canoe Club

Liebenbergsvlei

Canoe Marathon

84 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

DATE

RACE

NOVEMBER SAT 2 Rietvlei Ramble SUN 3 Paddling Race SAT 9 - SUN 10 Lowveld Croc

DETAILS

Parys, 2 or 5km, 9.30am

SAT 16 SUN 17

FNB Eurosteel Wemmer Pan Sports4Life

SUN 24 DECEMBER SUN 1

VLC Maulti Liebenbergsvlei

JANUARY SAT 4 - SUN 5 SUN 12 SUN 19 SAT 25 SUN 26 FEBRUARY SAT 1 SAT 8 TUE 4 SAT 29 MARCH SAT 28 SUN 29

CONTACT

office@vagabondkayaks.com

peter@sports4life.co.za

FLCC Dusi Klip

Heidelberg Bridge to Caravan 082 857 857 Park

Marathon Pro Tour DABS Dambusters Schools League Race 1 JCC 2 Day Klip

JCC Dabulamanzi Canoe Club JCC Klip River

LCC Elands Memorial 3338 Schools League Sprints Race 2 VLC Nite Race High Altitude Ski Race

Elands River VLC Victoria Lake, Germiston Dabulamanzi Canoe Club

K1 and K2 Marathon

JCC

LOW

K W A - Z U L U N ATA L DATE AUGUST THU 22 SAT 24

RACE Lance Park Memorial Shaka Challenge

SUN 25

Alex Caruth - Ernie Alder Challenge TUE 27 Duncan Scotney Nite Race SAT 31 or SUN Da’Real Downwind Series 1 Race 1 SEPTEMBER SAT 7 NCC Boat Auction SAT 7 SUN 8

Capitol Caterers Interschools Lions River Supa Quick Jock Claasens

THU 12

Eric’s Canoe Shop Race

SUN 15

Supa Quick Fezela Classic

DETAILS

CONTACT

NCC Camps Drift, 16km ZKC Clubhouse, Meerensee, Richards Bay, 21km Upper Umngeni, 16km PYC, 16km Pirates - Umdloti, 22km

Camps Drift, Pietermaritzberg, 9am Steam Punk to Midmar. 10km kncuad@sai.co.za Incl Junior/beginner event, fezela.co.za Upper Umgeni, 18km Kingfisher Canoe Club, Blue secretary@kingfishercc.co.za Lagoon, 16km Camps Drift to Moto-X Wier fezela.co.za

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 85

DATE SAT 14 or SUN 15 FRI 21 SUN 23 SAT 21 or SUN 22 SUN 22 OCTOBER FRI 11 SAT 12 SAT 12 or SUN 13 SAT 12 SUN 13 SUN 13 FRI 18 SAT 19

RACE

SA Sprint Championships

Shongweni Dam

Da’Real Downwind Series 3

Pirates - Umdloti, 22km

FS/PIRATES

Nobby Nel Memorial

Upper Umgeni, 21km

UMV

Camps Drift, 10 laps

info@wallandback.co.za kncuad@sai.co.za

Wall and Back Ski Series 1 Capitol Catereers Interschools Enduro Da’Real Downwind Series 4

Table Mountain Descent

Dam to Dam 2 Man Relay K1

WED 23 SUN 27 FRI 25 SAT 26

Da’Real Richards Bay -Pirates Downwind Ski Challenge Wall and Back Ski Series 3 Capitol Catereers Interschools 1 Dusi Dash Umpetha Challenge

SAT 9 SUN 10

Pirates -WEstbrook or Toti 30km

FS/PIRATES

SA Canoe Polo Trials

SUN 20

FRI 8 SAT 9

FS/PIRATES

Pirates - Umdloti, 22km

SAT 19

NOVEMBER SUN 3

CONTACT

Da’Real Downwind Series 2

Wall and Back Ski Series 2 Mouth to Mouth Downwind Ski Race Dam to Dam 2 Man Relay K2

SUN 27

DETAILS

Supa Quick Fezela Challnge Guppy Race Wall and Back Ski Series 4 Capitol Catereers Interschools K1 Bushmans Popes Walk Alan Gardiner Memorial

FRI 15 FRI 22 DECEMBER THU 5

NCC Nite Race

SUN 8 SUN 15

No 8 to Josephines Bridge KZN MD Champs

Table Mountain to Nagle Dam, 20km info@wallandback.co.za ZululandKC@gmail.com

Richards Bay to Mtunzini, 35km Albert Falls to Cumberland, BOR 25km Cumberland to Nagle Dam, 30km Mtunzini - Pirates-Scottburgh, FS/PIR 180km info@wallandback.co.za Camps Drift to Low Level kncuad@sai.co.za Bridge, 10km Including guppy/beginner race, info@dusi.co.za Camps Drift to Bishopstowe Hall, 18km Bon Accord Park, Alvert Falls DAm, 25km Wagendrift Dam to Lambert Parl, 10km Dusi Bridge to Mfula Store Ibis Point to Mbeje’s Store, 22km

info@wallandback.co.za kncuad@sai.co.za STE STE info@wallandback.co.za info@wallandback.co.za

Wall and Back Ski Series 5 Wall and Back Ski Series 6

86 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

fezela.co.za

Natal Canoe Club, Camps Drift, 15km Umkomaas, 15km Scottsons Bridge to 2nd Coleford Bridge, 25km

secretary@kingfishercc.co.za secretary@canyonkayakclub.co.za

BOOK A TRIP

Simon’s Town Zandvlei Estuary Hout Bay

PADDLE FIT THURSDAYS Zandvlei Estuary

FB @paddleexperiencethecape 0711743099 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 87

DATE

RACE

DETAILS

CONTACT

Mon 30

Winkle - Toti- Winkle Lords and Legends Ski Race Fast Drak

Winklespruit Life Saving Club, Toti Watersports Club 15km Underberg, 65km Crusaders Canoe Club gaillreid@gmail.com

JANUARY SAT 4 SUN 5

Impilo Bushmans Race Lion’s River Race

TUE 7

Crusaders Nite Race

FRI 10 MON 13 SAT 11 SUN 12 SAT 18

Commemorative Dusi Canvas Journey 50 Miler Day Mfula to Inanda Resort N3TC Drak Challenge

SAT 25

Ascot Bush Lodge Challenge

SUN 26

Campbells to Dusi Bridge

Mooi River, 18km Lions River to Midmar Dam, 15km KCC Clubhouse, Blue Lagoon, 16km Alex Park, PMB to Blue Lagoon, 120km Mission to Mfula Store, 40km 25km Castleburn Bridge to Hopewell Farm, 65km Camps Drift to Low Level, 10km 25km

MON 16

FEBRUARY SAT 1 SUN 2 SAT 8 SAT 22 SUN 23 THU 27 SAT 29 MARCH SAT 7 SUN 8 SAT 14 SUN 15

SAT 21 SUN 22

SAT 29 SUN 30

Capitol Caterers Schools Sprints Inanda Dam to Durban Capitol Caterers Bushman’s Race Capitol Caterers School K1 River Champs Nyala Pans to St Elmos FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon

info@impilocanoeclub.co.za Midmar Canoe CLub croftfarm@mweb.co.za Crusaders Canoe Club gaillreid@gmail.com Fezela Canoe Club 083 225 5331 admin@umz.co.za secretary@kingfishercc.co.za secretary@canyonkayakclub.co.za

The Wykeham Collegiate lesw@twc.org.za

Nagle Dam, 200m Water release dependent, secretary@kingfishercc.co.za 35km Wagendruft to Lambert Park, Escourt, 12km 16km kncuad@sai.co.za Umkomaas, 25km

admin@umz.co.za

Camps Drift to Blue Lagoon, 120km

info@dusi.co.za

Capitol Caterers Schools Race Mooi River, 12km Hella Hella to Josephines Umkomaas River, 32km Bridge Umkomaas Marathon DAY 1: Josephines Bridge to Riverside stores, 35km DAY 2: Hella Hella to Josephines Bridge, 32km Tugela Marathon DAY 1: Middlesdrift to The Big Fig, 45km DAY 2: Big Fig to another Big Fig, 30km KZN Sprint Championships Shongweni Dam

kncuad@sai.co.za secretary@kingfishercc.co.za secretary@kingfishercc.co.za

Crusaders Canoe Club gaillreid@gmail.com

WESTERN CAPE DATE AUGUST SAT 3

RACE Nekkies to Elandia K2

88 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

DETAILS

CONTACT wpcanoe@gmail.com

DATE

RACE

DETAILS

alan@pushandpullpaddle.co.za wpcanoe@gmail.com wpcanoe@gmail.com wpcanoe@gmail.com wpcanoe@gmail.com

FRI 9 - SUN 11 SAT 17 SAT 24 SUN 25 SAT 31 SEPTEMBER SAT 7 - SUN 8 SAT 14 SAT 21 TUE 24 OCTOBER SAT 12 SUN 13

Push and Pull Paddle Elandia to Robertson K2 Drew to Swellendam K2 Bontebok K2 Robertson to Bonnivale K2

SUN 20 SAT 26

Surf Ski 2 : CPC Qualifier Surf Ski 3: Langebaan

capepointc@gmail.com

SAT 26

Milnerton to Melkbos The West Coast Express

russell@blueabyss.co.za

NOVEMBER SAT 2 SUN 3 SAT 9

Berg River Breede River Breede River Breede River Breede River

CONTACT

Breede River Canoe Marathon Breede River Goude to Bridgetown K2 Berg River Lamont Mini Marathon Eerste River Heritage Day K1 Eerste River Surf Ski 1: Three Beaches Zandvlei Duathlon

Junior Triple Series 1 Surf Ski 4 Junior Triple Series 2

SUN 10 SAT 16 SUN 17

Surf Ski 5: Oceana Junior Triple Series 3 Surf Ski 6: Milnerton to Melkbos

SUN 24 SAT 30 DECEMBER SUN 1 SUN 8 SUN 15

Surf Ski 7: 2 Harbours Surf Ski 8: Daniel Conradie Surfski 9 Surfski 10 : Peter Creese Fenn Cape Point Challenge Ski Race

Peninsula Canoe Club, Zandvlei

breede.canoe.marathon@gmail.com

wpcanoe@gmail.com wpcanoe@gmail.com admin@fhbsc.co.za The Paddle Mag

Tygerberg Peninsula Canoe Club, Zandvlei Oceana Power Boat Club Paarl

secretary@peninsula-canoe.org.za

admin@fhbsc.co.za

Cape Point Qualifier Fishhoek Scarborough / Witsand to Fishhoek, 5.30am, 52km

capepointc@gmail.com capepointc@gmail.com

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 89

I N T E R N AT I O N A L DATE

RACE

DETAILS

AUG 1 - 4 AUG 3 AUG 21 - 25 AUG 26 - 30 SEP 9 - 15 SEP 15 SEP 28 OCT 15-16 OCT 17-20 OCT 26 NOV 5

Junior & u23 Sprint Championships Sella Descent ICF Canoe Sprint World & Paracanoe Championships Africa Sprints ICF Ocean Racing World Championships 50th Liffey Descent Irish Coast Paddling Championships, Dublin ICF Canoe Marathon Masters Championships ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships West Coast Challenge, Cape Town Hong Kong Dragon Run

russell@blueabyss.co.za

23 NOV NOV 23 - 24 DEC 7

Perty Doctor Perth Doctor World Cup 20 Beaches Classic, Sydney

russell@blueabyss.co.za Perth, Australia russell@blueabyss.co.za

IMAGE Irish Coast Paddling 90 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

Championships 2018

Pitesti, Romania Spain Szeged, Hungary Morocco St Pierre de Queberon Dublin, Ireland russell@blueabyss.co.za Shaoxing, China Shaoxing, China russell@blueabyss.co.za

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 91

View from the back of the boat August is Women’s Month (well if the retail industry is to be believed) and if I look around at our sport I would have to admit that there is a distinct lack of women that participate.Yes we have some of the top competitors; Bridgitte Hartley – Olympian, Hayley Nixon – ICF World Surfski Champion; Esti Van Tonder, Jenna Ward, Bianca Beavitt, Michelle Eray, Nicki Mocke and Alexa Cole (nee Lombard) to name but a few have done a huge amount to champion our sport. I could write a whole page on each woman’s accomplishments very easily. They are wonderful ambassadors for our sport both on the water and off being involved in our paddling structures, training / coaching and sports related organisations / NGO’s. I feel almost

embarrassed to limit this to only mentioning these women when at the back of my mind there are a whole lot more that have picked up the mantle and championed our sport both locally and internationally.

In the letter from the editor I mention that there were only six women at the Berg this year and six in the K1 senior’s finals at SA Champs. Please don’t think that I am throwing stones at those events – they had more women than my own club has active members. A couple of months ago I was paddling with a woman that I was trying to get to join our club and as we made our way across the water she asked me if our club was a men’s only club. The reason she was asking is that in the three weeks she had paddled with me she had not met

IMAGE Sandy Yonley, Gorge Downwind Champs FB page 92 THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA

another woman. Needless to say she has not joined our club.

My old club used to have a woman’s day race and all sorts of fun events to try and get more women to paddle but at the same time the women’s change rooms where are the back of a very poorly lit building; hardly welcoming at the end of a dice. The other examples I have are going to a prize giving where there were no prizes for the women – not even a mention and lastly going to a race where the women

are expected to share the same showers and sleeping quarters as the male paddlers. We need to start thinking differently otherwise we will be the ones left out in the cold.

Not that it is all doom and gloom there have been some amazing strides, a lot of races are now offering equal prize money and others are now grappling with a handicap system to try and level the playing fields so to speak. There is a race coming up that is specifically running a nurture a novice entry

which may be an ideal time to get a woman in your club to experience the fun of a two day race. But the point is we need to firstly look around at our clubs and think about what can change to make women feel for welcome. Secondly we need to take a hard look at our races and structures in order to make sure that they are not precluding women.

If we cannot keep women who like paddling in our sport – how are we hoping to entice new members?

THEPADDLEMAG.CO.ZA 93

IMAGE Ken Findlay Photographics