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Breaking News, 24 January 2006, by Rob Mousley
For some time we've known that the South African Surf Ski World Cup race is scheduled for 2nd July 2006 in Durban. Here's an update:
"We're going all out to set the standard for the World Cup series. In terms of prize money, international participation, media coverage, it's going to be bigger, better than anything anyone has seen before," Billy Harker said with his usual enthusiasm, "This is going to be THE RACE by which all other World Cup races will be measured…"
Teams will be invited from all over the world via the International Canoe Federation and the organizers stress that this, like the last World Cup race held in Cape Town in 2003, will be an internationally recognized World Cup Championship race. "Our goal is to bring at least ten international teams to South Africa," said Mark Lewin, chairman of the NSSC.
Each team will comprise four paddlers and the best three results of each team will count.
On Saturday morning, the day before the World Cup, the teams will be invited to participate in a relay race to be held along the Durban beach front. (For those paddlers with a bent towards horseracing, the Durban July is running in the afternoon…)
The World Cup race will be run on Sunday morning and is planned to be 25-35km, primarily downwind.
Scottburgh to Brighton Marathon
The 49th annual Scottburgh to Brighton 46.5km Marathon Surf Ski race will run the following weekend and it's hoped that most of the international competitors will stay on to race in this classic - one of the longest running surf ski races in the world. This year's race is scheduled to be a doubles race, although many single skis will participate as well.
The idea of linking the World Cup race to a classic long distance race will set a precedent; in 2007, the intention is to run the World Cup the week before the Cape Point Challenge.
Selection for the South African Team
A Selection Trials race will be held on 6th May in Durban, the day before the King of the Bay race.
"We know that most of the top paddlers will be planning to come to the King of the Bay race on 7th May anyway as it's the SA Single Ski Championships," said Mark Lewin, "but that race, which usually sees calm conditions, doesn't suit our purposes for the trials. So we've made the trials the day before and the course will be more representative of what we expect for the World Cup race." The National Surf Ski Committee has proposed to the Selection committee that the Trial is run over 35km (downwind) between Westbrook Beach (On the North Coast) and Battery Beach (Durban Central). The NSSC Selection Committee comprises Tony Scott, Anton Erasmus and John Parton.
Any paddler wishing to be considered for the South African team must fill in the nomination form that can be found on the Canoe South Africa website:
http://www.canoesa.org.za/Ski/selection.htm
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