Westbrook Beach to Durban's Bay of Plenty (32km)

FORMER senior and junior world canoe marathon champion and reigning Dusi Marathon title holder, Hank McGregor, added another considerable string to his bow by outstripping the entire band of international paddlers and the rest of the huge entry of over 200 single ski paddlers to win the ARB Electrical Surf Ski World Cup individual title yesterday.

 

Paddling in national colours, McGregor and teammates Clinton Pretorius, Daryl Bartho and Herman Chalupsky all finished within the top 10 to scoop the team prize from a Tahiti/ New Zealand combination, Australia and the USA in that order, establishing South Africa as the undisputed world champions.

McGregor was elated with his success after grinding out the 32km race from Westbrook Beach on the KZN North Coast to Durban's Bay of Plenty in a thrilling finale against Western Province champion, Dawid Mocke, to claim the biggest global surf ski prize of R40 000.

Paddlers knew from early morning they were faced with a daunting flat water marathon with a small ocean swell and virtually no wind at their backs, conditions that would offer them minimal assistance on an otherwise perfect midwinter day.

Mocke surprised everyone with a monstrous kick-start that soon had him established well ahead of the chasers on the vast expanse of ocean and within half-an-hour had a 200 metre lead which he extended to over 300 metres by the time he was offshore Umdhloti Beach paddling at a consistent 15k/h.

Meanwhile, McGregor had teamed up with fellow South African A team paddler Pretorius, Barry Lewin (President's Team) and former SA Ironman champion, Matt Bouman, paddling conservatively in a typical diamond formation.

Herman Chalupsky steered out to deeper water in search of better 'runs'which was to cost him dearly, while Bartho and Oscar Chalupsky also teamed up ahead of Australian Tommy Woodriff and Brett Bartho ahead of Lewis Laughlin (Tahiti), Paul Marais and Julian Callebaut (both WP), Dean Gardiner (AUS) and Simon McLarin which was the order they passed by the check-point off the Umhlanga Rocks lighthouse.

By now Mocke began to tire, as was to be expected, and McGregor's patience had worn thin, and the race to the finish developed as McGregor abandoned the diamond and closed the gap to join Mocke.

"I knew that Dawid would not have much left in him when I made my move, which I did with five kilometres to go,"said McGregor.

"I put my foot flat on the accelerator and there was no response from Dawid and I knew I had the race won.

He added that the splendily organised event had "raised the bar for surf ski paddling globally" as it was now internationally recognised as the blue riband of surf ski racing with a total of R100 000 in prize money.

First of the international paddlers was Laughlin (2:18.09, 8th) with the Chalupsky brothers, Oscar and Herman, ninth and tenth respectively.

Australian Woodriff came in 13th, Simon McLarin (NZL) 15th and inaugural title winner in 2002, Deam Gardiner of Australia way down the field in 61st place.

The women's race proved to be a personal triumph for Mocke's wife, Nikki, who came 20th overall in 2:25:04, over seven minutes ahead of her Cape teammate, Donia Kamstra (2:32:44) with Michelle Eray (E Cape) third in 2:36:00.

 

First KZN woman to finish was the SA team's Jenna Worlock (2:37:25) with Tiffany Kruger next (2:39:50) ahead of American DeAnne Hemmens (2:40:30) and Michelle Eder (RSA, 2:41:33).

Mocke said it had been a tough race, "a long, hard slog"

 

“I was getting a stiff neck from looking around to try and see where the other girls were,” "she joked.

"The start was crazy, like a sprint, it was so fast, and I became rather anxious after a while not knowing where I was placed.

 

"But I eventually found a dream of a guy paddling at my pace and I got on his wave and found my rhythm."

 

Source - www.surfski.co.za