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Michael Zoetmulder, head of the organising committee for the 2006 PE to EL Surf Ski Challenge, has announced the dates and some further details... The race will be run from 13th to 16th December with 17th December allocated as a reserve day.
Course Change Woody Cape, notorious for its huge ski-smashing surf, has been taken out of the course. The organisers argue that this step will make the race more paddler-friendly and that more entries will result. The first day of the 2006 PE to EL will be from PE to Cannon Rocks, a distance of 80km. "There will be no reverse days," said Michael Zoetmulder of the 2006 PE to EL organising committee, "so if there's a headwind, the guys will be paddling into it. We're keeping the Sunday as a reserve day and we will use it if necessary." The following announcement was made on the SAKayak newsgroup on 7 July: Surf Ski Challenge classic on track for Sunshine Coast The PE2EL Surf Ski Challenge, the toughest and longest surf ski race in the world, takes on a new look with the 2006 event being organised and marketed by a professional sports company, Sports World. The company's water sport arm, Dare2Paddle, will stage the exciting event on behalf of Eastern Cape Lifesaving.
Michael Zoetmulder, who heads up organising team, is upbeat as a number of international paddlers have shown interest in participating in what is reputedly the toughest single discipline event in the world.
The 244-km route, along the Sunshine Coast between Port Elizabeth and East London, will consist of four stages. The Surf Ski Challenge route will offer a just a taste of what the 3,000-km long, sun-drenched coastal strip, washed by the warm Indian Ocean, has in store for paddlers, sponsors and supporters beneath the glorious
South African sun.
"We have had very positive response from local, national and international paddlers. This is the fastest-growing sport in South Africa, evidenced by the increase in race entries for similar events over much shorter distances. This has made the Surf Ski Challenge a very attractive event for sponsors, and we are identifying and negotiating for title and support sponsors.
"We should also see a record entry from previously disadvantaged athletes, as Dare2Paddle have several in training and Durban with a large contingent of paddlers who are starting to excel.
"It would not be a surprise to see competitors with disabilities competing. Such as Port Elizabeth's Stanford Slabbert, who in 2004 became the first disabled finisher when he completed the Challenge. Stanford lost his leg below the knee from Burgers Disease, and yet intends to paddle in the 2006 Challenge. There is also Neal Stephenson, former World Body-boarding Champion, who lost his leg in a shark attack and is now a top surf ski paddler, and could be one of the top competitors in the Challenge," Zoetmulder added.
The difference between the Surf Ski Challenge and other endurance events, such as Ironman and Comrades Marathon, is that the Challenge is repeated every day for four days on the trot! The organisers are pulling out all the stops to ensure that Surf Ski Challenge 2006 is a paddler-friendly event, with the NSRI in Port Elizabeth heading up the water safety aspect.
No paddler holds a record comparable to that of Oscar Chalupsky, who has been appointed Race Ambassador. Oscar began his canoeing career as a school pupil, and today boasts accomplishments that are world-renowned.
Although female participation over the history of the event has been limited, the number of participants in the sport has grown tremendously. One of the top local female paddlers, Nicky Irvine, has indicated that because the race has been made more paddler-friendly she would be in the field.
Volunteers will continue to play a huge part in the race, with their role having established the spirit of the race over the years, but for the public the start of the Surf Ski Challenge, at first light as the paddlers take to the ocean in their streamline craft, has always been a spectacle. Each start is followed by a champagne breakfast and an enjoyable saunter enjoying the sites of the Sunshine Coast on the way to the overnight stop.
The event will enjoy extensive live TV and radio coverage, with an edited version of the race planned for broadcast by international syndication.
The PE2EL Surf Ski Challenge 2006 is open to any registered member of Canoeing South Africa (CSA) or a similar international body, with entry to the event open between August 1 and November 24. Qualifying races will be held at select venues during October and November. These include one in Cape Town, two in the Eastern Cape and two in KwaZulu-Natal.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Michael Zoetmulder
Cell : 083 2344301
Telephone : (041) 586 2957
Fax : (041) 582 3383
Website : www.surfskichallenge.com
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Prior to taking up paddling I was a competitive hang-glider pilot for more than 20 years during which time I competed internationally and won the national championship several times. I was a great advocate of setting challenging courses and argued against those who believed that events should be within the capability of the average pilot. By and large the top pilot?s views carried the day and my wishes were met. To compete successfully you had to be both competent and have an aggressive approach to risk. Today hang-gliding is all but dead and the few competitions that are held attract few entrants. I think that the approach we adopted has got a lot to do with this.
The simple reality is that for sports to progress they have to attract increasing numbers of participants to fund things like good organisational infrastructure through entrance fees and sponsorships. The benefits that we are enjoying right now in the form of improved skis, slick organisation of events etc. is wholly due to the fact that the growing level of participation in the sport makes it economically beneficial to invest in these things. Sports which have exclusionary approaches to participation do not generally attract large numbers of participants particularly if risk is a basis of exclusion.
It is just as challenging for Dawid Mocke to beat the ?next guy? in the Cape Point Challenge as it is for me ? it is just that the ?next guy? is a different person in my case. Adding in the prospect of getting trashed rounding Cape Point does little to add to the challenge but adds a lot to the danger. Do we really want to do this?