Results for Currumbin Creek surf ski series for 10th July 2006

Race report for Sunday, 10th July 2006

Numbers were up again on last week’s race, with 27 starters. We should soon break through the 30 entrants mark, and then lookout 50 plus!!!!  Actually if Team Ridley (Peter, James and Matt) had made there normally regular appearance, we would have hit 30!!!

Anyway, I was really stoked to see the course record tumble this weekend. Actually more like smashed…Well done to Nathan Mayer. Nathan broke the record by more than a minute. Awesome Nathan.

Basically, it means that we are gradually starting to attract the elite paddlers down to the Currumbin Creek Surf Ski Series. And this is fantastic. It means we might be doing something right.

It’s why I am working as hard as I can to make the series grow.

From our humble beginnings, the series has barely moved out of the starting blocks, and it really is early days in terms of what’s planned for the future of the series.

Nonetheless, the participation of elite paddlers provides us with not only a certain credibility as a worthwhile series to enter to us lesser mortals, but provides me with a yardstick by which I can judge whether or not we’re doing the right things and providing the right product.

So….do I think we’re heading in the right direction? Well, it is early days as I mentioned, and we have only had a total of 70 odd paddlers enter at any one time, with the average being around 20 odd per race, but I do think we have some good possibilities for the future.

Notwithstanding the above, Nathan tells me his training for the Coolangatta Gold later this year is going well, and we can see just how well it IS going. For the record, his time of 43.32 is almost a minute faster than the record previously held by Adam Morley.

I heard a few snipes earlier from around the paddock from one or two of the other elite paddlers doing the rounds, that Adam’s course record was ONLY 44.30.

Well fellas, it’s taken almost 6 months for someone to dish up a new record. So all I can say is “me thinks maybe 44.30 wasn’t such a SLOW time after all”.  Good on ya Adam. Let’s see your come back after the baby is born.  I’d like to see the 43 minute barrier challenged now. How about it fellas?

What’s even more remarkable however is that the record has been established on both occasions on the new ZULU spec skis. How good is that? Considering that the ski is a sprint lifesaving spec ski, which is quite a bit shorter in overall length than a marathon ski, and supposedly as the ‘experts’ tell us, as a result doesn’t have the same ‘hull speed’ and that Nathan was uncomfortable with the short leg length of the demo ski, just puts those two performances into perspective.

Actually the sprint for the finish was against Jody Zerbst, who was in a ……wait for it…….a FENN Millennium (a marathon ski). Yep you better believe it. At the end there was only a second in it, and Jody was flying, but who knows if Nathan had something left in his tank, or if Jody left his ‘kick’ too late.

Anyway…we hope to do a “road test” on the Zulu ski on our new website sometime in the future, as well as a comparison with the marathon type skis, such as the ICON, FENN, RED 7 and V10’s. But that’s another story.

The next milestone is for someone to break the 43.00 minute barrier. We look forward to see who it’ll be, and on what ski they’ll be paddling.  Or maybe it won’t be in a ski. Maybe it’ll be in a K1 kayak. SERIOUSLY!! It’s been done before.

Back in South Africa, about 20 years ago, a triple Springbok canoeist, (sprints, marathon, surf lifesaving) by the name of Chris Greef, won a 10km ocean race in a K1 kayak. Which he’d had modified with a knee strap to allow him to roll should he capsize.

Obviously at the start there wasn’t much surf or swell, and the sea was dead calm, but nevertheless, he drilled the field who were all paddling skis, and even after having to Eskimo roll once or twice. Needless to say, kayaks were banned after that. We weren’t going to have any ‘unfair advantages’ now, were we!!

The lady’s race was won by Sue Dorries, who obviously has some pedigree. New ladies record time is 53.47. Well done Sue. We look forward to the ladies breaking the 53 or 52.00 minute barrier. Which I’m sure will happen as we get more ladies to participate.

The doubles record was almost broken, by our regular loyalty winners Mike Morgan and George Green in their FENN double, who are obviously doing a bit of training. Go you good things!!

Of the OC1 paddlers, Leo Young also set up a good time and PB, only to see Chris Maynard set an even faster time, more than 2 minutes faster, and only 4 minutes “slower” than the single skis. Unbelievable, from the ‘one arm bandits’.

RESULTS ARE NOW UP ON OUR WEBPAGE - www,alphabit.com.au/paddler/

This is not a misprint. Yes…we do have our very own webpage dedicated to Currumbin Creek Surf Ski Series. This is a temporary address and we will be moving in the future to our own webpage address, but for now you can see your results at this address. This comes as a result of some very hard work by one seriously awesome person. If you want to know who it is, come and see me, and I’ll let you into the secret!! His wife Ellissa has just given birth to a little baby girl. Wife and child are doing well. Congrats Scott!!

A huge thanks to Gilly for managing to get up in time to do the time keeping.  Thanks Gilly…you’re the best!!

IMPORTANT - Next race dates:

14th race – SUNDAY 23rd July 2006

15th race – 12th Aug 2006 SATURDAY AGAIN

16th race – 26th Aug 2006 SATURDAY AGAIN

17th race – 2nd Sept 2006 SATURDAY

NO RACE – 16th Sept MENS HEALTH SERIES W/END

18TH race – 30TH Sept 2006 SATURDAY

19th race – 14th Oct 2006 SATURDAY

20TH race – 28th Oct 2006 SATURDAY

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STILL no news from Rod Taylor on his ski series up on the Sunshine Coast…

But I’ll report on anything should we hear from Rod.

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DOLPHIN CLASSIC SURF SKI RACE 20KMS – 16th September 2006

Northcliffe Surf Lifesaving Club – Surfers paradise Gold Coast

-$50 000 in Cash & prizes-

www.dolhinsurf.com.au

Nick Crilly of Northcliffe Surf Lifesaving Club, the event organizer of this race tells me that the event has now been opened up to non-surf club members, but for this year you are still required to enter on a spec ski. He says they are expecting a record entry this year.

As from next year the event will be opened up to marathon skis as well.

This is great news for Surfski Ocean Racing on the Gold Coast.

I’d like to encourage all surfski enthusiasts, whether you are a Qld local or not, or are from interstate, belong to a surf club, kayak club, or if you’re a multi-sport competitor, to make a HUGE effort to participate in this annual classic. This race will become massive in ocean racing parlance in years to come.

And the time to start participating is NOW!!!! THIS YEAR!!! SEPTEMBER!!

If any paddlers have any questions regarding entry, please give Nick Crilly a call on 07 5539 8091 or visit the website, or you can collect entry forms from me at the next Currumbin Surf Ski Series race this upcoming weekend. Sunday remember!!

Entries close 8th September 2006

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MENS HEALTH SURF SKI SERIES.

HAMILTON ISLAND SEASON OPENER – WEEKEND 16, 17 and 18th September 2006

I hope to have more details in coming weeks as they become available on the above Mens Health season opener.

Deano Gardiner tells me that the opening race is an absolute blast, and a must enter for any serious down wind racer. Watch this space for more details as they appear.

I WILL BE CONSIDERING TAKING THE TRAILER UP TO HAMILTON ISLAND, SHOULD THERE BE SUFFICIENT INTEREST!! SO BOOK YOUR PLACES EARLY!! Place for 16 skis (or doubles).

More great news for Surfski Ocean Racing on the Gold Coast is that there’s a very real possibility that the Gold Coast will host our own Men’s Health series race this coming year.

I think this is AWESOME NEWS!!!

And likewise, I urge all surfski paddlers, kayakers and multi-sport competitors to diarize the dates once they’re confirmed, and make a HUGE effort to enter and do your bit to help post a record entry and secure the future of Surfski Ocean racing on the Gold Coast.

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Till next time.

SEE YOU ON THE WATER!

Editor

For more info contact Paul Mauger on 0405 474 778.To subscribe or unsubscribe to further newsletters, e mail me on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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