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Well the Cape didn't beat the record for the most surf ski paddlers on the water - but it did beat its own record... 330-odd paddlers took part in the first Discovery Men's Health Series race in Cape Town for the 2006/7 summer season. The sun was shining; the course was mostly protected from the pumping southeaster. The mass start for this, the grading race for the series, was chaotic. The rest of the races see more manageable batched starts, but it's clearly a challenge to get 250-odd skis off the line in an orderly fashion.
And who won?... Last year Dawid Mocke took not one but two swims to let his Durban Surf Ski School partner, Barry Lewin, through to take the race. No such mistakes this year. As I approached Barker Rock, Dawid and Barry were on the same wave heading in the opposite direction; David on a Mako 6; Barry on one of his father's Custom Kayaks Icons... But Dawid took it this year by about 50m from Barry. And Dawid's wife Nikki, in spite of a bad start comfortably won the ladies race by just over a minute from Donia Kamstra. It wasn't a record time - around 1:01 for the 14km course. The conditions were not ideal - small runs on the way out for those that could find them; some runs on the way back but the strong southeaster that was howling around the rest of the peninsular manifested itself in the form of a light head wind as the paddlers came back from Barker Rock and that along with the choppy water made for a testing course. Mention must be made of the development team from Kwa-Zulu Natal. Sponsors National Auto Glass flew the four man squad down to Cape Town to take part in today's race. Coach Barry Lewin said, "the guys were a little shocked by the cold water, but one of the pairs took 4th in the doubles". As for yours truly - a plastic bag around my rudder 2km from the finish made for a disappointing result. (Note to self: install a weed deflector you idiot.) But the enthusiasm and excitement for the start of the season was palpable... The number of new skis was astonishing - as was the number of immaculate old Molokai skis clearly stored in garages for years and now brought out for the occasion! What an occasion! What a sport! Results will be up on www.surfski.co.za in a day or two.
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