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 [Editor: Jackie
Wolhuter finished the 2007 ARB World Cup - but found it a terrifying, upsetting
and ultimately joyful experience. The 23
year old lost her ski, regained it and then found herself in the awful
situation of having to leave a struggling fellow paddler in the sea.
This is her story...]
Pre-race
Pre race jitters had been building up for weeks. The World Cup
was fast approaching and all the talk was about what conditions we could
expect. As the weekend approached the predictions were for 3-4 meter swells with
30 knot winds. Unnerving for me because I didn't have BIG downwind experience
and these were extreme conditions at best.
The day finally arrived and we all stood on TOTI main beach
waiting and staring in awe at the wild ocean in front of us. At 9am the wind
was already at 25knots and getting stronger.
I was very hesitant and had walked around before the start asking for
advice on how to tackle the horrendous conditions. I didn't know what to expect
out there, and started the race blissfully unaware of what I was getting myself
into.
 Jackie (R) with her victorious Grand Prix relay team (Photo: Jackie Wolhuter)
We had a messy start but once I was clear of all the other
skis I stopped to fasten my leash around my ankle but the swell was so
unsettling that I only managed to get it strapped around my wrist. As I headed
out further into the angry ocean I found myself gripped with fear.
Losing my ski
I slowly started getting the hang of riding the runs and
making up some distance when I had my first swim. Thirty seconds and I was back
on my boat trying hard to find my bearings and get going again.
As I went on it seemed the swell was just getting bigger and
bigger behind me. I hadn't seen anyone else for ages and was wandering whether
I was the last ski.
Then as I was pulling off a massive swell I got hit side on
by a powerful foamy. It washed my ski out from underneath me and I could feel
myself being dragged through the water by my leash. Then I felt my lifeline give
way and saw my ski rolling out of reach.
I was one kilometer out to sea with just a paddle. At the
time I was quite calm and held my paddle up as high as I could hoping someone,
somewhere would see it. I must have been
in the water for about 2 minutes when I saw the most glorious site: a double
heading towards me paddled by Ross Poacher and Gary Clark.
They instructed me to get onto the ski between them. I
pulled myself up over the foot wells and swung my legs around Gary's waist. I was now lying face down, as
they paddled me to my ski which Thomas and Conrad, paddling another double had
managed to capture. Once I was back on all I wanted to do was head inshore and
get back to the beach. I had had enough and my enthusiasm for the race was
dead. But Gary and Ross said they would shepherd
me home and convinced me to carry on.
Soldiering on
With the security of numbers I decided to soldier on and
slowly but surely the port control tower got bigger and bigger. I started to relax and enjoy a few of the good
runs.
Then I saw a massive plume of water directly in front of me! It could only be a whale, yes, two monsters.
Every time I ran off right they popped up just meters away from me. I was worried
that I would ride into them, but after a while they decided deeper was better
and sounded.
Once I turned the south pier I thought I was home free, one
more kilometer to end this ordeal. The wind coming over the harbour wall was
wicked and I just could not get my ski to turn to the beach. As I struggled
through the wind I heard a muffled shout.
I looked for Ross and Gary, but they had disappeared
Help me, please!
Then I saw a paddler in the water about 10 meters in front
of me waving his hand and shouting "HELP ME PLEASE!" I paddled to him and he
grabbed onto the front left of my ski. I tried with all my might to paddle but
even with his help we were going nowhere. The wind was just blowing us further
north and out to sea. The rescue boats had
gone south and the other skis were turning sharp for home.
After about 30 minutes we were still trying our utmost to
get closer to the beach. Then a huge wave hit us from the side and separated us.
I tried with all the strength I could muster to turn my ski back towards the
guy but to no avail. He was swimming and shouting in desperation. We just got
washed further and further apart until I could not see him over the swell
anymore.
I decided that all I could do was to get back to the beach
to get help. I kept looking back hoping to see a rescue craft. After what seemed a lifetime I managed to get
into the shelter of the bay just off New Pier and I turned my ski towards the
finish, paddling just a few meters off the shore line.
After 3 hours and 40 minutes on the water I got my feet on
the beach. I dropped my ski and looked
up at Barry Lewin who was standing with a few of the life guards. I asked him if
all his paddlers were accounted for and he replied with a soft "No!" My heart sank and I broke down in tears, awash
with conflicting emotions, predominately guilt.
I had left someone out at sea, with nothing more than a small green life
jacket. How long could he stay there and survive? I kept picturing his face and
kept crying.
All safe
I was helped to my car. Then I saw the paddler from the
water... And again tears filled my eyes -
this time tears of joy. He was smiling and he gave me a grateful hug. He had
been rescued soon after I had left him to King Neptune's temper.
[Editor: That mystery paddler was development squad member Xolani Mkhize. According to their coach, Barry Lewin, when Mkhize arrived at the harbour mouth he couldn't turn his ski towards shore. He fell off and that was when Jackie found him. Seconds after they became separated, Mkhize was picked up by a rescue boat and got to shore about forty five minutes before Jackie!]
For me the 2007 ARB surf ski world cup was a day of almost
uncontrollable nerves, terror, sadness, and ultimately Joy. Everyone was safe
and accounted for.
The memories of this experience will remain with me forever.
I walked away far wiser and more respectful for the forces of nature. I know
God was looking after me.
Many thanks to all the organizers of the event and a very
special thanks to Ross Poacher and Gary Clark for getting me back to my ski and
staying with me to the Habour.
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This is why we have escort boats for each paddler in our race from Molokai to Oahu as conditions on an average day are similar to what you experienced... I always find it amazing how quickly you can loose sight of someone in big windy seas... Quite scary actually..
Aloha,
Mark