Bevan Manson wins 2007 Scottburgh to Brighton - Dawid Mocke 2nd (** Photos **)
Written by Rob Mousley
Saturday, 14 July 2007
Amanzimtoti, South Africa, 14 July 2007, 08h00. The 2007 Discovery Men's Health Scottburgh to Brighton race got off to a quiet start this morning as 160 skis (roughly 80 singles and 80 doubles) set off from Scottburgh Beach at 06h00 this morning.
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Bevan Manson storms into Ansteys (Photo: www.sportspictures.co.za)
C Mundow & J Cullinan (Photo: www.sportspictures.co.za)
Tiffany Kruger - 1st woman paddler home (Photo: www.sportspictures.co.za)
Where are the other SA paddlers?
Oscar Chalupsky is in China right now, working at the Epic factory. Hank McGregor is in the Cape, taking part in the Berg River Marathon. (He's leading the race by six minutes as at the end of Day 3 with Len Jenkins and Lance King 2nd and 3rd respectively). Barry Lewin and Clint Pretorius are resting after a hard season which culminated in the ARB Surf Ski World Cup two weeks ago.
Top 5 Positions
Official results will be out later but I can confirm the top 5 positions:
Bevan Manson
Dawid Mocke
Daryl Bartho
Brett Bartho
Shadrack Mkhize (awesome performance)
Cool fact about Bevan Manson
He's the first paddler ever to win a surf ski marathon event, who doesn't have a background in surf life saving. Bevan, a former national water polo player, only took up paddling three years ago. He's been coached for the last year by Oscar Chalupsky...
Live Coverage
12h00
Bevan Manson: 2007 Scottburgh to Brighton Winner (Photo: Luke Chalupsky)
(Thanks to Luke Chalupsky for updates & these photos taken with his phone & sent to us via MMS. His dad "volunteered" his services at the last minute and Luke has been suffering my calls & pleas for info & images!)
11h30
Top three doubles are in:
1. Ant Fouche and Greg Frizell
2. Gary Wood and Glen Hillier
Dawid said this was an extremely hard race and the closest Scottburgh to Brighton he's had in years. He said "Bevan had a fantastic race. He took his chance near the end and put about 50m in. No matter what I did I just could not catch up."
"I'm totally, totally at the end of my tether," he added, "I raced on memory and guts out there. It's definitely time to take a long rest."
Dawid watches competitors coming in through the surf at Anstey's (Photo: Luke Chalupsky)
11h07
Just spoke to Bevan Manson. He said he was "very, very, very happy" with the race. He finished in 4:17:32 (? unconfirmed) and estimated that Dawid was about a minute behind him.
Bevan, Daryl and Brett Bartho and Dawid Mocke were together for most of the second half of the race paddling on flat seas into a light headwind. Brett was the first to drop off the bunch, followed by Daryl.
Bevan and Dawid were together until about a kilometre from the finish when Bevan put his head down and dropped Dawid.
This is Bevan's first big win since taking up surf ski seriously some 3 years ago. He has been coached by legend Oscar Chalupsky who said (via Skype from the Epic factory in China), "I was waiting for my boy to win he has had it in him for a while now you watch him!!!"
11h00
Just spoke to Luke Chalupsky - Bevan Manson, paddling Oscar Chalupsky's 8kg V10E won the race followed by Dawid Mocke. Dawid was about 200m behind.
10h10
More details of 'Toti, courtesy of Luke Chalupsky:
The first five boats, Dawid, Bevan, Daryl, Brett & Steve came in together but as they were going out, Dawid "had a little trouble in the shore break" and the others got 200m ahead.
Latest is that Steve Woods has taken an inshore line while the others have gone offshore. We'll call Luke back in about 20 minutes to find out who won.
10h00
80 skis in. No dramas.
09h30
The first 12 skis, 7 runners and the surf boat have so far arrived at 'Toti. There's not much surf, but the beach is a mess - full of rocks. There's a short area of sand that they're directing the skis at.
(Traditionally the race has included runners who travel the same distance as the skis...)
The first six skis in included:
Dawid Mocke
Bevan Manson
Daryl Bartho
Brett Bartho
Steve Woods
Shadrack Mkhize
06h00 Calm Conditionsat the start
Race organiser Rex Hineman said the strong currents and swell that were evident yesterday had all but disappeared this morning. "Only one double crew fell off on the way out at Scottburgh," he said. "None of the singles even got their hair wet."
Speaking from Amanzimtoti Beach at the mid-way check point, he added, "There's a big shore break here but very little surf at the backline. There's no wind at all, so it's going to be a long slog today."
The 46.5km Scottburgh to Brighton (which ends 1.6km further today at Anstey's Beach due to storm damage at Brighton) race is regarded as one of the "classic" South African races and competitors often face a gruelling paddle at sea interspersed with adrenalin spiking excursions across the surf zone.
Updates
We'll update the site with news from 'Toti in about an hour when the first skis are expected to arrive at the half-way stage.
Oscar did his massive pre-Molokai training (2/3 sessions per day) with Bevan and he kept telling me that Bevan had a top three finish in him...a claim I wrote off as typical Oscar bluster. But training with the boys in Hawaii for two weeks it was obvious that Bevan was fit and fast and, more evident, obvious that the boy could drink nearly as much as Oscar. And he was nearly as competitive, which is saying a lot since they were having impromptu competitions to see who could hit a coconut tree with a rock, you name it. Sometimes they did this when they were sober. Bevan blew at Molokai and finished a "disappointing" 10th but those who have watched him move up (he was 5th at King of the Harbour NZ) tended to agree with Oscar that his breakthrough was near. Trimming a proud, savvy and gutty racer like Dawid Mocke on a flat day is a win well earned for a very good dude with a refined sense of humor and world class hair do.
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Congrats written by Ian Kingon,
July 14, 2007
A big congrats Bevan and a big congrats to the world's lightest, strongest and today, the fastest boat. That makes it two wins out of the last two starts. Well done to Dawid on yet another solid performance.
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Well Done Bev bad Luck Dawid written by O Chalupsky,
July 14, 2007
It good to see some young blood coming through the ranks. Well Done Bevan on a great win over one of the best, Dawid. You had an advantage using my Epic V10 Elite that doesn't know how to loose!!! Well done Dawid for showing Bev the way to win and on coming second. I am glad I didn't have to race the two of you. I am happy watching from my Epic factory in China working 18 hour days, 7 days a week!!! I think your race was harder than my plight in China.
Both of you go and rest and I will be waiting for you at the next big race, I hope it has some wind!!!!
Well Done
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Manson strikes written by Manson Clan,
July 14, 2007
Hey Bev,
We are so stoked. An incredible day for you. Well done. Miss you. See you in Dubai. Baby 5 from Scott.
Dad, Marlene and Scott
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... written by Kappa,
July 14, 2007
Bev you legend, good job!!!
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Big Win! written by Mark Sandvold,
July 15, 2007
Great Job Bevan!!
All that training you did over here with the Big O has paid off. Pretty convienient having him in China and a chance to get on his Elite V10! Hope to see you again over here for another Molokai and hopefully the wind won't die off like this years race..
Great Job Luke on the pics and the reporting!
Aloha, Mark
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Wildpig Salutes BM written by richard von wildemann,
July 15, 2007
Well done bru.
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Mrs written by Nikki Mocke,
July 15, 2007
I still think that Dawid is the best surfski paddler in the whole WORLD... definately the HOTTEST.
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