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 [Editor: Jean Rillard sent us this report of his experiences in the ARB Surfski World Cup, held in Durban, South Africa on 1 July 2007. The French team had a horrible journey to Durban, missing connections, losing their luggage and arriving two days late! And, being flat water paddlers, they weren't exactly prepared for the extreme conditions on race day. But, although none of his team finished the race, Jean can't wait to come back to South Africa...]
3 weeks before the ARB World Cup Surfski the French
federation decided to send a team in South Africa. So the time of preparation
was very short... But I was very happy, because it was my first experience
outside Europe for kayaking. Even if I have already raced in several Surfski
competition in France I am rather flatwater paddler, as the other members of
our team.
Our trip:
Our initial itinerary was Paris-London, London-Johannesburg, and
Johannesburg-Durban.
To start we arrived to London with a three hours delay, and we missed
our plane to Johannesburg.
It was more than 22 o'clock and all the hostels inside and outside
London were full. So we spent the night in the airport, like many people who
were in the same situation. The next morning, all the planes for South Africa
were full. We were obliged to take other planes with a transit by Cairo (in
Egypt) during the night of Thursday.
No problem between London and Cairo, but the planes to Johannesburg had
a problem and we left Cairo with more than 3 hours of delay, and we missed the
connexion to Durban. Once arrived at Johannesburg; we realized that our luggage
didn't arrive with us: they were lost, and we didn't know where they were
exactly...
We arrived at Durban, on Friday evening with two days of delay, two
nights without sleeping, without luggage and without paddles, and that, after 3
days of trip...
 The International Womens Relay Team - 30th June 2007 (Photo: Rob Mousley)
The race
We only arrived at the start area approximately 15 minutes before the
race start. That was really too late, to prepare our equipment correctly.
On the start line I realized that I had forgotten my life jacket. But
nobody had them, consequently I thought it was not necessary, but in fact it
was. I don't know why I was so stupid, for example in France the life jacket is
obligatory, even if the sea is flat.
 Dawid Mocke (Photo: Gameplan Media)
My start was quite good, at the buoys I was probably around the 20th
place. After the first kilometers it was more difficult, maybe because I
was too tired, but also because it was my first experiment with such large
waves, and my technique was not adapted. But it was very fun.
 Steve Woods and Tim Jacobs dicing down waves (Photo: Gameplan Media)
During a surf, my boat capsized. My leash did not
resist to the strength of this huge swell, certainly because I hadn't fastened
it well enough. My boat was carried off by the wind and the waves, and I lost
it...
After 15 minutes of swimming, another participant came
and helped me
Swimming session
When
Gavin arrived close to me, he told me to keep cool and stay quiet:"we stay
here, and wait for the security boats". I proposed him to swim straight to the
coast; however he was thinking it was more valuable to wait for the security
boats, and he was firm on this point. After a long-timed wait, nobody appeared.
We didn't want to spend more time right here. So we decided to swim together to
reach the coast. Gavin first tried to take me in tow. But the swell was too
high and we didn't manage to move forward. So Gavin made up his mind to swim
with me while we were using his boat as a float. It was really not easy and I
was cold. What a drag!
After a 45 minutes swim, I finally reached the shore.
And the shore break was big. I don't know if it was very dangerous, but it was
impressive.
When I arrived on the beach the life guards asked me: "where do you come
from... from France! Really? ... Welcome to South Africa."
I will never paddle...
The first thing I thought was: "I will never paddle on this f$%king sea
anymore".
No member of our team finished the race. The two girls of our team made
their first experiment on the sea in South Africa. Now they don't want to come
back anymore...
Nevertheless, South Africa is a very beautiful country, and wonderful
places to make kayak.
One of the best organizations
It was one of the best organizations I have ever seen. Many people
helped us, in order to enable us to discover what surfskiing in South Africa
really means.
People are very sympathetic, and thank you very much for to all the
people who helped us, especially to Tracy Smith, Billy Harker, who gave us
clothes for the race, Butch Murray, André and Michel De Rauville and
Gavin Searle (my personal life guard).
And now we have some ideas to develop surfski in Europe especially
in France (race format...)
Very, very interesting
In France we have a saying which says: there is no happy or bad trip,
every trip is interesting or very interesting. So our trip to Durban was very,
very interesting...
 Post Race - new experiences (Jean Rillard on the right)! (Photo: Rob Mousley)
[Editor: in the photo above: Jean-Louis, the team coach, Julie Raeckelboom, Morgan Joncourt, Amélie Bouillet, Ludovic Gaffin (Caribbean team) and Jean Rillard]
Personally I will come back to South Africa, it's really
gorgeous, but with more training in large waves, and especially with better
preparation of our trip.
See you and thank you so much for your welcome.
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Mike.