2007 British Flat Water Surfski Championships

Written by Michael Childs

Sunday, 28 October 2007

Within sight of the home of Welsh rugby, the majestic Millennium Stadium, and at a time when Welsh hopes of progressing in the Rugby World Cup were being dashed at the hands of Fiji, brightness shone in Cardiff Bay at the birth of distance skis racing in the UK. On the 29^th of September at 2.00pm as the whistle went in Paris Stade de France, it went in Cardiff bay, and as 30 men battled for supremacy on a rugby pitch, 70 paddlers battled on the water to be crowned winners of the 1^st British Flat-water Surf Ski Championships.

Start of the open class - British Flat Water Champs (Pic: Michael Childs)

Organised by Cardiff Bay Kayakers (thanks Owen and team!!) and sponsored by Childsplay Surf Gear, the 1^st British Flat water Surfski Championships ( as sanctioned by the Surf Life Saving Association GB and Royal Lifesaving Association UK) was entered by 73 paddlers in categories of U13 , Junior, Open and Masters.

2007 UK Champs - Briefing (Pic: Michael Childs)

The event also incorporated the final leg of the SLSA of GB 5 race, ILS spec, long distance ski series. No surprise then, that it was dominated by Surf Life Savers, at present the main bed of surfski paddlers in the UK, with the big paddling Surf Life Saving Clubs of Saunton Sands, Woolacombe, Rhoose and Llantwit having large numbers of entrants.

The event did though attract some strong contenders for the K1 marathon field in the guises of Michael Wright and Andrew Maycock from Exeter KC, Rob King from Hereford KC along with his brother Steve, a former UK Quadrathon Champion. In addition thanks to Jean-Loius of France and his son Lou Lou (U13) who travelled all the way from Calais in France to compete in this inaugural event and making it truly international.

2007 UK Flat Water Surf Ski Champs - Josh Childs

Youngest Paddler: Josh Childs aged 9 (Pic: Michael Childs)

In the shelter of the bay the race was going to be dominated by the marathon paddlers. The open race started and ended like a 500m sprint with eventual winner Mark Russell , of Saunton Sands SLSC, providing an awesome wash for Michael Wright and Andrew Maycock to hang onto for almost the entire race.

Maycock is well known for his sprint finish and Ressell was left with no choice but to race as close to threshold as possible as well as hoping that his wash would be too much to get over in the run to the line - and it worked!. Mark, who also organised and won the 5 race SLSA series with his win at Cardiff, was so enthused with the event and distance surfski paddling that he has already booked his ticket to the Dubai Shamaal race in November. In addition he hopes to expand the 5 race series in 2008 to 6, incorporating an ocean water event in Wales and hopes to be able to expand the classes to include distance skis as well as ILS spec skis.

With the enthusiasm generated at this event and the races organised by Nigel Hatton for Racing Sea Kayaks around the country, it is hoped that in 2008 a full circuit of races will be established in the UK.