Although the seas and wind had subsided after Saturday's
wild ride, conditions were still "a little demanding" according to race organizer
Ant Fouche. In fact Dawid and Jasper
Mocke failed to get out first time at the start. "We were chowed by the surf," said Dawid, "and
lost at least two minutes. We were hit
by a wave, fell out, and then another wave took the ski back to the beach."
The singles start Day 2 (Pic: Derek Hauptfleisch)
Doubles Start Day 2 (Pic: Derek Hauptfleisch)
"We got back in," said Dawid, "got to the back line and then just focused
on the runs and caught the other guys within an hour. We got about 200m ahead of the Barthos but
8km from the finish they caught up again and we went toe to toe to the point."
Dawid and Jasper Mocke - first start! (Pic: Dawid Mocke)
Second try: Dawid and Jasper on left; leaders way out beyond the break already (Pic: Dawid Mocke)
Ant Fouche & Derek Hauptfleisch about to have a 'demanding' moment (Pic: Dawid Mocke)
Barthos gobsmacked
Daryl and brother Brett Bartho were gobsmacked when the
Mockes came from behind. "We saw them
swim at the start," said Daryl. "We went
hard out of the blocks for the first ten minutes then just focused on catching
the runs. I thought we were going pretty
well when Brett suddenly said that he could see the Mockes coming from behind."
"I said, you're kidding me!"
The Barthos momentarily lost their cool. "We moved across to cover them then suddenly
started wallowing. They linked some runs
together and were suddenly 100-200m ahead.
Then Herman and Woody (Steve Woods) came past as well and I realized I had
to concentrate." Focus regained, Daryl
started linking the runs once more and the brothers slowly made up ground on
the Mockes.
Meanwhile Hank McGregor and Barry Lewin weren't having such
a good day. After their ski problems on
day one, they'd been allowed by the organizers to switch to a new ski, but it
didn't help. "It was just one of those
days," said Barry, "when we should have been doing something else. We just didn't get going. "
"Still," he said, "I had two awesome days of training."
Careful finish
Meanwhile, the Barthos had caught up to Dawid and Jasper and were dicing them near the finish. "We were just behind them at the point, went wider and had a
nice line into the beach," Daryl said.
Knowing that they had a two minute lead from the day before,
Dawid played it safe at the finish. "We
got to the backline and then took our time getting in," he said. "We knew that if we came off, we could easily
spend three minutes swimming in."
Daryl was full of praise for the Cape-based paddlers: "Hat's
off to them," he said. "They were flying."
Capies in Kwa-Zulu Natal - the Cape Town team (Pic: Derek Hauptfleisch)
The Deep-water start
debate rages on
The debate about whether the race should have been started
behind the backline raged on all weekend, with chirps flying between the skis
before the start.
Dawid Mocke came down on side of the status quo.
"I'm not sure we could have had a wet start yesterday,"
Dawid said. "Yesterday was insane. Even
if you'd given the guys an hour, some of them would still have not
got out. And the ones who got out first would
have had to sit there in that howling wind - that's not fair either.
"The thing that I love about surf ski paddling," he added, "is
that it's limitless - there are no limits.
We can still paddle skis when no other boat can be on the water. The majority of races are doable by anyone,
but this is what paddling is like on the North Coast. It's just what it is. You have to push the limits..."
Video Clip
Jasper Pons took this footage of the paddlers coming in at Zinkwazi.
Go Dawid Jasper !! Well done. And well done to all the others too. You take the sea as you find it!
Stuart
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Bring back the fun! written by Dave Kissane,
October 29, 2007
This race (like the World Cup)sounds like it was a blast! Lets face it. Doing circuit courses in the flat is boring as batsh.. If it wasn't for races like this one the sport would have very little of interest to the vast majority. We could take a leaf out your book and have some more interesting "challenges" over here (in OZ). And I love the idea of doubles races in downwind conditions. Oh - by the way...love massive downwind conditions but not sure about taking lightweight skis through 6 foot surf if it can be avoided. Good luck in Dubai guys.
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Comments on safety written by Rob Mousley,
October 29, 2007
We've been called by a couple of other paddlers who felt that the race could have been made safer without taking away the challenge of getting through the surf.
- "Our ski was holed by some guys who got taken out in front of us. It doesn't help to wait for the gap if there are guys in front of you who go charging in. It's not fun to get a double in your lap - in fact it's bloody dangerous."
- "If the organisers had started the race two hours earlier when the wind wasn't so strong and the it wasn't low tide (the race on day 1 started at 10h00; low tide was at 10h30) then it would have been safer to get out. You would have been able to see the sets coming in and they wouldn't have been dumping so hard on the bar. There was a huge element of luck getting out at all."
- "It was not safe to go out at that time. They could have started the race slightly further down the coast. Salt Rock is notoriously dangerous. The organisers must take more responsibility for safety - they're taking money from guys who want to race, not get hammered by other skis in the surf line."
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Let the Cape Point be the decider written by Traut,
October 29, 2007
Well done Daaf and Jasp, you guys had an awesome race - also really good to see the respect offered by the Bartho boys .
My take on the surf issue is that we have more than enough races around the world where the isnt really any big surf. You have to remember that some of these surf start races have been around for a long time - PE-EL etc - the surf zone is what makes the race a challenge. It becomes part of why those races are respected - because they offer all the dynamics in order to test the skills required. But in saying that I truly believe there is only one race in the world that offers all facets of surfski paddling in order to test the best - THE CAPE POINT CHALLENGE - this race is also started in a protected bay - no issues of losing your boat - what it does bring is a guarentee of complete varied conditions - upwind - side chop and downwind conditions , this race then offers all the elements to test the paddlers - and I believe without any doubt - this race should be used as the World Cup of World Cup's. If you only have downwind races - how do we know how good the guys are in going into the wind etc.
So lets get all the top dogs,local and International to CT on the 22 Dec - and have a proper honest race - without any issues - no harbour - no ships - no excuses about big surf at the start .
See you all on the start line !!
Traut
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Family Matters written by Wayne Randall,
October 29, 2007
Really interesting to note that 3 sets of brothers finished in the top Five Positions ....what is even more interesting is bar Jasper every one of these guys including Steve Woods is registered to race the Dubai Shamaal next month, all have an equal chance I believe of walking away with the big prize and bragging rights....and that's only if the likes of Greg Barton, Tim Jacobs, Dean Gardiner, Ken Wallace, Lewis Laughlin , Clint Pretorius , Kurt Dierckx , Zsolt , Tepa Leopold, Ian Gray ,Andrew Cole dont have other plans that will put them in first place when all is done and dusted...what a field assembled to hammer out a classic result.
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Results written by Cena,
October 29, 2007
Dudes, what was great is that the best team won. The remaining place getters all agree about that except one. What is so unusual about that? If they had got through and everyone else got smoked it would be a different comment.
If you want to take the surf line out of races, then take the South Western Reefs out of Cape Point. Ask Hank and some of the capies who have shook hands with it. It is Surf Ski paddling. It has many elements to it. Sometimes its in your favour, sometimes not.
They way it is we have 3 groups of ski paddlers. 1 - Paddlers coming out of lifesaving backgrounds used to the elements. 2 - guys coming from a canoeing background. 3 - The newish paddlers coming from neither a canoeing nor lifesaving background but more from a commercial entry, ski series etc. Each group has distinct abilities, and races which suit them. We should not change races to suit a group, unless numbers are so dismall it warrants it. But then maybe the race is the dinosaur.
The more "core" races are traditional and existed for a long time, and are often more extreme than the usual ski series race on flatter watter, easier surf etc. See them as different "products".
If we have the same "products" we then no longer have the variety from which to choose from. If you are scared of big surf, more core races, then practise in them and you will improves your skills, become a better paddler, and get more satisfaction out of doing the races. Otherwise you sell yourself short of what you can achieve and lower the bar for yourself. We need to ensure the benchmarks used stay there to provide a measure. If you can afford a carbon ski, then surely you could afford an older glass ski to tinker in the big stuff in. Be sensible, you woudn't take your class merc on a 4x4 trail would you?
We will never see more capies at KZN races neither will there be more piesangboere at WP races, fact. It is not convinient, simple.
Word out
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Challenge written by Brett Dorman,
October 29, 2007
The beach start was definitly about luck...We had 29 lucky doubles that made it out..But it is named the Dolphin Coast CHALLENGE.If it were a wet start, it would not be such a challenge, and be just like other downwind races.
I've never been so scared in my life, standing at salt rock on day 1 and watching those 12 foot waves crash.But the feeling of getting out was worth it,and getting onto those monster runs, wow! Very different from the Cape! Awesome race. Brett
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More questions to be answered... written by Rob Mousley,
October 29, 2007
From Rob Brodie, one of the Cape contingent who went up to race - said he had a great time but didn't get out on day one... He says,
"Hey Rob,
Hectic race... but a couple of things on a lighter note from the race which should be answered:
- How did beetle bailey end up paddling a double through the surf amongst all the mayhem... without his partner? (a few of the "pros" could learn from him ha ha) - How do the Mocke?s manage to surf a wave all the way from the backline on day two... backwards - how did maddock have a perfect exit on day one... and arrive at the end with half a boat - clearly yours truly clearly attended another race briefing on day two... and got hammered on the rocks at zinkers - mills and coetzee... clearly don't know what shark nets are - and Torrington needs to paddle a plastic double in future... ha ha
a few laughs from the cape boys
cheers, Rob"
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Leash written by Gary Kroukamp,
October 30, 2007
Doesn't using a leash help when going out in big surf as you don't have to go all the way back to the beach to fetch your boat if you get knocked over getting out?
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Leashes in surf written by Rob Mousley,
October 30, 2007
No - the forces on the ski are too great.
Paddle leash - if you hold onto your paddle the force of the leash pulling on it can break it or damage the boat.
Ankle leash - definitely not recommended in big surf because you can end up with dislocated ankle, knee or hip or all three!
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No Gary written by Trautmann,
October 30, 2007
Gary - you obviously havnt been chowed by a big wave yet!!!!if the wave is big enough you will either lose a leg or get dragged back to the beach , so all in all its pretty dangerous.
There is a need for a clip on/off leash system !! be clipped off in the surf zone - and obviously "in" when doing high wind runs!!
Cheers
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Female competitors written by Tanya Mangold,
October 31, 2007
I was just wondering if there were any ladies competing in the Dolphin Challenge and if so what were their results?
Cheers
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female competitors written by Brett B,
October 31, 2007
there was only one ladies crew entered,tiffany kruger and danica vorster.they tried 5 times to get out on day1 but were given a beating and damaged their boat. danica did however complete the day2 leg in her single..
interesting to note too is that she was the only lady to paddle the race last year and finished the whole thing.
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Leash written by Gary Kroukamp,
October 31, 2007
OK, so the leash thing is a bad idea. Doubt I would have had the balls to attempt getting out in conditions like day 1 anyway...
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Leash written by Barry Lewin,
November 01, 2007
There are leashes on the market that have a clip in them that you can release and reclip easily! I designed a model for my dad (Mark at Custom Kayaks) who has them in stock. There are other manufactures making similar products! Worth getting one!
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Wet start, dry start continued written by Linton Hope,
November 07, 2007
I am not the most experienced surf negotiator around and have had both my ski and ego trashed on numerous occasions, so I feel qualified to comment. When the starters gun goes off ALL competitors become different people. All logic and patience as well as manners are lost in the rush of blood to our heads. If we could learn to handle the surf zone in the same way we do in training, our ego's would remain intact and we would not have to blame the race organizers, or find excuses for our impatience. I do believe that batch or seeded starts might alleviate the problem somewhat. Ps We did get out cleanly on day one and semi cleanly on day two, but were HAMMERED at the finish on day two. I definately blame the organizers !!
cheers
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Stuart