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Friday 30th November 2007, Dubai, UAE: The weather forecast has held up - and it looks like the perfect forecast for the race. Windguru is calling a 15kt NW wind which is ideal for the course.
Epic v Fenn
As usual, there's a great deal of banter between the paddlers. On one side, there's the big O - who holds no punches in telling everyone who cares to listen (as well as those that don't) that Epic have the lightest, fastest, stiffest, best designed skis that will ever be made... These skis are paddled by
- Oscar Chalupsky, current Surfski.info World Champion
- Bevan Manson Oscar's alter ego,
- 3-time Olympic medal winner and Epic Kayaks CEO Greg Barton and
- Tim Jacobs, the on-form (unbeaten this year) Aussie contender.
There are three of the black V10 Elites here (plus of course the V10 Super Elite won by Antoine de Rooster, the 19 year old Aussie.)
 The black & white V10 Elites (Pic: Alain Jaques)
On the other side, there's Fenn. Keith Fenn shipped five of the new Mako Elites to Dubai. These skis are a development of the popular Fenn Mako6 - a narrower hull makes them slightly less stable, reduced rocker makes them more efficient on the flat and also, along with more volume in the tail, helps them to catch runs more easily. At any rate, that seems to be the consensus opinion from the guys paddling them. And who is paddling them?
- Hong Kong winner Dawid Mocke (SA)
- Current World Rankings leader Tahitian Lewis Laughlin (1st at US Champs; 2nd in Hong Kong)
- Aussie legend Dean Gardiner (has he finally been weaned off his Millennium?)
- South African multi-discipline, multiple champion Hank McGregor
- South African Daryl Bartho
 New on the block - Fenn Mako Elite (Pic: Alain Jaques)
Does it matter?
Does it really matter who's riding what ski and which ones win? Surely it's the paddler that counts and the top guys are all sponsored skis anyway!
Well, judging by the comments and enquiries we get at surfski.info, it matters a great deal. After the Hong Kong Dragon Run, readers were demanding to know, not just what make of ski was being used, but what layup as well!
So there's huge interest and speculation in just what's going to happen in today's race.
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Let the best man win today and then let the bragging rights kick in
over the cold beers to follow. I suspect the conditions will be mild in comparison to Molokai, Durban or Perth and not favor the big water paddler.
For the record we should be proud of both Fenn and Epic and Huki for getting more people around the planet on skis, creating more opportunties for all of us to travel and "Borrow/Rent" one when we hit the ground...
My pick to win??? Give it to a young gun- either Hank or Daw!!
Wish I could be there and good luck to all..