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Who are the top dozen surf ski paddlers in South Africa? In Durban you have Oscar and Herman Chalupsky, Hank McGregor, Daryl Bartho, Clint Pretorious and Barry Lewin (with a nod to a healthy Matthew Bouman and Bevan Manson).
.JPG "Pete Cole - Seaforth 2007") Pete Cole - 2007 (Seaforth race, Cape Town 2007) (Pic: Owen Middleton)
In Cape Town there's Dawid and Jasper Mocke, Paul Marais, Graeme Solomon, Ian Black, and Peter Cole. Cole's understated excellence is nearly easy to overlook. Though he won the Cape Point Challenge in 1998 - his lone big win - he's stood on the podium four times in the ultra-distance PE to EL. After leading the 2007 CPC for most of the last 25km he was overtaken by Daryl Bartho with just 3km to go. Still, having beaten Dawid Mocke and his long time training partner Paul Marias, Cole's performance highlighted, yet again, how tough he is in long distance races that feature tough gnarly conditions.
Cole started his aquatic career in the swimming pool, became an ocean Ironman in 1990 and focused primarily on ski paddling six years later. What's his secret to success? "I train hard," he said, "and I love it." Though Cole thrives on out-and-back courses and favors cold, rainy conditions rarely found in Hawaii - it's a fair bet to say that the savvy waterman from Fish Hoek will be racing side by side with the best surf ski paddlers in the world across the always dynamic Molokai Channel.
 Pete coming 5th in Plett 2007 (Pic: Glen Murray)
How old are you?
39
Height/weight?
1.87; 92kg
Ski
Carbon Fenn Mako6/Elite (Pete eschewed the Fenn Millennium in favor of the original Fenn Mako - but finally upgraded to the Mako6 when it came out. He chose the Elite for Molokai.)
Paddle
Orka B4 Min, manufactured in Cape Town
Juice/gel
Cytomax & gu
Where are you from?
My folks live in Constantia, here in Cape Town. I went to school in PE as a boarder at Woodridge College - where there was a strong lifesaving club. I was always a swimmer until I joined Fish Hoek while at university (Stellenbosch). Four years after coming back, I was doing Iron Man and was battling with ski - so I started to focus on it. Like most people in Cape Town, I started paddling canoe during the winter months, returning to the ski during summer.
At the time, South Africa was still in isolation - but I made the national team and we had a tri-nations against Aus & NZ in 1995 - I came 3rd. (1st in SA).
I read a BSc in Human Movement Science, majoring in exercise physiology - it's been useful for coaching, but I couldn't handle the quick-fix approach of the fitness industry.
 Pete finishing second at Cape Point 2007 (Pic Alain Jaques)
I was coaching lifesaving in summer - and canoeing in winter.
I still coach a bit by default - I tend to draw up programs for myself and then a lot of people join in. The more people that paddle with you the better - and I've had a good year this year because good people have been paddling with me.
For example, Ian Trautman, Steve Farrell, Sean Rice, Ian Black, Paul Marais - all solid top ten Cape Point finishers; more recently with Dawid for Molokai - nice to paddle at a good pace.
My perception of you is that you're a kind of mentor at Fish Hoek.
We used to have a very strong lifesaving tradition at Fish Hoek headed up by some outstanding guys like the late Peter Creese and Paul Mauger. We still have that tradition and we're currently the champion club in South Africa. I personally believe that it's really important to have the lifesaving element.
I guess some of the parents believe that I'm quite safety conscious - perhaps I'm not so concerned with the equipment, but I have learnt to read the conditions very quickly. I'd rather abort than take risks - "be safe and fight another day".
 Peter Cole pulling the bunch at Cape Point 2007 (Pic: Ken Findlay)
Describe your paddling week - how often do you get on the water, what do you do?
I paddle most mornings - an hour on the vlei. This year I've been on the ski on the vlei in the ski with a little rudder. Mon-Friday early sessions before work: Either an easy session or intervals.
Look at the weather - rest if the weather's bad.
Monday PM on the sea; Tues time trial; Wed slightly longer paddle on the sea; Thu on the vlei; Friday's a rest day; Weekend long ones.
For Molokai - I've done downwind wherever possible..
Do you cross-train? Running/Gym/Swimming? What else?
Mountain biked a bit and a bit of gym. Trying to fit it in with the job. And the wedding!
For Cape Point - more in and outs e.g. out from Fish Hoek into the wind and then back downwind; a lot more mountain biking - gets the heart rate up without hurting.
A little swimming - but I find it quite boring! I've got to the stage where training has got to be fun.
 Pete Cole - Seaforth 2007 (Pic: Owen Middleton)
How's your training for Molokai gone? Do you taper down? When?
We've had very good weather; the training has gone well, although I'll battle to do a 6 hour race. I could have done a couple of out and backs. I have done a lot of downwind - four bay crossings (46-48km) plus ten paddles of 30km plus.
The heat worries me a bit. I'm not mad about the heat.
What's different about the training you do for Molokai compared with say, the upcoming World Cup race in Durban?
I'll come back and do a lot of "quality" with the canoeists. Quality means hard, short intervals like the sprinters - ten 4s, ten 3s, 6x2000m; an hour, hour fifteen sessions - but really hard. Might do a few river races as well.
What's your goal at Molokai?
To have a good race - I don't know what to expect. You could put a lot of pressure on yourself. It looks like one of the better fields. I'm very sorry Clint isn't going.
Where do you think Surfski paddling is going?
Maybe not have as many World Events - you should almost have to qualify for the World Events.
How many of the overseas races have you done? Which was your favorite and why?
Tahiti 2001; I've raced canoe more overseas - world marathon champs in the UK - first time. I've done the Sella, the Liffey...
I prefer surf ski; but always got to March/April and found it nice to have a break and get in the canoe. The season in the Cape is geared towards canoe in winter. I love the Breede, enjoy the Fish River Marathon.
 Newly-weds! Pete & Alexa Cole (Pic: Glen Murray)
You have massive experience with long distance races - how many PE2EL races have you done; how many Cape Points?
PE2EL races - I think I've done 6: I did 3 or 4 in a row then missed two to focus on canoe - I've come 3rd 3 or 4 times.
Cape Points - I think I've done every one since 1993. Won in '97.
When you think of Cape Point, one name springs to mind as the most passionate advocate for the race - that's Pete Cole! Why is the race so very special to you?
I grew up paddling it; the scenery is unbelievable; it gives you both downwind and upwind; it's true test of your paddling ability.
But don't you need to do different training for it?
Load of nonsense - Daryl won after the other races; Dawid won it the year before. The winning times are down to around 4:30. You only start to race after the first 1:30 hours. I think the SA racers are winning because of it - we take our bodies further than the other guys.
What about a World Cup in Cape Town? Given that the southeaster blows almost constantly in summer, isn't the Cape a perfect place for a downwind race say from Buffels to the Point and back to Fish Hoek?
I would love it. If you didn't come in at Buffels, that would take four kms off, and we'd have a better like for the runs to the finish. Then we could start the race at Scarborough which would take more of the upwind head-bashing out. Of course you have to be flexible - in a northwester, you can do a reverse back to Buffels.
The important thing for a world series race is the "wow factor" - Cape town has it.
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