Surf Ski . Info - Durban World Cup to decide World Series

Durban World Cup to decide World Series

Written by Dave MacLeod, Gameplan Media

Tuesday, 24 June 2008

A powerful international contingent is jetting into KwaZulu-Natal this week for the Durban Surf Ski World Cup this weekend which will decide the outcome of the Surf Ski World Series.

Jeremy Cotter and Hank McGregor dicing at the warm up race. Durban 2008

Jeremy 'Jezza' Cotter (AUS) 'providing the principle shock' to Hank McGregor (SA)! (Pic: www.anthonygrote.com)

The Australian contingent that arrived last week used Sunday's Discovery Men's Health Surf Ski Series race in Durban Bay to shake of their jetlag, and confirm to the locals that they mean business in the Durban World Cup.

The least known of the Australians Jeremy "Jezza" Cotter provided the principle shock as he placed series pacesetter Hank McGregor under considerable pressure throughout the 15km race before settling for second place behind the Durbanite.

Tim Jacobs and Tommy Woodriff contemplate the Durban Surf (Pic: Dave MacLeod)

Just behind him the highly experienced Aussies Tim Jacobs and Tommy Woodriff raced well and showed their good form coming into the World Cup showdown, finishing well inside the top ten and just a few minutes behind the furious scrap at the front.

Another jolt for Durbanites was the return of one of their most famous ski paddling sons, Matthew Bouman, this time representing Australia, where he has recently relocated. The big framed lifesaving icon also showed that he has been training hard and will be keen to stamp his authority on the race.

Australian ski racing legend Dean Gardiner jets into Durban midweek, while the Tahitian Lewis Laughlan, who has won the last two editions of the gruelling Epic Molokai Challenge is struggling with flights and is expected to arrive in Durban on Friday afternoon.

Laughlan is the only paddler capable of displacing Oscar Chalupsky from the top of the intriguing World Series, which has been driven by the website surfski.info and has harnessed the ten biggest surf ski races worldwide, grading each of them according to each events importance, participation levels and prizemoney.

Lewis Laughlin - challenger for the World Series Crown

Dawid Mocke 5th at Molokai (Pic: Vince Bechet)

The Durban Surf Ski World Cup forms the last leg of the ten-event series, and 45 year Durbanite Oscar Chalupsky heads the rankings going into the weekend's decider.

While Chalupsky hasn't won any of the world series events, the 11 time Molokai champ has been rewarded for the tenacity, and his four top five finished have helped him a handy ten point lead over Lewis Laughlan in second, and Capetonian ace Dawid Mocke in third, a further 25 points behind.

Oscar Chalupsky - out to repeat last year's victory (Pic: www.anthonygrote.com)

The Durban World Cup as a four star event will carry 200 points for the winner, 196 for second placed and every further place down the field earns four fewer world series points.

"So if Lewis Laughlan wins and Oscar Chalupsky comes fourth or worse, Lewis will move to the top of the leader board and will be the World Series Champion for the 2007/2008 season," said series co-ordinator Rob Mousley.

"If Dawid Mocke wins the Durban World Cup, then Oscar Chalupsky must come eighth and Lewis Laughlan would have to come fifth or worse for Dawid Mocke to claim the world series," Mousley added.

Chalupsky, who won last years Durban World Cup in a dramatic tussle with Hank McGregor on stormy seas from Amanzimtoti to Vetches Beach that ended with both controversially racing in front of a ship entering Durban harbour, says the World Series will provide a exciting new dimension to the weekend international.

"I definitely don't want Lewis or Dawid to beat me," said Chalupsky. "I'd love to be world champion once again at 45. A lot of people told me I couldn't do it and it will mean a lot to win the world series title again. It is a double edged sword"

"It's a double edged sword for me," he added. "I really want to win the World Cup title that I won here last year, and at the same time I want to make sure that I win the World Series."

"The World Series is the birth of global surf ski paddling," Chalupsky added, saying that it was far bigger than winning the Molokai, which four decades was touted as the de-facto world championships.

The Durban Surf Ski World Cup will be staged either on Saturday 28 June or Sunday 29 June, depending on the best weather conditions, and will take the form of a 25km to 30km downwind race based around Durban.