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Will it be the finest line up ever in the history of ocean paddling? Seems as though anyone who's achieved great things with a paddle and a boat is travelling to the Dubai race on December 2nd...
 Dubai Shamaal 2008 (Pic: Wouter Kingma)
Conditions
Conditions will play a big part on race day: the sea off Dubai can be flat as a windless lake - but it can also be like last year when the Shamaal wind came roaring in, stirring the sea into something that Dean Gardiner said resembled the Molokai Channel on a good day.
If conditions are like last year, the usual suspects should prevail (Dawid Mocke has the carrot of a $5,000 bonus if he wins for the third year running). But, if it is flat, there are K1 and Marathon Legends from all over the world eager to teach the ski paddlers a thing or two - and to lift some of the $120K prize money on offer.
Women's Race
The total prize money allocated for the women paddlers totals US$20,000. That's more than the total prize pool for most of the other races on the circuit. Because of this, the depth of the women's field is likely to be greater than any other surfski race yet held.
Hawaii's Lauren Bartlett will be one to watch - she's the one who thumped the other women across the Molokai channel in May after paddling a ski for a week (she normally rides an OC1). From South Africa, Olympian Michele Eray and Alexa Cole will be taking up the cudgels, along with a squad of other women from Durban. New Zealander Katie Pocock is another podium potential.
New Faces
So who are these K1 & Marathon pros who are coming to town to take on the established ski paddlers?
Tim Brabants (UK)
 Tim Brabants powers his way to Gold
Tim is the current K1 1000m Olympic Gold Medalist.
He's super-fast and no stranger to a ski - he was training here in South Africa last December... If there's flat water, watch out - and even if he can't stay the distance with the established Ocean Paddlers, he is definitely a favorite to claim the Fenn Hotspots... $3,000 and a top 10 finish would be a great day's work for the British doctor.
Kenny Wallace (Australia)
 Kenny Wallace - two medals in Beijing
The surf lifesaver from Australia's Gold Coast won the K1 500m Gold in Beijing.
In 2007, Kenny won the Gold Coast ski series and with it the "Cash to Compete" award that brought him to the Dubai Shamaal. He's another contender for the sprint to the Fenn Hotspots - but can he stick with the ski paddlers if the Arabian Gulf decides to bring wind and swell? Kenny was the cause of a slight mishap last year - when he forgot to insert the bung in his ski. Dawid Mocke, seeing Kenny in trouble, paddled across and stuffed the wrapper of his pre-race power gel into the bung hole. While he was busy the race was started, leaving him facing the wrong way, 200m behind the leaders. Dawid's subsequent fight back through the star-packed field to win has become the stuff of legend.
Manuel Busto
 Manuel Busto - dark horse
One of the all time great marathon paddlers, with six World titles to his name, Manuel is a tough, tough paddler and never gives up. Little is known about his ability in a surfski over 35 km, but clearly it would not be wise to write him off. One of several dark horses in the race!
Lauren Bartlett (USA)
 Lauren Bartlett - awesome in any craft
The Hawaiian water girl has won just about everything there is to be won on a craft in the waters of the USA. Olympic team K2 and K4, Outrigger 8 man, 4 man and OC1 championships, K1 Gold medals in the US champs and Pan American Games. She won the 2008 Molokai Challenge in a surfski, on her 1st attempt. Lauren is pure, athletic class and all eyes will be on her battle in the desert with the World's female paddling elite as they size up the $20,000 on offer.
Grant Van Der Walt (South Africa)
 Grant van der Walt - no problems with navigation on the river...
The under-18 South African missed would have made history in defending his title as World Junior Champion - but missed it by one second... The boy (he is still at school) is tipped for great things and won the highly competitive Fish River Marathon with Hank McGregor last month, the 1st time it has ever been won by a junior paddler. The jury is out on his ability in the open ocean (he paddled more than 10km past the finish at the Durban World Cup, ever so slightly lost). However if Dubai is very flat , he should take the Junior title with ease & could place top 10 for open men.
Ben Fouhy (New Zealand)
 Ben Fouhy - hungry for the podium
The 29 yr old Carpenter from the small central north island of Taumarunui off New Zealand is very fast and could deliver in Dubai. He was World Marathon Champion 2003; an Olympic Silver medalist in Athens in 2004, 4th in Beijing K1 1000m 2008. Having missed out in the medals in Beijing he may be keen to spring a surprise on the traditional surfski pros.
Eirik Veraas Larsen
 Eirik Larsen
Stop press...: Confirmation has just come in that yet another Olympic Kayaker, Norwegian Eirik Larsen is also coming to Dubai. A gold and bronze medalist in Athens (on the same day in K1 and K2), he took silver in Beijing in the 1000m K1 event.
Important notice
DSKC President & 2008 race director Wayne Randall has advised the following:
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Book flights. Very soon you will not get a seat to Dubai. The biggest sporting event of the year, the Dubai Rugby Sevens is on the weekend before the race.
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Deal with Africa Connection on the www.dubaishamaal.com travel link re your VISA. They will help get all you need in order. The deadline to have your documentation in order for Dubai is November 5th. Visa processing can take 2 weeks!
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Book your ski. The race will run out of boats 100%.
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Travel with a PFD. You will not be allowed to race without one.
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Accommodation is being offered at the Holiday Inn Express. $80pp, two people sharing. The event will run a shuttle bus from the hotel to the host venue. This will be a 15 min drive. Again www.dubaishamaal.com travel link & talk with Africa Connection.
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At the venue you will be free to enjoy the facilities & train on the course.
Dubai Anchorman2
If you haven't done it yet, do it now!
The biggest give-away in surfski history got bigger in 2008...
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The winner of the Dubai Anchorman competition is flown all expenses paid to the Dubai Shamaal - with a buddy!
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Apart from the 5-star accommodation, outrageous activities are on offer like indoor snow skiiing on the world's biggest indoor slopes...
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The winner paddles a brand new all black, 8kg, Epic V10 Super Elite surfski... and gets to take it home.
The total value of the prize is in excess of US$20,000. And here's the best bit - to enter, all you have to do is register here on the site and answer three easy questions! Click here for step by step instructions...
The Dubai Shamaal is developing into the biggest ocean paddling race on the planet. Dec 2nd see you there!
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