Latest Surfski News

Tuesday, 17 October 2023 07:11
“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” I thought to myself a few moments after launching on the brand new V10 4G for the first time. It was getting dark; it was raining; the squalls were lifting sheets of spray off the water… directly offshore. What WAS I thinking? The answer is that I’m a sucker for new toys – and if I get my hands on one, I HAVE to play with it. Damn the weather, full speed ahead… Since then I’ve paddled the boat many more times, in much pleasanter weather. Here’s what I think of this,…
Thursday, 08 June 2023 12:42
East London, South Africa: Angus Warren watched helplessly as the shark’s teeth crunched through the hull of his surfski. “It seemed to go on and on,” he says, “pushing and chomping. I was thinking, why is it not working out that it isn’t food? “I can’t tell how long it took, but I had enough time to shout a couple of times to the others.” The next thing he knew, he was in the water…
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Thursday, 27 April 2023 18:42
CAPE TOWN - Hank McGregor and Josh Fenn convincingly claimed back their Prescient Freedom Paddle title on Thursday in a dramatic race marked by tough conditions and a rain-delayed start.  Conditions were extremely tough - a brisk northwester blowing spray from the big confused chop into the paddlers' faces as they headed out to the island.  Huge breaking surf on the far side of the island ensured a wide line but the wind dropped as the fleet started on the journey back to the finish, making it that much more difficult and energy sapping to catch the runs.  
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Tuesday, 25 April 2023 11:50
Last Friday, however, I paddled with Dawid on a windless autumn evening in Cape Town. Cruising from Fish Hoek to Muizenberg, we paddled together, stopping at all the coves to surf a few waves. In short, the operative word was "fun". This was a different Dawid - off duty - and, well, I've never paddled with anyone so noisy before. Whistling, singing, shouting to folks on shore - yahooing as he caught a wave. Heading home at dusk we crept up behind a group of seals lazing on the surface. Dawid began barking like a five-year-old paid by the bark...until…
Thursday, 09 February 2023 07:39
A look back - aaaaargh! A mountain. Let it go through... A smaller one, with a glimpse of something massive lurking further out to sea. Catch it, catch it! Sprint, sprint, you’re on it, here’s the break zone, keep going, keep going, the roar from behind and the sudden acceleration as a massive foamy caught up to me, keep it straight, keep it straight... Phew. Arrived. Panting. Stop the watch. ok. Made it. Empty the boat, pick it up to prevent it knocking you down. Done.
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Saturday, 26 November 2022 17:16
The South Africans cleaned up today at the most prestigious surfski race in Australia – arguably the most prestigious race in the world - taking five out of the top six places and the entire podium at the Shaw and Partners “The Doctor” in Perth. Defending women’s champion, Kiwi Danielle McKenzie won the women’s trophy.
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Saturday, 19 November 2022 13:01
Gold Coast paddler, Cory Hill, took first scalp in the five-event ocean ski racing series, the Shaw and Partners WA Race Week, winning the inaugural race today, the 24km Fenn West Coast Downwinder from Fremantle, just south of Perth, to Sorrento Beach. In fine conditions with a 16 knot SSW wind courtesy of the famed Fremantle Doctor, the start off Port Beach was intense with the top paddlers in a terse battle to make the first break.   But it was 33-year-old Hill – the 4-times DOCTOR champ who relishes the Perth conditions – who was able to shake the field…
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Tuesday, 16 March 2021 13:54
It’s not easy to catch a rolling, runaway single ski in 30kt of gusting wind – and as they attempted to grab it, Alex and his doubles partner lost their balance and fell into the water. By the time they’d remounted, the single ski was gone – blown away by the strengthening near-gale. They turned and paddled back upwind to find their buddy.
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Wednesday, 03 March 2021 12:08
Accident reports are easy to write when the story ends happily, but this one didn’t and it’s with a very heavy heart that I’m writing this, with a view to learning what we can from it.
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Wednesday, 15 July 2020 09:13
When the NSRI found Duncan MacDonald, he was approximately 6km off Smitswinkel Bay, drifting rapidly further offshore. Gale-force squalls whipped sheets of spray off the waves, reducing visibility almost to nothing. What Happened? Given the small size of the surfski community, there’s always intense interest whenever there’s a rescue. What happened? What did they do wrong? What can we learn from it? Clearly there are lessons to be learnt from any mishap – so here’s a description of what happened, shared with the permission and cooperation of the folks involved in the hope that we might all learn from this…
Friday, 24 April 2020 11:41
Durban – As the continued coronavirus lockdown grips the country, Canoeing South Africa will host a 24 hour Canoeing4COVID-19 event this weekend as a way to raise funds for members of the broader paddling community that have been badly affected by the lockdown.
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Wednesday, 11 March 2020 14:35
“Hey, Rob! Help!” The shouts penetrated the sound of the howling wind and crashing waves – and even through the noise it was obvious from the tone of his voice that something was seriously wrong. I turned and headed back upwind.
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Tuesday, 03 March 2020 14:43
Many paddlers use Personal Locator Beacons, or tracker apps like SafeTrx on their mobile phones. But handheld VHF radios are also a great choice to consider – especially when they’re DSC-capable like the Standard Horizon HX870E.
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Monday, 24 February 2020 12:01
I finally got my hands on a demo Fennix Swordfish S this weekend and did two Miller's Runs in succession to see if I could feel any difference in handling between the 2018 Swordfish S and the new Fennix model.  Conditions were challenging: False Bay was covered in whitecaps, whipped by a combination of a 25-30kt southeaster and small, confused seas.  The result?  I definitely want to spend more time in this boat.
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Thursday, 26 December 2019 10:30
The shark smashed like a freight train into Roger Swinney’s surfski in an explosion of noise and spray, knocking him off into the water.  “I managed to get back on the ski,” he said, “but I fell off again and as I remounted the second time, I saw the swirl and tips of the shark’s fins. “I didn’t see it clearly, but from the force of it and the movement in the water, it looked big!”
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Rob Mousley

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Tuesday, 05 December 2017 11:32 |

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World Surfski Series Rankings Updated

Sunday, 03 December 2017 17:04 |

The World Surfski Series rankings have (finally) been updated.  With just one (title) race to go, it seems certain that Hank McGregor will have successfully defended his title, while Rachel Clarke, if she competes in the Palm to Pines will win her first Women’s title.

Men’s Rankings

(Click here for the full rankings)

      Points
Pos First Name Last Name Title Non-Title Total
1 Hank Mcgregor 2996 499 3495
2 Jasper Mocke 2992 499 3491
3 Dawid Mocke 2986 496 3482
4 Mackenzie Hynard 2982 495 3477
5 Oscar Chalupsky 2964 497 3461
6 Mark Anderson 2928 498 3426
7 Nicolas Lambert 2918 495 3413
8 Lee Furby 2768 488 3256
9 Maurizio Tognacci 2614 469 3083
10 Michael Mckeogh 2588 466 3054
11 Patrick Langley 2408 472 2880
12 Shaun Rice 2850 0 2850
13 Colin Simpkins 2714 0 2714
14 Sean Rice 1998 500 2498
15 Kenneth Rice 1994 500 2494
16 Austin Kieffer 1990 497 2487
17 Kyle Friedenstein 1982 498 2480
18 Joshua Fenn 1952 498 2450
19 Ian Black 1954 494 2448
20 Bevan Manson 1954 491 2445

Women’s Rankings

(Click here for the full rankings)

      Points
Pos First Name Last Name Title Non-Title Total
1 Kyeta Purchase 2984 498 3482
2 Hayley Nixon 2994 0 2994
3 Rachel Clarke 2000 500 2500
4 Michelle Burn 2000 500 2500
5 Teneale Hatton 1996 500 2496
6 Nikki Russell 1990 499 2489
7 Angie Le Roux 1988 500 2488
8 Tricia Gilbert 1974 499 2473
9 Wendy Reyntjes 1990 0 1990
10 Jenna Ward 1984 0 1984
11 Tegan Fraser 990 500 1490
12 Chloe Bunnett 990 499 1489
13 Amaia Osaba Olaberri 992 495 1487
14 Sara Rafael 988 499 1487
15 Sally Wallick 992 495 1487
16 Tamlyn Bohm 988 498 1486
17 Kirsten Flanagan 988 497 1485
18 Ana Swetish 990 494 1484
19 Sharon Armstrong 988 493 1481
20 Heather Nelson 984 497 1481

 

Think Team Riders in Hong Kong

Friday, 01 December 2017 10:44 |

Some real downwind ski-porn here as the Think Team paddles the Dragon Run before the 2017 ICF Ocean Racing World Championships in Hong Kong a few weeks ago.

Personal Locator Beacons and Surfski Paddlers

Wednesday, 29 November 2017 16:52 |

A couple of weeks ago, here in Cape Town, a paddler found himself in trouble on the famous (notorious?) Miller’s Run downwind route.  Some 2km offshore, he fell off and after a number of attempts was unable to remount his surfski.  He activated his McMurdo FastFind 220 Personal Locator Beacon.  An hour and half later he was pulled from the water having swum his ski almost all the way to safety. A happy ending - but not because of the PLB.

Winter Downwind in Cape Town

Tuesday, 28 November 2017 11:01 |

When WindGuru forecast a 40kt NNW, we leapt at the opportunity to do a "Reverse Buffels" run, downwind from Fish Hoek to Buffels Bay in the Cape Point Nature Reserve.

I planned to film the others so I started off first so as to film them overtaking me. When I arrived at Millers Point, no-one else was in sight.

After waiting briefly, I carried on, unaware that one of the guys had suffered rudder failure and the group, having rescued him, stopped at Millers Point. While it wasn't a spectacularly fast paddle - I did the 20.5km in 1:30 - it was bloody good fun.

Miller's with Oscar Chalupsky

Tuesday, 28 November 2017 10:30 |

An oldie, but a goody...  Paddling the Miller's Run in the back of a V10 Double with Oscar Chalupsky.  I've had the pleasure of doing several of these with the big O and each time it's been a combination of revelation and inspiration.

Hynard at the Gorge

Tuesday, 28 November 2017 10:21 |

More from Mackenzie Hynard from this year's Gorge Downwind Festival...

The Point - Cape Recife on a big day...

Tuesday, 28 November 2017 10:10 |

Richard von Wildemann (aka "Chopper") is a born waterman - and one of his passions is riding the massive swells at Cape Recife near his home in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.  The first time he filmed this wave, he rented a helicopter to do it and the story was written up by Joe Glickman and posted here on surfski.info.

This time the technology wasn't quiet so expensive...  Here are some fabulous drone shots of Richard riding The Point.

2017 Perth Doctor

Tuesday, 28 November 2017 10:04 |

The Perth Doctor almost always has great downwind conditions, but the 2017 edition was something special.  Days out, the forecast was for 25kt of southerly wind and sure enough the forecast was spot on...

Brett MacDonald posted this fun video on Youtube - they had a cracking run, complete with a swim (and swift remount!)

Macca at the Gorge

Monday, 27 November 2017 16:15 |

The Gorge Downwind Championships have already acquired an unrivalled reputation as a bizarre but wondeful place for downwind paddling...  Why bizarre?  You're blown upriver by winds that howl up the Columbia River Gorge...  Check it out.