Mocke Brothers Dominate Nelo Summer Challenge (Portugal)

The video feed was just clear enough that we could make out two white-clad figures paddling two white boats - the Mocke brothers, hammering it out in front of the 138-strong fleet of surfskis...

Summer Challenge

The summer challenge, sponsored by kayak manufacturing giant Nelo, has become the showpiece surfski event in Europe, and is strategically timed to attract a host of sprint kayakers at the end of their season (and this year at the close of the Olympics).

The race is short by surfski standards - only 10km or thereabouts - practically a sprint session for surfski paddlers, but more do-able for flat water paddlers used to racing over 1000m!

Conditions 

The race was scheduled for late afternoon to maximise the wind - and there was enough to kick up sufficient sized runs that the paddlers were able to put paddles down while they were surfing.  

Neck and neck

We're still not quite sure what happened to the Internet connection to Porto over the weekend, but apart from the video streaming and the results, very little in the way of news or images have been made available.  

Rumour has it that Sean Rice won the charge to the hotspot.

But when the paddlers turned the buoy to go downwind, it was all Mocke v Mocke.  Brothers Dawid and Jasper were fighting wave for wave until shortly before the finish when Jasper managed to surge forward to take the race by some 16 seconds.

Sean Rice held off Australian Dane Sloss to come in fourth.

Women's Race

South African Michele Eray, back from a long layoff due to injury, beat a field of 13 women, finishing 22 seconds in front of New Zealander Teneale Hatton.

Naomi Flood (Aus) who was one of the favorites in the women's race snapped a rudder cable shortly after the start and DNF'ed.

Round the Cans

On Sunday the popular round-the-cans knock-out competition was held.  Paddlers are sent off in batches to sprint 400m out to a buoy and back.

Late on Sunday evening news trickled through onto Facebook that Aussie Dave Smith had won; Jasper Mocke coming second and Kenny Wallace third.  Rumour has it that Dawid Mocke broke his paddle at the start of the final heat and completed the course paddling on one side only - and still didn't come last!

In the women's race, Naomi Flood (Aus) made up for the disappointment of the day before and won; Bridgette Hartley (SA) came second and Teneale Hatton (NZ) was third.

Full Results

The full results for Day 1 can be found here: http://summerchallenge.nelo.eu/images/Day1.pdf

Results for Day 2 can be found here: http://summerchallenge.nelo.eu/images/Day2_2012.pdf

If and when any other results or images are released we'll be sure to post them.