South Africa

Durban – Hank McGregor's scintillating form in the Discovery Sunglass Hut Surfski Series continued on Sunday 12 June when he demolished the rest of the field in the CMH Toyota Pirates Umhlanga Pirates surfski race by over three and a half minutes.

Durban – With the south coast providing challenging conditions for the Discovery Winkle Surfski race, race five of the Discovery Sunglass Hut Surfski Series, it was Hank McGregor’s experience and class which saw him power his way to victory.

World Series and national champion Dawid Mocke claimed a hat trick of titles by the narrowest of margins when he won the Surf Ski Classic at the 21^st Nelson Mandela Bay Splash Festival in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

Durban – Matt Bouman showed his class as he recovered well from an early mishap to cruise to a comfortable victory in Friday evening’s Hansa Surfski Challenge, his second in this year’s Varsity College Marine Surfski Series.

A recent post in the surfski.info forums asked for an update on Dale Lippstreu’s downwind paddling ability – after his two sessions with Oscar Chalupsky paddling Millers Runs in Dale’s double.  Has anything changed?  Here’s Dale’s reply.

... well, not quite a blast. The conditions actually couldn’t have been better  with enough of a breeze to kick up some white horses and keep the pros entertained but gentle enough that paddlers of almost all skill levels could have a go.

Two hours into the race, just 4km from Cape Point, the 8-man pack hit the hit the kelp beds and everything changed. Hank McGregor and Dawid Mocke lurched to a halt, their rudders caught on the thick rubbery stems; Tom Schilperoort, in clear water, accelerated away, rounding the Point a clear 100m ahead.  A good gap for the downwind leg but would it be enough?

Two humble Zulu paddlers have made history in one of the Cape’s toughest annual adventures.

From the famed Valley of a Thousand Hills to the crashing shores of Cape Point – two young Zulu men will tomorrow complete an extraordinary journey of discovery.

There was drama at the start of the fourth and final day of the Southern Shamaal today when a Great White Shark attacked a nearby fishing ski.  The first batch of paddlers was recalled to the beach while the NSRI escorted the unruly shark out of the area and they finally left some 15mins later!