South Africa

As he fell off his ski yet again, Tim Wightman felt panic starting to well up.  If he didn’t get back on and paddling in the next few moments, the gale-force wind and breaking waves would drive him onto the jagged rocks of Miller’s Point.  “Calm down!” he yelled to himself.  “Take it slowly!”  “This time, stay in the f%#$ing boat!”

Durban – The final race of the 2015 FNB Durban Downwind Series saw some fantastic downwind conditions as paddlers made their way from La Mercy on the North Coast to the Marine Surf Lifesaving Club on Saturday with Australian Michael Booth narrowly claiming a beach sprint over Matt Bouman with Michelle Burn showing her class to claim victory in the women’s race on Saturday.

Durban’s globally renowned winter surfski season got underway on Sunday 4 May with the Bay Union Season Starter, race one of the four leg Bay Union Surfski Series, which saw regular front runner Hank McGregor and top step of the podium novice Jenna Ward get their 2014 campaign underway in ideal fashion with victory in the men’s and women’s races respectively.

Durban – No surf and magnificently flat seas saw Friday evening’s Thule Surfski Challenge, race four of the 2014 Varsity College Marine Surfski Series, turn into a raw, unforgiving 8km sprint which played right into the hands of the remarkably fit Hank McGregor and Michelle Burn as the respective men’s and women’s series defending champions extended their lead at the top of the 2014 standings whilst hundreds of others enjoyed getting back on the water.

The 2013 Stella Kayaks, Citadel Private Wealthcare Dolphin Coast Challenge was the 14th running of the iconic South African event.  Oscar Chalupsky and Matt Bouman paddled together in the new team format, and took the race in a nailbiting finish, outpaddling Hank McGregor and Grant van der Walt who came second.  The surf on both days provided plenty of excitement...

Three great races, two weeks of downwind paddling with some of the best surfski paddlers in the world, including the 2013 Ocean Racing World Champion, all in the spectacular mother city of Cape Town in mid-summer.  C’mon, you’d be crazy to miss it.

When some of the best surfski paddlers in the world gathered in Cape Town, South Africa for the inaugural Cape Town Downwind Race, Greg Kitto of White Hot Media was on hand to record the action.

Fish Hoek – Paddling superstar Hank McGregor overcame a world class field to successfully defend his South African S1 Surfski Championships title in the Cape Town Downwind on Sunday whilst locally based Dawid Mocke cemented his position at the top of the Oceanpaddler World Surfski Series standings.

The Challenge is on!  Widely accepted as the world’s toughest test of ocean endurance paddling, the 4-day, 250km Port Elizabeth to East London Challenge will begin on December 6th and end on December 9th.

The 2-day, 74km Stellar Kayaks Dolphin Coast Challenge is one of the iconic surfski races in South Africa and 2012 was its 13th running.