SURSKI WORLD CUP 2010 – This will go down as one of the best events ever. Stand out features for me. Great organization by Billy Harker. Awesome conditions. Record entry and support from all over South Africa. (over 40 paddlers from inland in Johannesburg travelling to the coast to take part). Representation from all the coastal regions. Best quality field ever. Closest finish ever, (2cm). Most important of all, superb sponsors in DUNLOP TYRES.

 An indication of the standard of racing is when paddlers that have placed on the podium in top races overseas find themselves out of the top 10 overall in this event.

 This weekend was a great advert for surfski racing all round. The festival atmosphere in and around the start venue and race base, together with the short course race on Saturday provided something for everybody.

 For us at Custom Kayaks, it was a hard working weekend, starting with having our display up from early on Friday with the registration evening, all of Saturday at the short course race and right through till after the prize giving on Sunday. It was good to meet up with visiting freinds once again in Pablo from Spain and the French contingent, Frank Fifils, Gaetan Senna, and Stephan.

PERFORMANCES – I personally had a great race. My SYNERGY ate up the small down wind runs and starting in the B grade, I was able to creep myself through the A batch field finishing in the top 20 overall, and a win in the masters division. My colleague at Custom Kayaks, Mark Mulder also in the top 20 on his SYNERGY, and winning the junior World Cup title, Brandon van der Walt on an ICON. The SYNERGY was really the ideal boat for the down wind conditions. Brandon has both a SYNERGY and an ICON favoured the ICON in the earlier races for its flat water speed, and he has placed in the top 5 overall at some of the races. I saw the SYNERGY’S ability to out run most of the fast ski’s in those conditions. With his raw talent he would probably have done even better overall  on his SYNERGY.

Pictures attached are of Brandon van der Walt approaching the finish winning the junior title and yours truly trying to stay ahead of a catching A grade paddler at the finish.

LIFE AFTER WORLD CUP – We are straight back into it this weekend with the King of the Bay Surfski race. You have got to love this job.

See you on the water

MARK