German World Champ sets his sight on Hansa Powerade Fish titleWednesday, 01 September 2010 19:09 German World Champ sets his sight on Hansa Powerade Fish titleWorld champion Max Hoff of Germany has confirmed his entry for the Hansa Powerade Fish river canoe marathon in Cradock on October 1 and 2. He'll team up with his friend and coach Stefan Stiefenhoefer to try and become the first international paddlers to win the famous two day race. Hoff is the toast of the canoeing world this month, after retaining his 1000m K1 world title at the sprint worlds in Poznan, Poland in rampant fashion, cementing his reputation as one of the best paddlers in action at the moment. The cheerful Cologne native is a former wild water world champ, and has won many tough river marathons, including the prestigious Ardeche marathon several times. They will start their third Hansa Powerade Fish together, and strongly fancied to go one better than the fast finishing second they achieved together in 2006. But the likeable Hoff is not talking up their chances. “For the Hansa Powerade Fish 2010 I hope Stephan and I will be the fastest international crew, and hopefully race like we did in 2006,” said Hoff from his hometown where he was celebrating retaining his 1000m world title. “I raced well in the K1 race last year (when he finished second to winner Len Jenkins), so I hope I can do it again,” he added. He and Stiefenhoefer will also be out to erase the nightmare of their race in 2008, when they were controversially eliminated after just ten kilometres after a collision in the monster rapid Keith’s Flyover. Taking a fast and direct line, they ended up sliding beneath the kayak of race leaders Hank McGregor and Grant van der Walt, and capsized. After initially slating the eventual race winners for their sluggish paddling in the big rapid, they swallowed their pride and remained diplomatic and enthusiastic supporters for the rest of the race. “I really like this race,” he added. “It’s such a pleasure for me to come to Cradock. The Fish is one of the best races I know. Everybody is so friendly and helpful to us and try to help us with every of our wishes.” Hoff and Stiefenhoefer know the race well, and are being punted as potential winners against a field packed with top class river racing crews. Hoff and Stiefenhoefer will be jetting into the Eastern Cape on the Tuesday before the race, roughly a week after the rest of the international contingent, confident that he and Stiefenhoefer will be able to acclimatise and shake of the effect of their travel from Germany in time for the race. They will arrive in the country at the same time as the top South African crews who are taking part in the World Marathon Championships in Spain the weekend before the Hansa Powerade Fish. The big difference however is that he will be rested and fully recovered from his sprint racing season. Hoff’s participation in the annual Hansa Powerade Fish has been a continual talking point since he was headhunted from the German wild water team to join the Olympic sprint team in 2007. Against the norms for his national Olympic coaches, Hoff and his coach Stiefenhoefer are not barred from taking part on other paddling disciplines in his off-season, and has been able to combine his passion for river races like the Hansa Powerade Fish with his continual success as a flatwater sprinter. Hoff has also won the annual Global Trader Drak Challenge in the Southern Drakensberg, sensationally claiming the national K1 river crown in the process in 2007. The Hansa Powerade Fish river canoe marathon takes place in Cradock on 1 and 2 October. More information can be found at www.fishmarathon.org.za
|
Thursday
Feb
09
