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Mocke fulfils dream of winning Dunlop Surfski World CupSunday, 16 May 2010 21:02
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Mocke fulfils dream of winning Dunlop Surfski World CupWinklespruit - Reigning World champion Dawid Mockè satisfied a lifelong dream yesterday by finally winning the Dunlop Surfski World Cup Durban. It was a thrilling duel with Durban surf lifesaving Iron man Matt Bouman that was eventually decided in a neck-and-neck sprint up the beach to the finish at Winklespruit. Mockè had the slimmest of leads going into the finish and opted to approach the crunching surf at Winkelspruit cautiously, taking a perpendicular line to the beach. Bouman saw his chance and took it, racing through the surf at an oblique angle and reaching the beach before Mockè, but with 50 metres to run along the beach to the finish line. Mockè held his nerve and raced through the surf as Bouman was running towards the line, and despite a small stumble as he exited the water, he ran across the line, thrusting the nose of his ski ten centimetres ahead of the charging Bouman's craft. "That was the ultimate sporting contest!" said an elated Mockè at the finish. "In all my years I have never ever had to work so hard to win a race. Matt (Bouman) was simply incredible, and this race is as much his as it is mine." "Every time I made a break and I thought I had dropped him, he just came bouncing back, like some kind of Elastic Man! He just does not know the meaning of the word 'quit'," said Mockè. A visibly gutted Bouman sank to the sand at the finish as he digested the narrowest of defeats. "Maybe it was just a bit too far for me today. I took my chances, but I was beaten by a brilliant athlete," said Bouman. "I don't care about the money, I just want to win this title." In third place Dawid Mockè's younger brother Jasper underscored his pedigree by powering onto the podium, past a spent Hank McGregor in the closing stages of the race. McGregor looked to be dominating the race early on, putting pressure on Mockè and Bouman as the race wound towards Isipingo. However shortly after he opted for a deeper line he blew, and looking like a paddler stuck on a treadmill, Mockè and Bouman quickly dropped him, leaving McGregor locked in a dogfight for third on an inside line with Jasper Mockè.
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