Friday, 14 May 2010 16:49
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World record entry for Durban's Surfski World Cup
A world record entry of 280 surfski paddlers will take to the water off Durban on Sunday for the fifth edition of the Dunlop Surf Ski World Cup Durban in what promises to be a fiercely contested tussle for the R40 000 first prize.
With the massive field of 291 paddlers being teased by the heavyweight frontal system that battered the eastern seaboard this week, the earlier than expected arrival of the South Western winds and swells look set to give way to a North Easter at midday on Sunday.
That will dash all the hopes of a repeat of the 32km race from DUC to Westbrook beach outside Tongaat, and shift the spotlight to the longer southerly haul from DUC to Winklespruit instead.
With the weather front backing during the day, the precise surf conditions will be unknown and may well change during the race, introducing a fascinating unknown element to the competition that is already enshrouded in variables.
Double World Cup winner Hank McGregor finds himself in the unusual position of underdog, having been forced out of action for the past two months due to a Canoeing SA suspension for an altercation at the end of the recent Stihl Umkomaas marathon.
He openly admits that the emotional rollercoaster ride through the hearings and appeals has taken its toll, and he is far less prepared for an ultra competitive 33km slog than he would like.
He will line up on the startline at DUC on Sunday morning alongside the on-form reigning ISPA World Series champ Dawid Mockè, Durban North Iron man Matt Bouman and the Under 23 world marathon champion Grant van der Walt.
Mockè comes into the race off the back of a very impressive victory against a world class field at the EuroChallenge in Alicante, Spain two weeks ago, and has won both legs of the eight race world tour held so far this year. With only the best four results to count, the Fish Hoek ace is well on course to retaining his ISPA world series crown in 2010, and oozing confidence.
If Bouman can maintain the form he has shown through the local summer Varsity College marine surfski series and the first two races of the winter Discovery Sunglass Hut Series, then he is well placed to go one better than the runner-up berth he secured last year.
The 33 year old is a tough competitor who comes into his own when the conditions get rough and downwind skills become as critical as flatwater speed. He like many others will be hoping for the frontal system to back fully and create the required downwind southerly swell.
One paddler who will be happy if that doesn’t happen is Under 23 world marathon champ Grant van der Walt. The Durban based student has less experience in testing downwind conditions, and will be clearly advantaged by flatwater conditions and a long tough grind to Winklespruit on Sunday.
He is still teased by his fellow elite paddlers for the 2008 World Cup blunder that saw the ski racing greenhorn miss the finish at Westbrook and eventually beach at Princes Grant ten kilometres further north once he realised his mistake.
Add to this mix the classy local hopeful Sean Rice, Jasper Mocke and Tom Schileroort, all from the Western Cape, and seasoned locals like Oscar and Herman Chalupsky, and the stage is set for a thriller 2010 title decider.
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