Monday, 20 December 2010 09:15
Surfski's rising star defeats defending champion
Sean Rice combined tactical brilliance and ferocious determination to win the Fenn Cape Point Challenge in tough, flat conditions against a very strong field, and in the process cementing his status as the rising star of world surfski paddling.
Rice, the 2009 and 2010 New York Mayor’s Cup International Marathon Surfski Champion, raced into the finish at Fish Hoek unchallenged, having outwitted and outraced 2009 champion Hank McGregor over the critical final stage from the dramatic turn around Cape Point into the finish.
The New Balance Fish Hoek Lifesaving Club’s 20-year-old star was clearly well prepared for the gruelling ultramarathon, widely regarded as the most prestigious surfski title on the national calendar, and revelled in the largely flat ocean conditions that suited his Canadian-sponsored Think surfski as he posted a substantial two minute victory over McGregor.
The defining point of the race came at the awe-inspiring passage around Cape Point, where each of the five paddlers in the front bunch had different tactics in mind, and all five seized the opportunity at the Point to try and make a race-winning break.
“When the lead-bunch of five boats came around the Point, I saw Hank (McGregor) move over well to the right taking the deep line like he did last year, while Tom (Schilperoort) started sprinting toward the inside towards Partridge Point," said Rice afterwards.
"Adrenalin kicked-in and I had to put in a 150%-effort interval for five minutes and prayed I’d done enough to burn him, and everybody else, off," said Rice.
The tactical gamble together with a titanic solo charge on the inside line saw enough to rocket rice into a substantial lead over the other four surfski racing giants. "I’ve been training hard for this race as it’s one of the most prestigious surfski races in South Africa," said Rice. "Thank the Lord it paid off!”
Although outclassed on the day, McGregor paid tribute to his young adversary and said he regretted taking the deeper line, since there were precious few ocean runs he could exploit to his advantage.
Simon van Gyssen, also from Fish Hoek provided something of a surprise coming in third, just ahead of the newly crowned 2010 ISPA World Surfski Series Champion Dawid Mockè who pipped younger brother Jasper Mockè into fifth spot.
Plettenberg Bay lifesaver and Beijing Olympian Michèle Eray won the women's title by some considerable margin against her Olympic team-mate Nikki Mockè, who has also just been crowned 2010 ISPA World Surfski Series Champion.
Brendan Thompson and Bevan Manson won the double-ski race against the unlikely pairing of seasoned Cape ace Peter Cole and KwaZulu-Natal surfski novice Kwanda Mhlope, with visiting international Rick Daman partnering Eugene van der Westhuisen to third place.
A total of 122 craft completed the tough outing, albeit in forgiving conditions but without much downwind assistance from the ocean, one of the biggest finish fields in one of the oldest surfski marathons in the world.
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