orka-blog

Dusi 2012: Cele brothers rattle The Unlimited Dusi cage

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:44:01 +0100

Pietermaritzburg – Brothers Richard and Nhlanhla Cele of the Change A Life academy threw the cat amongst the pigeons and sent out a strong warning to the rest of the elite The Unlimited Dusi canoe marathon field when they claimed a shock victory in the tough Campbell’s Farm to Dusi Bridge race on the weekend.

The siblings took the line honours ahead of many top Dusi title contenders in the key race that incorporates most of the tough paddling and portaging sections of The Unlimited Dusi first stage on water levels exactly the same as that predicted for the big race in a fortnights time.

“It was a very tough race and we had to work very hard so we are very happy to have won,” enthused Richard Cele. “It is our first win together so we are very proud.”

Adding further mystery to the duo’s surprise success was the fact that until recently they weren’t going to tackle the Dusi together and were instead slated to race with other members of the academy.

“We only formed this combination when our other partners dropped us but I’m really enjoying paddling with my brother. We discuss everything and we always talk about exactly what we want to do so it has been really nice,” said Richard Cele.

“Neither of us is lazy so we’ve been working very hard together and we are feeling very strong at the moment,” he added.

The stunning win however disguises the fact that Nhlanhla Cele is carrying an ankle injury that might prove decisive to their hopes of a Dusi podium finish.

“We have been paddling and running very well but we’ll just have to see how Nhlanhla’s ankle is before the race,” said Richard Cele. “We could only paddle together last week because he couldn’t run but I have still been running hard.”

This result, along with their third at the Best 4 Healthcare Rietvlei Rumble and a string of solid finishes in the past few weeks, has cemented their status as genuine top five contenders who could well threaten the podium.

“We paddled last year’s Swartland in the Cape together and then the Berg, which is a four day race which is very difficult so I think that has made a big difference to why we have been doing better in the past three months,” said Cele.

“We’ve been working hard and have watched Bungee (Thulani Mbanjwa) and the other guys for a while now so hopefully it will be our turn soon.”

Careful guidance by multiple Dusi winner and Change A Life head coach Martin Dreyer has kept the pair’s feet firmly on the ground however the talented Cele brothers are quietly lingering in the wings, ready to pounce on the slightest mistakes the supposed ‘big names’ may make and could well be this year’s surprise package.

“We are hoping to finish in the top ten at Dusi and if we can beat Kwanda (Mhlope) and Lance Kime then we will be very surprised but very happy,” said Richard Cele.

“Our main goal is to finish ahead of Thomas Ngidi and John (Ngcobo) and Lucas (Mthalane) and Mmeli (Cele),” he added.

Hank McGregor claims Fenn Cape Point Challenge to end year on a high

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:46:57 +0100

Fish Hoek – World marathon champ Hank McGregor added the cherry on the top of his most successful season ever by winning the Fenn Cape Point Challenge, presented by Hansa and Di Data, in a gruelling showdown with the Mockè brothers and defending champion Sean Rice.

The race started at dawn at Scarborough beach where a large group raced with a moderate South Easter blowing to the halfway mark at Cape Point, at times challenging the paddlers with a modest headwind.

McGregor tagged along behind local pacesetters the Mockè brothers and Tom Schilperoort through the tricky kelp beds towards Cape Point, where they were met by stronger downwind conditions, and McGregor made a decisive break.

Jasper Mockè took a swim after misjudging a tight line through the reefs at Cape Maclear that he had hoped would open up a short lead for him, but he remounted quickly and started to close in one the paddlers ahead of him.

By Smitswinkel Bay McGregor had blitzed a two minute forty second lead and had the race in his steely grip with a defiant solo charge in the hot flat conditions into the finish at Fish Hoek.

With victory well and truly in his grasp McGregor tapped back and reached the finish with a minute buffer between himself and a fast finishing Jasper Mockè with his older brother and two-time winner of this race Dawid Mockè making up the balance of the podium. Rice was fourth with Aussie stars Hayden Smith fifth.

"This is one race that I can really tick off as one that I paced perfectly," said McGregor. "I tapped off a little at the end but I remembered how flat I felt in the last five kilometres in previous races so I wanted to make sure I had something in reserve in case they came back at me."

"I was kinda shadow boxing and covering it from the front, watching where the local guys were all the time to make sure I didn't make a mistake with lines like I have done in the past," he added.

"This race means a lot to me. I have raced six and won four, with two seconds, and it has a special family connection for me, so I am really stoked with the way it went. I think you'll never get better conditions for a Cape Point than we had today," said McGregor.

Jasper Mockè was delighted with his second place. "It was a great race and second to Hank is brilliant!" he said. "Maybe that swim wasn't such a bad thing because it forced me to get back into my own rhythm."

"We simply had no answer to Hank today," conceded Dawid Mockè, the newly crowned world series champion. "I have 25 good kilometres in me, but over this distance his long distance training really showed."

He heaped praise on his younger brother's good form in closing in at the death in securing the runner-up berth. "He is in great shape. I would have liked to have a word about him pulling away from his older brother, if only I had been able to catch up with him!"

On form junior Dominic Notten continued his rise through the ranks of national surfski racing by winning the boys title, holding off a determined challenge from Craig Flanagan.

Alexa Cole added the Fenn Cape Point title to her impressive CV after dominating the final stages of the women's race which was complicated by talented youngster Bianca Beavitt starting in a batch ten minutes earlier than the other elite women.

Cole and Kim Brugmann latched onto a fast racing bunch for the first ten kilometres, before Brugmann dropped off the bunch. Cole managed to hang on, worried that the fast pace was using too much energy before she fell off the bunch ten kilometres before the turn at Cape Point.

Brugmann however managed to get onto the wave of a fast double ski and caught up to Cole as they rounded the Point, setting up a needle race over the second half of the race. Cole's stamina and experience on the homeward leg where the runs and downwind conditions deserted the paddlers came to the fore and she was able to pull away from the tiring Brugmann.

"Kim (Brugmann) and I spent a lot of the day hacking away on our own and I think she was battled in the closing stages," admitted Cole, who caught Beavitt on the finish line to cement a ten minute victory margin and her first Fenn Cape Point title.

Cole echoed the sentiment of all the paddler who enthused about the event, which she predicted was poised for a major growth phase. "It's been a brilliant event and everyone is already talking about the next one. I think the numbers, which were already at a new record this year, are going to snowball," she added.

FENN CAPE POINT CHALLENGE, PRESENTED BY HANSA AND DI DATA
OVERALL
1.Hank McGregor 3:47.46
2.Jasper Mockè 3:48.49
3.Dawid Mockè 3:49.06
4.Sean Rice 3:50.00
5.Hayden Smith (Aus) 3:54.59
6.Grant van der Walt 3:58.44
7.Paul Marais 3:59.42
8.Brandon van der Walt 4:00.23
9.Tom Schilperoort 4:00.53
10.Richard von Wildermann 4:02.12

WOMEN
1.Alexa Cole 4:36.36
2.Bianca Beavitt 4:45.23
3.Kimm Brugmann 4:47.26
4.Kerry Louw 4:56.36
5.Kirsty Wessels 5:03.44

DOUBLE SKI
1.Shaun Rubenstein/Steve Farrell 3:50.53
2.Warren Valentine/Kenny Collins 3:56.27
3.Grant Woollaston/Bryan Taylor 3:58.13
4.Jaysen Golding/Marc Germiquet 4:00.44
5.Eugene van der Westhuisen/R. Daman 4:01.00

Top Dogs back for Race 7 at the Strand

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:42:42 +0100

With the top Cape boys and girls, baring Jasper Mocke, all back in town this race was destined to be a cracker.What we didnt know is that the wind would play ball as well.

With the race at Strand traditionally held on the Saturday and in an area of Cape Town, some call the other side of the world it was interresting to see who pitched up. There were new faces and old faces even some long forgotten faces. Definatly a few faces missing but the small field that did manage to find its way to the Strand were spoilt with a Treat of a race.

At first glance from a paddler who does not on a normal occasion find ones self at the Strand, the weather looked somewhat awefull and daunting. The wind gusting sand so hard it took guts not to shreek from the pain. Paddlers clung to their boats at the start line stopping them from taking off down the beach.

The caorse was explained as an out and back from Gordens Bay and then a downwind paddle along the back line to Strand Life Saving Club. I struggled to understand how this would all add up to be mainly down wind but was willing to give it a try.

With leash and Life Jacket securly fastened the race took off!

As we started to head out of Gordens Bay I realised this was going to be a cracker. With no ground swell the small wind swell that was more than managable. The wind really did most the work and before we knew it it was time to turn and head in again. Hear it was a little like hard work but knowing that it couldnt last for ever you just had to put your head down and grind it out!
The front bunch of men had already wittled down, with the top four hanging on with their teeth as they ground back. Once the bouy at Grordends bay was rounded and the finnal 8kn down wind stretch was underway the technical skill off Dawid s came into play.

The runs were fun and somewhat like Langebaan,but what I liked most as a nervous sea paddler was the ammount of safty! With the NSRI in there spirit of Surf Ski and Honda Marine Sommerset West on wet bikes one never felt alone out on the course.

All too soon it was over, Dawid charging in ahead of Sean with Tom just off the pace. Graeme and Pete made up the top 5 and Dom Notten having to put in some serious work after a dismal start to edge in front of Kenny Rice for the junior honours.

My race would probly be my best local race ever just for the guys I managed to pip. One or two that I have never ever gotten the better of and that always gives you a feeling of achievement, so long may it last.
All in all thanks to Strand Surf and Herbert Conradie as well as NSRI and Honda Marine Sommersett West!

I am one of the lucky ones who got to enjoy your huge efforts, Thank you.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
ISLAND TRIBE, RACE 7 OF THE DISCOVERY SUNGLASS HUT SURFSKI SERIES:
OVERALL
ELITE MEN
1. Dawid Mocke (Peninsula) 1:01:47
2. Sean Rice (Peninsula) 1:02:01
3. Tom Schilperoort( Peninsula) 1:03:03
4. Graeme Solomon (Peninsula) 1:03:46
5. Peter Cole( Peninsula) 1:05:52

ELITE LADIES
1. Alexa Cole (Peninsula) 1:11:33
2. Donia Kamstra(Strand) 1:14:15
3. Bianca Beavitt ( Milnerton) 1:15:32

JUNIORS
1. Dominic Notten (Wynberg Boys) 1:06:32
2. Kenny Rice (Bergvliet H/S) 1:10:47
3. Craig Flanagan(SACS) 1:10:50

Sean Rice wins drama-laced thriller in Fish Hoek

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 04:59:48 +0100

Fish Hoek - Sean Rice threw the race for the Discovery Sunglass Hut Surfski Series title wide open by winning the New Balance Surf Challenge in dramatic circumstances on Sunday.

For the second week running the race was decided in a sprint finish up the beach. This time it was Rice who upstaged Dawid Mockè and Tom Schilperoort to win the title by less than a boat length in a thrilling finale.

Dawid Mockè, who was race director, had a tough call to make after days of heightened shark activity in the area. He set a course outside the bay, but close enough to the coast line to shelter the paddlers from the predicted harsh conditions. Although a rain squall lashed the area just before the start, the predicted high winds did not appear and the race began in ideal paddling conditions with flat seas and medium winds.

"It was hard and a bit like a marathon event with the top four paddling in spurts and taking breaks," said Rice. "There were a few runs going out to flat rock and all in all it was a good course. Its great to be winning with the two international races coming up soon."

Following the winners in close proximity was series race one winner Jasper Mockè, followed by Steve Farrell and Gary Cromie.

The women's race was won by Alexa Cole of Peninsula Canoe Club and who has just returned from the World Canoe Marathon Championships , paddling the all new Allwave ski from Italy. Last weeks winner Kim Brugman, was second with race one winner Donia Kamstra third.

Cole was delighted with her win. "The conditions made it a hard race, but I enjoyed it and enjoyed the new ski I paddled," said Cole "Its good to be back in a surfski after a long season of canoeing."

The race was contested by a field of 119 surf ski paddlers, all of whom agreed that it was hard but fun.

The Series moves to the Atlantic Sea board for race four, The Discovery Downwind on Sunday 6 November. This is a mobile start event depending on wind conditions. More details can be found at www.surfski.co.za

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
NEW BALANCE FISH HOEK SURF CHALLENGE,
RACE 3 OF THE DISCOVERY SUNGLASS HUT SURFSKI SERIES:
OVERALL
ELITE MEN
1. Sean Rice (Varsity College) 1:00:18
2. Dawid Mockè (Fish Hoek SLC) 1:00:19
3. Tom Schilperoort (Peninsula) 1:00:28
4. Jasper Mocke (Peninsula) 1:00:35
5. Steve Farrell (Peninsula) 1:03:15

ELITE LADIES
1. Alexa Cole (Peninsula) 1:09:48
2. Kim Brugman (Peninsula) 1:10:19
3. Donia Kamstra (Strand) 1:13:57

JUNIOR BOYS
1. Dominic Notten ( Wynberg)(U18) 1:04:58
2. Kenneth Rice (Bergvliet)(U16) 1:05:12
3. Craig Flanagan(U18) 1:08:58

Back in a Surfski

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:59:59 +0100

Well after thinking I had retired in 2008 to have our first child, Jarryd born in May 2010, I am quite surprised to find myself back in a boat. It all happened quite by chance. Pete has got a fantastic Orka Training Squad running with some of the best paddlers in the world hammering it out daily on the Swamp in preparation for various races. Included in this bunch are some extreemly tallented junior paddlers who he wanted to take to the SA Marathon Champs in Durban in August. I thought it would be a great idea to tag along and support, catch up with old friends and just enjoy myself.

With the ticket booked I thought I was off to Durban for a holiday, wrong!! A great friend of ours had just moved his business close to the Swamp and suggested we start paddling at lunchtime, this really appealed to me, no early mornings and generally less wind to contend with (the wind gets up on the Swamp in the afternoons). Well this was all going well so I decided to see how I would do in the weekly time trial, which also went better than I thought and as they say the rest was History, I entered SA's and managed to win the race which then booked me a spot for the World Marathon Champs in Singapore. Having left my boat there to be freighted to Singapore there was no turning back.

I realised I had 10 weeks to really put in some hard training so after a call to my old fitness guru, informing Ant we were going to have to up it a bit at lunch times, finding out when Sean Rice was hitting the Gym and organising Pete to coach a bit more from the bank while looking after Jarryd things started to fall into place.

I got some great distance in while doing the Breede River pre races, raced the Breede in the main field, thanks Jack's and all that was required was some good speed sessions which I got while Craig, Dom, Kirsten and Jodi were on holiday and also putting in the hard yards for Singapore.

So it was off to Singapore we went, Jarryd included, Steve Jourdan the South African Manager organised it all fantastically, I am not sure if he has ever had such a young supporter tagging along but Steve thanks again. As always it is a great trip with great people and I get to race the best ladies paddlers in the world.

Well the thing that hits you first when arriving in Singapore is the heat, added to this the very high humidity I knew racing would be tough. The course was also race at Marina Bay in the heart of Singapore with lots of boat traffic. During our first few paddles I found it extreemly bumpy, but after lowering my seat settled in nicely. The portage was a jetty take out and put in with the run being accross a floating soccer pitch....definitly a first. Craig and Kirstens Mom, Sue volunteered to look after jarryd while I raced and Pete seconded...Thanks Sue. So all that was left to do was get in my boat and race my guts out for 6 laps around the Singapore Marathon Circuit.

After not the best of starts I managed to work my way up to the bunch fighting for 3rd at the end of the second lap, slowly it wittled down to three of us and so it stayed with myself ending 5th. The highlight of the trip was to come a little later when Hank raced an absolutly superb race to win the Mens Race, and with it the World Marathon Title for 2011.

Well I am now back in Cape Town and still on the Swamp, I have been approached by an Italian Surfski Manufacturing Company (All Wave) to race their new Surfski in Hong Kong and Dubai at the end of the month, so with the Summer Surfski season in full swing in Cape Town I got to race the boat for the first time on Sunday. So far I have really found it great in the conditions I have managed to paddle in. The race went really well, race report to follow!!
So with 2 weeks before I am really hoping for a few downwinds to really put the boat through its paces.

See you on the water.

Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon Day 1

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 04:43:22 +0100

Cradock – Defending champions Hank McGregor and Grant van der Walt have a firm grip on a unprecedented hat trick of victories after totally dominating the 49km first stage of the Hansa Fish River canoe marathon.

The duo blitzed a four and a half minute lead at the end of their total domination of the first stage that saw several top contenders sidelined by dramas on the river.

“It was just a perfect day for us, one you always dream of having at the Hansa Fish,” said McGregor, who is preparing for the world marathon championships in a fortnights time. “We’re really stoked to be here in one piece and leading going into day two.”

Barring a disaster of seismic proportions, they have done all the hard work to set up another title, and the national K2 river marathon titles, with the race for the minor places on the podium being led by national sprint squad members Greg Louw and Mike Arthur.

German stars Tobias Bong and Achim Overbeek led the chasing pack, despite a spate of disasters on the stage. They started last in the seeded A batch after a spate of mishaps at the start, including another paddler standing on their paddles at the Le Mans style start.

The Cape surfski combination of Tom Schilperoort and Jasper Mocké provided another talking point with their fourth place on the stage.
“River paddling is almost like a completely different sport. It requires a lot more precision than surfski and is all about making no mistakes,” said Schilperoort.

The women’s race mirrors the men’s race with pre-race favourites Hillary Pitchford and Abby Adie well clear of their challengers The duo made kids work of the nasty Keith’s Flyover rapid, before streaking away to register an overnight six minute lead.

The big field of paddlers celebrating the race’s 30th anniversary enjoyed clear Karoo weather over a full river, with only a persistent headwind to dog their progress downriver.

The36km final stage into Cradock features three big weirs, with the last, Cradock weir well known for moulding the final outcome of the results. More information can be found at www.fishmarathon.org.za

SUMMARY OF RESULTS - HANSA FISH RIVER CANOE MARATHON
DAY ONE
Men
1.Hank McGregor/Grant van der Walt 2:43.57
2.Greg Louw/Michael Arthur 2:48.32
3.Tobias Bong/Achim Overbeek 2:48.58
4.Tom Schilperoort/Jasper Mocke 2:48.59
5.Jacques Theron/Piers Cruickshanks 2:49.07
6.Robert Knebl/ Tomas Slovak 2:49.09
7.Andy Birkett/Pierre-Andre Rabie (U23) 2:50.27
8.Michael Mbanjwa/Eric Zondi 2:52.51
9.Mark Mulder/Lance King 2:54.30
10.Alasdair Glass/Edgar Boehm Jnr 2:54.30

Women
1.Hilary Pitchford/Abby Adie 3:10.45
2.Jen Hodson/Tiffany Kruger 3:16.52
3.Kim Brugmann/Angie Gafney 3:21.10
4.Jenna Ward/Brittany Petersen (U18) 3:21.23
5.Debbie Germiquet/Carmen Blakeney 3:23.50

SA Marathon K2

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 04:15:51 +0100

Action a plenty at day two of SA champs

Despite Mother Nature's best efforts to put a dampener on affairs at day two of the SA flatwater marathon champs at Shongweni dam on Sunday, on the water the action was sizzling hot and there was simply no stopping Hank McGregor and Grant van der Walt as the pair powered their way to front of the pack and crossed the line just seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

With no less than five former world champs on the senior men's start line and a wealth of marathon experience to add the race always promised to be a humdinger of a contest and the small crowd who braved the cold and wet were certainly treated to a tremendous encounter as each of the top four pairs exchanged blows and tested one another throughout the race.

It was the superiority of McGregor and van der Walt though though that saw the pair narrowly edge out the experienced Ant Stott and Graeme Solomon and the rising talent of Michael Mbanjwa and Eric Zondi over the final hundred metres.

In the women's race it was a one horse race from the word go as Michelle Eder and Donna Winter made their way around the course unchallenged throughout and came home well ahead of second placed Debbie Germiquet and Carmen Blakeney.

Earlier in the day the junior boys race saw the Cape duo of Craig Flanagan and Dominic Notten put in an incredible performance in the closing stages to recover from a dramatic spill midway through the race with the pair ultimately getting the better of their fellow U18 paddlers in the final sprint to claimed the overall honours.

“It was a tricky situation as we all came into the portage quite close together and the guys behind us tried to switch sides as they approached the jetty and in so doing they just clipped the back of our boat and over we went,” said Notten.

"At that moment I really thought it was all over but we got up and put in a really strong portage and when we put in again the others were only twenty or so metres ahead of us and we knew we weren't out of it just yet."

"We dug deep and once we caught them we decided the next portage was where we were going to make our move and fortunately it all worked out for us," he added.

The cape storm continued its successful ways in the juniors girls section as junior boys winner Craig Flanagan's younger sister Kirsten and her partner Jodi Cleworth, despite both still being under sixteen, resoundingly paddled their way to the top step of the podium ahead of Emma Horner and Catherine Atkinson.

With the SA champs having been completed both paddlers and canoeing enthusiasts alike now eagerly await the announcement of the names of those who have been chosen for the national squad to represent South Africa at the World champs in Singapore in October.

SA Marathon Champs K1

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 04:01:05 +0100

McGregor and Cole crowned SA K1 champs

Hank McGregor continued his incredible run of form in the paddling world as he comfortably claimed the top step of the podium in the senior men’s K1 race along with another national title at the SA flatwater marathon champs held at Shongweni dam on Saturday 13 August.

Against the exquisite backdrop of the Shongweni Msinsi reserve there was action aplenty on the water as the country’s leading K1 paddlers battled it out for the prestigious national titles and at the same time looked to catch the eye of national selectors ahead of the World champs in Singapore in October.

McGregor, contempt to sit at the back of the initial four man lead group, eased his way to a comfortable lead midway through the race eventually crossing the finish line in first place ahead of Grant van der Walt.

Having started in the same batch as the senior men Brandon van der Walt showed just what kind of form and condition he is in as he managed to sit with the unstoppable McGregor for the majority of the race and hence crossed the line some three hundred metres ahead of Cam Schoeman.

Michelle Eder and Alexa Cole battled it out for the senior ladies title with the pair alternating turns at the front before Eder’s slow last take out saw Cole really put the hammer down on the final portage and she opened up an unassailable lead. Jenna Starr claimed the U23 women’s title.

“I only decided to take part in the champs a couple of weeks ago so to have come here and won today is really great,” said Cole.

“Obviously it would been great to have had a bigger, stronger women’s field here today but quite a few of the other top ladies are overseas at the moment so there’s not much you can do about that, I just tried to focus on my own race out there,” she added.

Earlier in the day it was the turn of the juniors and after an early breakaway and then a solid performance throughout it was local paddler Donavan Wewege who made the national title his own ahead of Western Cape’s Dom Notten and Jordan Zeelie from Port Elizabeth.

Having secured the SA Schools surfski title earlier in the year Amanzimtoti youngster Kerry Segal put in a superb performance in the closing stages of the junior girls race to edge out Emma Horner and claim her third national marathon title in as many years.

U18 BOYS
1.Donavan Wewege 1:46.11
2.Dominic Notten 1:46.35
3.Jordan Zeelie 1:46.36

U18 GIRLS
1.Kerry Segal 1:55.04
2.Emma Horner 1:55.14
3.Kirsten Flanagan

SENIOR MEN
1.Hank McGregor 2:21.38
2.Grant van der Walt 2:22.22
3.Alex Roberts 2:34.29

SENIOR WOMEN
1.Alexa Lombard 2:17.59
2.Michelle Eder 2:18.58

Tom Schilperoort - Mauritius Diary

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 03:38:29 +0100

There were two dodgy looking characters standing on the other side of the railing as we pushed our luggage trolleys out of the arrivals terminal at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. One of them was tall and skinny with long dark hair and pale skin. He was wearing a black leather jacket and had a motorbike helmet tucked under his right arm. The second bloke looked like the “after” picture in that advert from that nutritional supplement company which promises big muscles and rock hard abs in six weeks. It must have been week ten for him because the abs had since morphed into one single pot belly and his now sizable chest and arms were covered in a layer of easy living. Both wore gold chains around their necks and had cheesy Chinese tattoos. I wasn’t much surprised to see that Mr Muscle was holding a blue clipboard with the name “Clinton Pretorius” written on it.

Muscle Man introduced himself as Stan. He talked with a ridiculous Aussie/ French accent that nearly made me laugh out loud. As he walked us around the back of the airport to our rental car, I gave Lightie a look which made him say “What Tomo? It’s cheap.”

The stereotype I was compiling for Stan was further strengthened by the Ferrari red Hyundai Accent that now stood in front of us. It had an exhaust pipe you could block with a coconut and a racing filter which made her engine whistle. Matt black mag wheels with low profile tyres and tinted windows gave her that Blue Lagoon street racer feel. We named her “The Red Loman.”

“If you geet stopped by the coppers, just tell dem you borrowing it from a mate ah.” As Stan was going through the usual pre- black-market-car-rental admin, I was desperate to know how Lightie had managed to organise this one. “Oh yeah, if you crash just give me a call ay. Ah let’s make the excess 15 000 Rupees ay?” Without signing an autograph or even touching a pen for that matter, we were off.

Racing down the windy sugarcane lined roads of Southern Mauritius I could tell that Lightie was feeling right at home. We drove through slums, dodging little men on motor-powered bicycles, with helmets that were far too big. Occasionally groups of heavies, who were playing dominoes and smoking marijuana on the side of the road, would wave at us as we sped past. It was more of a familiar acknowledgement than a greeting and it made me wonder what else Stan did for work.

Behind me sat Dom Notten, a freakishly talented 16 year old I train with back home. I’d invited him along for the ride and at that moment he was definitely getting his money’s worth. Dom doesn’t talk much at the best of times and I don’t think he did anything but breathe on that one hour drive to Black River. The antithesis of Dom, Clint “Lightie” Pretorius couldn’t stop talking. He’s an easily distracted, hyperactive freak of an athlete and one hell of an exciting person to drive with. Double clutching on every gear change and dodging livestock, people and buses with one hand on the steering wheel. I had to remind him to keep his eyes on the road a few times to. I must admit it’s the most phantom breaking I’ve ever done in any passenger seat.

The coastal road which runs between Souilliac and Tamarin is truly breath taking. Parts of it remind me of the North Shore in Hawaii. Other parts, the places I dreamt tropical would look like as a little boy. Tall coconut palms break up the monotony of rolling hills of sugarcane. Every now and again you pass through areas of natural vegetation which will make you feel like you might just bump into Tarzan and Jane. Massive fig trees rise up out of the dirt like giant green jellyfish. We had fun swinging from the thick vines which hang from their branches. Mangrove swamps clog the entrances of small rivers which run down the slopes of black rock volcanic mountains.

It is however the ocean which is truly my favourite part of Southern Mauritius. Areas of calm turquoise Indian Ocean rest in massive lagoons that stretch out for kilometres in some places. The lagoons are never more than a few feet deep and are filled with all the corals and sea life that you would expect to find in any tropical paradise. You’ll find flotillas of rickety old fishing boats all along the coast, moored in the calm waters of these lagoons.

It’s beyond the lagoons where the real treasure for us watermen is found. The deep blue Indian Ocean moves freely and spontaneously, uninhibited by bays or large landmasses. Ocean swells built in the far south unload themselves onto the islands outer crust. Find a kink in this crust and you may just ride some of the best waves of your life. Further out, the wind is free to whip up a storm. On a good day it might blow for hundreds of kilometres, tickling the ocean’s surface relentlessly all the way. You might just ride some of the best runs of your life on a day like that.

As you can imagine it is very easy to become distracted in this sort of environment. As a group of elite athletes we were in Mauritius for one reason, to race. Months of preparation and sacrifice, combined with a desire to satisfy a fierce competitive disposition - an animal like desire to savage and slaughter our adversaries, to prevail as the dominant victor - had brought us to this point in time. We should have been edging to go but the usual pre battle atmosphere was strangely absent. Maybe we were all a bit lost in a dreamland?

Race day and that ever elusive element of nature we call WIND greeted us with the rhythmic monotony that is so typical of the tropics. It wasn’t blowing out of the typical South Easterly direction though, so the course was changed. We were to race twenty one kilometres from Flic en Flac to Le Morne along Mauritius’s west coast. This one was going to be a downwind and most of the world’s best downwind paddlers were there to fight it out.

For me all the pre-race pandemonium disappears as soon as I get onto the water. There’s nothing to think about, no body to talk to. It’s just you, your boat and a 21 kilometre of open ocean. It’s not lonely; in fact I find it quite comforting.

We raced hard. Dawid went out like a rocket and we chased him. Closing the gap was a matter of fighting for every metre. Those hard earned metres we made he took back with bursts of power and skill that were true to his title of world champion. In the end none of the field was able to catch Dawid. It was his day in paradise.

Afterwards we shook hands like gentlemen and congratulated the day’s victor. That competitive disposition was subdued for the time being and there was nothing else to do but enjoy our surroundings. That evening we surfed together as mates on the reef in front of the resort. The majority of the top dogs were out there together and we hooted and cheered for each other’s waves like over excited school boys. After catching one of the best waves of the evening, Daw paddled back out with a smile wider than a minibus and a twinkle in his eye. “This is the best surfski race in the world” he proclaimed. I couldn’t agree with you more bru!

The 50th Windhoek Berg is Here!!!

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:02:50 +0100

Cape Town - The 50th edition of the Windhoek Berg River canoe marathon gets under way in Paarl with a seeding time trial on Tuesday and the first stage on Wednesday with a new record entry and arguably the most competitive title race in many years.

Both defending champions will be on the startline, with men's title holder Hank McGregor lining up a record eighth title, and Robyn Kime hungry to pocket the women's winners purse, which is equal to the men's winners earnings.

Both are in top form, with a rested and relaxed McGregor spending the days before the race tripping and training on the river, while Kime rounded off her preparations at her home in Pietermaritzburg, and will jet back to the Western Cape 24 hours before the time trial.

Much will depending the water in the river. After an unseasonably dry fortnight the water levels in the upper reaches of the Berg river have plummeted, and the organisers are pinning their hopes on a water release from the new Berg River dam just upstream from Paarl.

Race boss Andre Collins has asked for 25 cumecs of water, but with the massive dam currently only at around 80% full, the release is not cast in stone. There is no rainfall forecast for the entire week.

Should the anticipated 20 cumecs level materialise, then the race will be contested on a medium level and strongly flowing river, now largely cleared of troublesome bluegum tree blocks, which will further even out the playing fields, and dilute the homeground advantage of the local paddlers.

McGregor's title charge will be opposed by the classy local racers like veteran Graeme Solomon, Lance King, Heinrich Schloms, Ernest van Riet and Pierre-Andre Rabie, but it will take a special effort to derail the Durban juggernaut who is in prime form, having just won the Dunlop Surfski World Cup a week after bagged the pre-Berg Swartland marathon title.

"It's a privilege to be part of the race this year," said a confident and excited McGregor. "This race means a lot to me. It's a race that I watched my dad competing in as a child and it hooked me. It's a title that he never won so each and every win is special to me."

The rejuvenated team competition may well have a big part to play in deciding the podium places. In amongst the seeded stars are three returning Gauteng stalwarts who have all won this race before - Jacques Theron, Graeme Monteith and the nineties "King of the Berg" Robbie Herreveld.

The women's race is sizing up to be a titanic struggle between defending champion Robyn Kime, paddling for Stellenbosch University, and Plettenberg Bay Olympian Michele Eray.

Kime has been the dominant force in Western Cape women's canoeing for the past three years and the final year Engineering student know knows the river well and how to race it. This year will however be very different for the fairer sex.

This make the race a high stakes gamble for the women, where one superhuman break or one disastrous error could profoundly mould the outcome of the race, as the batch starts favour strong paddlers simply sticking with the bunch and preserving whatever lead they may have earned in the previous stages.

Also on the startline will be iconic adventurer Riaan Manser, who has interrupted his sea-kayak voyage around Iceland to be able to take part in his second Windhoek Berg River Canoe marathon

The sentiment that has preceded the 50th running of the famous four day 243km race from Paarl to it's new finish at Port Owen, which adds three and a half kilometres to the course, has resulted in a new record entry of 365 paddlers, easily eclipsing the 295 level set in 1986.

The race will pay special tribute to a small band of men and women who have been honoured as "Legends of the Berg" for having won it, or completed the tough race twenty times or more.

"You have made this race what it is today, and we can't thank you enough," said McGregor at a pre-race function to honour the "Legends".

Of those Legends, a number of grand masters who took part in the inaugural race in 1962 will be on the startline, including icons like former champions Jannie Malherbe and Willem van Riet.

The boat that the late Nollie Meiring won the inaugural trace in 1962 will also be in the spotlight as another Legend Lionel "Lonkie" Ekermans sets out to complete the race in the refurbished red and green canvas decked Attack dubbed "Kelkiewyn."

The race starts with a time trial that determines the front row seeding for the start, and gets under way from the market Street bridge in Paarl on Wednesday morning.

Results fro yesterdays seeding Time Trial:

1. HANK MCGREGOR 00:12:40.84
2.PIERRE-ANDRE RABIE 00:13:14.67
3.LANCE KING 00:13:19.28
4.HEINRICH SCHLOMS 00:13:22.47
5. MARC HOLTZHAUSEN 00:13:29.75
6 .MICHAEL STEWART 00:13:39.29
7. GRAEME SOLOMON 00:13:40.21
8. TOM SCHILPEROORT 00:13:41.57
9. JACQUES THERON 00:13:41.83
10. ROBERT HERREVELD 00:13:41.94