Durban to host Surf Ski World Cup
2 June 2006
South Africa will host the Surf Ski World Cup as part of the Durban Beach Africa Festival at the Bay of Plenty Beach on 2 July, with the world's best ski paddlers expected to attend.
The World Cup will be staged as part of a popular 35-kilometre downwind race between Durban and Westbrook Beach, and it forms part of the Men's Health/Discovery surf ski series, with the finish at either Westbrook or Bay of Plenty depending on the prevailing weather conditions.
"It is ideal that the World Cup is coming to Durban," said Herman Chalupsky, the current holder of the single ski World Cup title, after his victory in Australia last year.
A fair but demanding test
"Our weather in Durban at that time of year is excellent, and the course will be a fair but demanding test that is appropriate for a World Cup.
"But more importantly, Durban is the home to the biggest community of surf ski paddlers in the world. We hold
the world record for entrants in a single event, and hosting the World Cup here seems right," he added.
South Africa initiated the World Cup as a platform for international competition in the popular paddling discipline two years ago, and won the inaugural event, only to lose the overall title when the World Cup was held in Perth last year in somewhat controversial circumstances.
Win adds interest
Young Durban paddler Clint Pretorius' victory in the tough Molokai Challenge last month has served to add interest in the World Cup in Durban, as it has stoked the already fierce rivalry between South African and Australian surf ski paddlers.
In the Molokai Challenge, Oscar Chalupsky, the eleven-times winner of the race, and Pretorius fought off the challenge from Australian ace Clint Robinson, the winner of the 1992 Olympics sprint gold medal, and nine-times Molokai champion Dean Gardiner.
The Durban World Cup will feature a "wet
start", meaning that the race will get under way from a buoy beyond the surf backline, instead of requiring the racers to negotiate the surf from a beach start.
To cater for the massive interest in the Surf Ski World Cup, a fun Grand Prix team relay event will take place at the Bay of Plenty Beach on Saturday, 1 July, involving teams of ski paddlers paddling out through the surf and back to the beach, promising a thrilling display for spectators on the beach and on the Bay of Plenty pier.
Source: Canoeing South Africa
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