SA blitzes first WC Surf Ski race
23 November 2005
Herman Chalupsky spearheaded South Africa's challenge in the four-leg World Cup Surf Ski Series at the weekend, winning the first race.
The team are hoping to avenge the controversial result in the last World Cup series that saw Australia wrest the trophy from South Africa.
Chalupsky led from the start of the 25-kilometre race, which included three beach stops en route to the finish at Sorrento Beach.
A five-member pack of South African paddlers, all members of the Kia/Men's Health squad, dominated the front of the race, where Chalupsky was joined by his older brother Oscar, Darryl Bartho, Clint Pretorius and Barry Lewin.
Fell off the pace
The Chalupsky siblings broke away at the first portage, but Oscar Chalupsky fell off the pace after a clash with a turning flag left him with a bent rudder.
As the race progressed the wind picked up and created ideal fast downwind racing conditions. A tiring
Oscar Chalupsky was caught by Bartho and Pretorius, with Australian Dave Kissane close behind them.
Herman Chalupsky raced away alone to record a morale-boosting win for the South Africans, with a strong-finishing Barry Lewin winning a ferocious tussle for second from his Varsity College friend Pretorius, and Kissane.
Sank
Cape star ski paddler Dawid Mocke was sidelined by a technical disaster with his ski that sank at a key stage in the race, robbing the new US ski champ of valuable points for the team competition.
At the last World Cup the South African team lost the title after a controversial move to factor in results of the veteran and masters age groups, in which there were no South African paddlers.
This year the South African team is hamstrung by not having a woman on their squad, as the team competition includes the scores of female paddlers.
Results
1. Herman Chalupsky, (RSA) 1:25.57
2. Barry
Lewin (RSA) 1:27.11
3. Clint Pretorius (RSA) 1:27.11
4. Dave Kissane (Aus) 1:27.22
5. Oscar Chalupsky (RSA) 1:27.26
6. Daryl Bartho (RSA) 1:27.28
7. Corry Hutchins (NZ) 1:27.32
8. Michael Walker (NZ)1:27.34
Source: Canoeing South Africa
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