Hank is Champ!

Hank Mcgregor hits the beach at La Mercy. Unchallenged!

Well the most notable thing about the Dunlop Surfski World Cup was the lack of weather! Although the swell was pretty sizeable, the howling westerly did not arrive, making for a hard paddle up the coast for most with only the fastest paddlers being able to pick up help from the moving ocean.
Hank McGregor triumphed again and even had the luxury of a moment to compose himself before running up the beach to the line.
Matt Bouman overhauled Dawid Mocke in the late stages of the race for 2nd while Dawid completed the podium.
Michelle Eray won the ladies race comfortably from Nikki Mocke.  Apparently Michelle put 7 minutes on some fairly competitive male paddlers between Umhlanga and La Mercy!
The race will be remembered for the thrills and spills at the finish.  The tricky break at La Mercy made it difficult to exit a ski gracefully. The shorebreak pounding onto bare sand broke many boats and had a high proportion of paddlers scrambling up and down the beach grabbing their equipment. Any photographers on the beach would have snapped some comical shots.

With the Discovery Sunglass hut Surfski series drawing to a close in the next few weeks, attention will soon turn towards the "flatwater" marathon season, and then preparations for the 30th Hansa Fish!