G-Bay Winter Series ‘Everyone’s a winner’ – Race 3 – 5

by | Sep 25, 2019 | Prone, SUP Events, SUP Racing, Uncategorized

Race 3

Not a breath, hardly a wave and a sparkling blue sky greeted the assembly of paddlers for the third race of the G-Bay Winter Series. A collective invite to the greater Peninsula paddling community brought numerous new faces of SUP and Proners along with a few surf-skier joking they needed to renew their passport for the outing to the other corner of False Bay.

In ideal conditions for PBs the race for the 8.35km short course from the Main Beach corner along the cliffs to the 5 Houses Rock returning back towards Harbour Island for a clockwise lap and back to the start saw Harry Lake in 53m43 take the honours over Scott Hogg with Jurie Wessels over 65 Bullet a few minutes behind whilst Lizl Hobson lone ski lady improving her PB in 01h04m03.

The SUP saw Rory Smith steak home in 56m27 whilst recently recrowned SA SUP Wave Champ Dylan Frick on a 12’6” board appeared to be teasing his father Francois as they hit the beach together but some 17 seconds separated them as Frick senior caught his breath to make the finish line in 59m14. Joshua Coetzee of Team Natural Energy and Guy Bubb of SUP Cape Town rounded out the male SUPs with 12 yo Chiara Voster showing her mettle as the lone female in 01h06m25 whilst in the Proners saw junior brother Ethan home in 01h12m17 ahead of Tyra Buncombe in an impressive 01h18m22.

The two-lap long course was a ding dong affair between Ian Trautman a Fishoek powerhouse and Ernest van Riet fresh from a top 5 team in the Berg River Marathon finish that saw Ernest sneak the advantage in 01h20m46 averaging 12.5kmh whilst Anton Holtzhausen held off a speeding Bianca Beavitt the first lady and 2nd overall in the individuals at the Berg River Marathon whilst Rodin Tindall of Freedom Paddle teamed up with Dimmie de Milander took the doubles and provided an entertaining video for the days scenic route.

Again the ever-improving Kira Bester took the junior ladies with Helen Rossouw rounding out the ladies podium, with Gary Pepler again taking the advantage over Charles Murless the long Bullets.

Kit Beaton the first Proner to complete the 50km Cape Point Challenge and 28km Freedom Paddle around Robben Island with Jadon Wessels had a gentlemen’s agreement to only race the last 1.5km that saw the young gun 18yo pip Kit a seasoned Bullet by a meagre 4 seconds after 16.7km averaging 7.80 km/h.

With a fantastic turnout that has seen the attendance numbers double since Race No 1 with a special appearance from Rob Moody and Tim Fey Venn both finishing their first PE2EL in December along with stalwarts Gareth Pinky, Patrick Elay and Paddle Magazine editor duo of Tracy and Terrence Ward showing the appeal of participation beyond the Helderberg community.

Race 4
A gray mist had engulfed the entire Cape Peninsula, yet a determined sun had burnt away with a warming Berg draft opened up a blue sky window with a glassy flat sea that hardly had a drop of water out of place.

A heavily bearded hardman and a top 10 PE2EL finisher Crispin Thompson had arrived with Bianca Beavitt being the SA Surf-ski Ladies 2nd seed and was in the business end of her World Champs training campaign and they set off in blistering pace with Jamii Hamlin making up the trio to round the Five House Rock at 3km, then steamed down to the Harbour Island for a clockwise lap before the race convenor dropped off and felt it would be way more sensible to paddle with Jeremy Thompson Go Deep sponsor for the remainder of the race as they quietly conceded that the Milnerton visitors were fitter, faster and very focused in their preparation for ICF Surfski World Champs in France come mid September.

Completing the short course Scott Hogg and Lizl Hobson were the lone surf-skiers finishing 55min31 and 1h02m37 respectively, yet for Lizl the result mean so much more to her as a year ago simply venturing a 100m from the shore was an achievement for her.

As many others away for SUP SA Champs in Durban which Natural Energy owner Dylan Frick clinched the Men’s title as young Chiara dominated the Junior Ladies, leaving Rory Smith 1h02m45 to pip his Cape Town SUP partner Guy Bubb 1h04m45 in the SUPrs whilst in the Prones Kit Beaton tailing Rory in 1h02m47 opened a sizable gap on u23 Jaden Wessels contesting on a lifesaving Malibu that seriously handicapped him as they completed the 8.35km in excellent times despite the spring low tide that effected the finishing 1km making it harder as the shallow water makes a sluggish pull on a crafts draft.

In the long course as expected Crispin kept Bianca close enough to test and stretch her over the 16,5km, but put the hammer down to finish in 1h23m56? as ‘Bubbles’ tapped in 2nd and the first lady in 1h24m11 whilst Jamii held off a strong challenge from Jeremy only seconds ahead in 1h26m58. Not far behind Rob Moody, Graham Roberts was holding off the mixed double of Terrence Ward with Tabera Joosten with Patrick Ealy, Charles Murless and Gary Pepler making up the Bullet trio along with ‘Prof’ Johan van Rooyen and new-comer from Sea Point Gary Morton claiming the Specski category.

Race 5
1st of Spring dawned a grey overhead sky with a light onshore murmur causing a sloppy sea that wobbled with morning sickness as a seasoned field of surf skiers waded out to find deep enough water for a start in a super spring low tide that left several starfishes stranded on an exposed shoreline.

Blasting off Mike Schwan with long-time doubles partner Richard Allen set a furious pace whilst Bianca Beavitt hung on to their slip in her final preparation race for her ICF World Surfski appearance in France later this month leaving the rest of the field trying to catch their breath and find rhythm in an unsettle sea as they tussled for the remaining podium spots. 

Robin Tindall of Freedom Paddle back from an injury layoff fell out his ski to clear the seaweed whilst Jeremy Thompson of Go Deep then led the chasing pack to the Five Houses turning rock that was awash with a surging sea. Heading back Jamii Hamlin caught the wave of the day from the Harbour Island buoys into the entrance as Mike and Richard already some 800m ahead were now heading out with Bianca not far behind them looking silky smooth as the remainder of the field flushed into the calmer water for a clockwise loop before heading back to the main beach corner for a second lap of the 8.35km course.

Michael van der Heerik and Johan van Rooyen had found the sea a little too choppy and decided to finish a single lap for a short course 1 & 2 respectively. 

In the long course the lead double finished in 1h22m56, as Bianca claiming first lady and single overall showed how polished her preparation by smashing a 1h28m39 averaging 11.2kmh, whilst Robin recovered for his early swim found another gear to clawed back the gap to eventually pip Jamii into 3rd by seven second in 1h31m14 as they traded bumps to keep ahead of the main pack of Graham Roberts, Rob Moody, Stephan du Toit, Jeremy Thompson, Bennie Steyn and August Lohann in an increasingly testing sea that had everyone taking air strokes working their core strength and realising this was proper surf-ski paddling showing up any weakness in their skills. 

With the SUPs and Prones excused for an Iron Man/Lady relay competition in Fishoek along with Kira Bester doing a coin flip as a SA Junior Lifesaving Champ and 2nd SA Ski Junior seed she, unfortunately, missed out contesting with SA ICF World Champs teammate Melanie van Niekerk who showed just how deep the level of ladies paddling is and finished strongly in 1h37m34looking slightly taxed from the 16.5km course but pointing to her padded up seat to commented it wasn’t the easiest of conditions for trying a tippy set up. 

Patrick Ealy 1st Bullet 1h46m04 had managed to hang on to the lone mixed-double pairing of Terrence Ward and Tabera Joosten 1h45m52 for a portion of the second lap to hold off Gary Pepler as second Bullet just 45s behind.

 

What a great Series! Thank you Gordons Bay.

 

 

 

Xpression On The Beach November events

by | Sep 2, 2019 | Uncategorized

9 & 10 November – You want to be in Muizenberg!

9 November
1 day, 2 events…

1. THE FISH HOEK MILE:
This will be a first for paddlers, following the legendary ‘swimmers’ Fish Hoek Mile which was hosted by FHSLC for decades.
The race is a sprint across the bay – Paddlers & swimmers will go off in waves from Clovelly to the catwalk, around a buoy and finish at the FHBSC. Athletes will start in 15 minute interval waves from 09h00 with the swim as the final wave.
** If there is too much wind, there will be an In’s and Out’s race around an M-shaped course in front of the club.

2. THE MILLERS RUN:
This is the iconic 11km Downwind Run from Millers Point to FHBSC. (To take place around 1pm)
**If there is no wind, there will still be an 11km paddle.

SURFSKI // DOUBLE SKI // SUP // PRONE // SWIM // NIPPERS DIVISION

Thank you to our sponsors:

– Xpression On The Beach, Mocke Paddling, SSA | SUPSA, Fish Hoek Beach Sports Club, Xpression Cafe, Surfers Corner Clothing, Red Bull & Ola.

R100 per event

10 November
Sunday 10th Wave Riding is the final SUPSA Sanctioned event of 2019. This is a one day event, so competitors are only able to enter ONE division, which should be their primary division. Surfers Corner is the location for the day.

Entries close on October 31. 

Entries are available online:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWHzb4JQ-uhiZuv7Sf6pk6UVQas32Kx3HddhRsKiupBB_JZw/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1 

 

King Of The Bay 2019

by | Aug 7, 2019 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Events, SUP Racing, Surfing South Africa, Uncategorized

In the weeks’ build-up to the auspicious annual race through the Durban Harbour, paddlers had a keen eye on the weather and wind predictions. Initially, the reports were not looking too great and the thought of a long slog was certainly starting to become a reality. As race day arrived the weather was perfect and a window had appeared allowing paddlers to make a break and hopefully be unscathed by an ominous on shore wind set to arrive mid-morning.

The SUP field was 18 strong across the divisions including two prone borders for the very first time! Race favourites Dylan Frick and Charlotte Atherton were setting their sights on the top honours for the day. A stacked line up in the juniorette’s field had last years SA Junior Karisa Grace setting out to defend her title, with Durban’s Jess Rankin and Cape Towns’ Chiara Vorster both eager to get to the top of the podium.

The Legends Field had a new ‘young gun’ arrival Shayne Chipps’ relatively fresh from a few races on the European Circuit – definitely stirring some rivalry amongst the competitive Legend field.

At approximately 09:15 racers were under starting orders, lined up, set and ready to go. Paddlers were to head across the Durban Harbour and make their way out the channel entrance, banking left and heading to the final turn buoy before hitting the beach at Marine Surf Life Saving Club. Frick made his trademark dash at the start line, followed closely by Klos, Park-Ross and Swemmer whilst, not so far behind Atherton and Vorster were well on their way in the women’s field.

Paddlers negotiated their way through the port channels’ whilst on the look-out for dead spots and shallow sand banks waiting to swallow up boards. On approaching the main channel crossing, edging closer to the entrance the onshore wind started to loom with a gentle chop on the water and a steady headwind. In the women’s field Atherton had pulled away from Vorster with De Billot and Williamson in tow whilst Frick had widened the gap from second place, with Swemmer slightly edging off from Klos with Park-Ross in pursuit.

The timerkeepers’ clock was approaching the hour mark and the gentle breeze had now strengthened to a steady headwind and paddlers were making the final slog out the Harbour entrance. Wind swell was up and the chop was up with it! Frick hit the beach in first place with a comfortable lead. Swemmer was knocked of his board by a surfski paddler and Klos managed to get caught up in the aftermath. Second place went to Swemmer and Klos securing his third place after a good swim. Atherton had mustered a 3 minute lead on Vorster and maintained to the finsh line to secure the win with Vorster in second and De Billot taking 3rd. The juniorettes’ field was trumped by Grace, with Rankin in second and Vorster in 3rd. Well done to these girls for the amazing accomplishment. The Legends field was grabbed by Chipps with Ivins in second and Oets taking third. The prone divisions were won by the brother sister team – ‘Team Buncombe’. Special mention must be made to Murray James and Shelly Naylor, both new to the Long Distance SUP scene making an incredible display of perseverance and tenacity to get to the finish line after a real tough morning facing harsh winds and ship movements in the port.

A big thanks to Bay Union / King of the Bay organizers for allowing the Stand Up Paddle and Prone Borders to participate in this iconic race and SUP Durbs! Committee for assisting on the SUP admin side of things.

Make sure you check out more photos on Facebook, here. Next race coming up is Zinkwazi on 10 August. Make sure you do not miss out on this one! 

SA SUP Champs 2019 News & Results

by | Aug 2, 2019 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Events, SUP Surfing, Surfing South Africa, Uncategorized

Do you know what my favourite part of the SA Sup Waveriding Champs was?

 

You might think it was the free coffees we got from Xpression on the Beach. Maybe you think it was the opportunity to surf right down in the corner without weekend crowds? Or maybe you think I had the chance to be so very cold I could stretch my new Techno Butter wettie to the limit of its capacity? 

While all of the above were epic, none were my absolute favourite part.

Nope, my favourite part was the vibe. And, just like it takes an array of elements, (wind, groundswell, reefs and sandbanks) to create a perfect wave, so an array of elements created the good vibes at the SA SUP champs.

 Over fifty Stand up paddlers from all over South Africa (Including a crew who made the trip from East London, btw. And I am from PE, so I know what it is to make the journey out of the Eastern Cape. Second only to Marco Polo’s travels.) Stand Up Paddlers of all abilities and backgrounds converged at Muizenberg and celebrated 100 Years of Surfing in style.

 The top shredders in the Open Division set the bar high on the first day. It was onshore but there was a bit of swell, and the waves held up enough for the competitors to showcase their skills. Tarryn King, Penny Stemmett, Khara Doyle, Tammy Foster, Chelsea van Rooyen and Evette Terblanche powered their way straight through to the semi’s. In the men’s division, Capetonians Tom King, Matt Maxwell and Dylan Frick got the job done in the waves, as they usually do, but East London came knocking in the form of Jethro Johnson. His powerful surfing and variety of manoeuvres put pressure on the Cape Town contingent.

 Let’s not forget about the GOAT of Sup surfing either. The Gary of All Time may be over sixty years old but he knows how to drop a nine-point ride. Gary Van Rooyen was on fire in the Men’s Open and Legend division and clocked in with a 9.43 in his opening heat in the Legend’s division. Despite a tight race against the flair and experience of Dave Maxwell, Gary finished up first in the Legend’s division.

 On Day Two, the first-ever Foil final of the SA SUP champs was held in perfect two to three-foot offshore Muizenberg. Tammy Foster flew the flag for the women, and Thomas King took it home for the men.

 Elleni Smyth, Sue Maxwell, Dominique Venter and I were blessed with a glass off in our Divas final. The wind dropped, and a few beautiful sets rolled in, giving us the best of Surfer’s Corner: the opportunity for long, smooth rides with relatively short paddle outs.

 The Social Men’s division brimmed with energy and stoke with guys from around the country throwing themselves at each heat. Up and coming Muizenberg local, Sinda Takatana gave it his best shot, but the winner was West Coast frother, Mike Foster. He joined his wife, Tammy (first in foil and second in Open Women) in the medals.

 The Hawaiian word for family is Ohana, and it is no coincidence that a SUP shape has been named for it. The Ohana spirit was strong at the SUP champs. The heats were overflowing with family connections: Mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, mothers and sons, fathers and daughters, fathers and sons, sisters, friends, partners and more. It was wonderful to see the support and love on the beach and in the water, and to feel the stoke among the families. Whether they were surfing alongside each other, wielding a camera, sharing encouragement or bringing the coffee, family and friends were never far.

 A strong surge of SUP surfing is coming up from the Junior divisions in the form of Chiara Vorster, Miggie Terblanche, Adam Lawrence, Keena Thomson and Cameron Tripney. There were a lot of proud parents on the beach. Cameron Tripney, as always supported by his father, Steve, won the Junior Boys division.

 Erstwhile SA team rider, Khara Doyle, stylishly surfed her way to a stacked semifinal against Tammy Foster and Tarryn King, in the Open Women, while her husband Jarred surfed in the Social Men. But it was Khara’s family, her mom, Natalie Thomson and her sister, Keena Thomson who won the Social Women and the Junior Girls, respectively.

 Stand up paddling in South Africa continues ahead of the field in gender equity. There was, as usual, no restriction on entrants in the women’s division compared with the men, or disparity in prize allocation. The high number of entrants in the Divas and the Social Women is a sure sign that SUP in South Africa continues to empower and uplift women. Many women have, due to historical gender roles and disparity, not had the opportunity to learn to surf or SUP while they were young, so the nerves and fear can be intense. But with the structure of events like SA SUP Champs, and with friends, family members or World Champ Tarryn King there to help prepare them and paddle out with them, many women have been able to step out of their comfort zone and grow as SUP surfers.

 The Ohana board might now be rare, but the spirit of Ohana is not, and all the more so at SA Champs. It’s not just a contest. It’s a community.

 – Missy Volker

For more photos, check out Facebook, here.

The Full Results:
Xpression on the Beach | Surfers Corner Apparel SA Wave Riding SUP Champs

Legends 45+
1. Gary van Rooyen
2. Dave Maxwell
3. Francois Frick
4. Mike X

Divas
1. Missy Volker
2. Elleni Smyth
3. Sue Maxwell
4. Dominique Venter

Social Men
1. Mike Foster
2. Sinda Takatana
3. Cameron van Niekerk
4. Joshua Coetzee

Social Women
1. Natalie Thomson
2. Chiara Vorster
3. Sune Hutchinson
4. Lizanie Teron
5. Gabi Nordgaard

 

Open Men
1. Dylan Frick
2. Thomas King
3. Matt Maxwell
4. Jethro Johnson

Open Women
1. Tarryn King
2. Tammy Foster
3. Penny Stemmet
4. Chelsea van Rooyen

Junior Boys
1. Cameron Tripney
2. Miggie Terblanche
3. Adam Lawrence

Junior Girls
1. Keena Thomson
2. Chiara Vorster

Foil – Men
1. Thomas King
2. Mike Oxley
3. Henco Scholts
4. Pete Petersen
5. Dave Maxwell

Foil – Women
1. Tammy Foster

Hout Bay Series 2019 Race 1

by | Jul 30, 2019 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Events, SUP Racing, Uncategorized

We kicked off with the Hout Bay Series 2019 on Sunday, 28 July. Our registration started off at 8 am in a cloud of mist, followed by some exciting racing at 9 am sharp with happy and speedy paddlers. Stand Up Paddlers, surf ski’s and prone boards made their way onto the water with the best crowd of supporters on the beach. See the results here.

Cool prizes and great food followed at Marinas Wharf. 

Thank you for all of your support and a massive thank  you to our title sponsor, Combustion Technology as well as Xpression on the Beach.  

We are very excited for the second race taking place on 18 August 2019.

 

Check out more photos on our Facebook page. 

Hout Bay Series 2019

by | Jul 20, 2019 | Stand Up Paddle, SUP Downwind, SUP Events, SUP Racing, Uncategorized

The Hout Bay Series 2019 is here!

We have 4 races planned for you in the most beautiful corner of our country. Make sure that you spread the word and bring along your family to this family-friendly event.

The courses are either a 3.6 km, 6 km, or 9 km. The races will take place on the following dates:
– 28 July
– 18 August
– 29 September
– 27 October

Registration will be at 8 am at every race with the race starting at 9 am.

Each race will have a cost of R100 for adults and R50 for under 13’s & pensioners.

The divisions include divas, legends, open women, open men, junior boys and girls for either SUP or prone. Contact us if you want to bring your surf ski or K2 along, and we will organise as demanded. You can register here.

We have scheduled these races so that it does not clash with any other Western Cape events, so make sure you get on your board and paddling. There will be parking at Harbour Zone 75 and post-paddle-food-deals will be available at Marinas Wharf.

With the greatest support from our title sponsor, Combustion Technology, there will be cash prizes at the finale for overall participation as well as prizes by Xpression on the Beach and Marinas Wharf. 

We hope you are as excited as we are!