Sunday, 24th April 2016 | Durban ~ the annual King of the Bay event was a twofold event, incorporating the SUPSA sanctioned Stand Up Paddling Race, making it a recolonised national race, with some big names coming up from Cape Town to compete like international SUP athlete’s Dylan Frick (Starboard), the TK’s Taryn & Tom King (Coreban) up from Cape Town. In the men’s race the resident Jo’burger Chris Couve (Starboard) went head to head with Dylan. This event is fast growing and the 2016 event was the biggest ever SUP field of 40 SUP racers.
The race started at the old Stella Canoe Club, well up the harbour channel. A gentle but steadily building Northerly onshore wind had begun to blow at he start of the SUP race which meant the race was directly into a headwind through the harbour bay, making very tough paddling for any SUP paddler. Fortunately, not all was lost as the tide was pushing out so there was a fast current pulling the paddlers out the channel until they hit the open ocean. The men’s race started fast with Dylan taking up the front of the wave train with Chris in 2nd spot and Durbanite Daryl Batho in 3rd, after that with the main field all fighting for a position. Not long after the start the wave train broke up leaving just Chris and Dyl working out it in front together, taking turns pulling with Daryl in his own between them and the next train, being pulled by Gunter Berger and the remainder of the field on his wave. As the field neared the harbour mouth, the full force of the Northerly wind had picked up and conditions going out became very rough with a strong headwind of 12-15knots blowing with some choppy wind swell underfoot. Dylan exiting the harbour mouth in first place with Chris now off his wave, but still pushing hard very close behind. The tough conditions meant that the wave trains broke up and it was every man for himself. Paddlers then B-line for the the beach finish in front of Durban Surf Lifesaving Club, at Veggies Beach. The swell was small but the still steadily building onshore wind meant that the SUPs were left paddling through trying & choppy conditions fighting a side wind all the way to the beach. After rounding the final turn can anchored not far behind behind a small surf break, SUPs caught a final wave onto the beach and finished with a short run up the beach with board and paddle in hand. Dylan won the men’s elite 14ft class in 1:04 and Chris in 1:05 and Daryl finishing up podium spot 3mins behind Chris.
The woman’s race has also grown at King of the Bay now with 10 Ladies on the water this year. The two favorites Tarryn King from Cape Town and Jackie de Billot from Durban started off with a bang with Tarryn taking the lead early on with Jackie on her wave. The pace was high and they started overtaking the men’s field before the first buoy (the woman’s race starts 1 min after the men). At the 7th Buoy Jackie made a move to overtake Tarryn hoping to get a lead but Tarryn didn’t let go of Jackie’s wave. The race for 3rd was equally tight with Lande Williamson and Charlotte Atherton working together through the Harbor making good ground on the leading pack. Lande and Charlotte’s race to the finish started half way up the Harbor mouth into the beastly Easterly. Jackie & Tarryn remained in that train till the harbor entered the ocean and that’s where Tarryn made her move pushing forward on the left of Jackie and powering forward. Jackie tried to get on Tarryn’s wave but got caught out when the boards bumped and she fell off. Jackie raced to get on the board and paddling again with a gap of 20m it was now all or nothing. Tarryn took the wide line the better line usually when the east is blowing but Jackie felt the Southerly Swell still pushing from the day before and opted to use the diagonals from the ground swell to make some ground which she did. At the buoy Jackie had made it to the front now the race was on both Ladies paddled in on their own steam as there weren’t many waves. As they hit the beach it was a sprint to the end Boards and paddles in Tow. With the Sound of a Tarryn running behind Jackie she ran as fast as her legs could carry her and dived for the finish line to clinch the win in a time of 1.18.31 by 16 seconds from Tarryn in at 1.18.47. Lande and Charlotte paddled hard to the end with Lande Williamson sealing in 3rd place 1.25.26.
Race Results:
Race Position | Name | Gender | Race Class | Race Time 10 KM | Race Number |
1 | Dylan Frick | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:04:44 | T696 |
2 | Christopher Couve | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:05:40 | 9860 |
3 | Daryl Bartho | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:08:13 | 8272 |
4 | Thomas King | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:08:25 | T884 |
5 | Grantley Read | Male | 14ft Open Mens / Legend | 1:10:32 | 6864 |
6 | Nick Park-Ross | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:11:23 | T492 |
7 | Shayne Chipps | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:12:16 | 494 |
8 | Gunter Berger | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:13:55 | 1881 |
9 | Thulane Nzama | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:14:32 | T895 |
10 | Robbie de Billot | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:16:57 | 60397 |
11 | Brandon Read | Male | 14ft Open Mens / Legend | 1:17:25 | 8641 |
12 | Jackie de Billot | Female | 14ft Open Females | 1:18:31 | 6184 |
13 | Tarryn King | Female | 14ft Open Females | 1:18:47 | T885 |
14 | Brendon Germaine | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:19:36 | 7385 |
15 | Jon Ivins | Male | 14ft Open Mens / Legend | 1:21:09 | 6949 |
16 | Lande Williamson | Female | 14ft Open Females | 1:25:26 | T697 |
17 | Charlotte Atherton | Female | 14ft Open Females | 1:26:14 | 861 |
18 | Deon Bosman | Male | 14ft Open Mens / Legend | 1:27:35 | 94 |
19 | Craig Thompson | Male | 14ft Open Mens / Legend | 1:28:12 | 3961 |
20 | Kyle Chrystal | Male | 14ft Junior | 1:28:39 | T516 |
21 | Pierre van Zyl | Male | 14ft Open Mens / Legend | 1:29:12 | 348 |
22 | Steven Hean | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 1:32:47 | 7049 |
23 | Alan Wallace | Male | 14ft Open Mens / Legend | 1:36:39 | 896 |
24 | Shannon Clarke | Male | 14ft Open Mens / Legend | 1:37:50 | T897 |
25 | Danelle Hefers | Female | 14ft Open Mens | 1:39:53 | 698 |
26 | Bart Nieuwoudt | Male | 14ft Open Mens / Legend | 1:44:26 | 10296 |
27 | Karisa Grace | Female | 14ft Juniorettes | 1:48:52 | T883 |
28 | Alison Taczalo | Female | 14ft Open Mens | 1:52:28 | T700 |
29 | Angela Whittle | Female | 14ft Open Females / Diva | 1:59:36 | 95978 |
30 | Wern Van Molendorff | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 2:05:33 | T894 |
31 | Robert Topper | Male | 14ft Open Mens / Legend | 2:06:06 | T893 |
32 | Bruce Jefferis | Male | 14ft Open Mens | 2:07:17 | 4684 |
33 | Caraline Hillier | Female | 14ft Open Females / Diva | 2:16:48 | T695 |
34 | Cayley Hillier | Female | 14ft Juniorettes | 2:21:22 | T886 |
Wow! What a cool race and so close. Well done to all who took part. Hope to be there next year!
Thanks Andrew. Yes it was really awesome and would be great to have more participants next year. Please feel to contact SUPSA via the email form if you ever have any enquiries.
Hey well done to Dylan, Chris, Daryl, and Tom with their great times, and the ladies Jackie, Taryn, Lande and Charlotte all very good times giving the spectator’s a show of note… To all the field, well done. Was exciting to watch till the very end. Special mention must go to Daryl Bartho with his stellar performance in his first SUPSA race. Dylan and Chris, you guys must enjoy the view ahead of you while you can, coz if his debut is anything to go by you guys might be seeing the back of him soon… 3 min 29 sec off the race winner is excellent !!! Also to the organisers, sponsors and locals in general, what a great event.