250km PE to EL Challenge kicks off

Just heard from Race Director Gavin Dickinson from Port Elizabeth:

"PE2EL Challenge update: "PE2EL off to a good start. 11 singles; 12 doubles. 35 paddlers. Good wind, surf quite big. Woody Cape will be fun..."

Day 1 is about 80km long from PE to the dreaded Woody Cape - imagine paddling that distance only to have to come in through some of the biggest surf imaginable?! Huge respect to the paddlers...

I covered the race a couple of years ago - it was a small year for Woody Cape and yet we could hear the surf booming from the camp site - I could hardly sleep and I wasn't even paddling!

Here's the briefing map for day 1 (thanks to Jamii Hamlin).

Keep us updated!!! 80 friggin km to start!

Just heard from race director Gavin Dickinson via SMS... He said that 8 skis were broken yesterday and one this morning in the cranking surf at Woody Cape.

This morning conditions were calm (the wind that is) but 10ft surf at Woody Cape!

16 skis attempted to get out, only 2 (including Bianca Beavitt) making it. The rest, having been crunched, portaged their skis up to the point where they were able finally to get out.

Gavin said, "We have the best pics in surfski ever" so I can't wait to see them.

Update from the race:

The paddlers are supposed to come into a check point at Kenton, but the surf is breaking 500-600m out to sea... So it's straight through to Port Alfred.

Today is the shortest day in the race, "only" 52km or thereabouts.

For a summary of the race course, written in 2010, click here.

Hey Rob

where can we get live updates

The story is that yesterday Bianca got out forgot something on the shore came back in and then went out again

Mark, there are some updates coming through via SMS from the race which I'm posting to facebook on:

www.facebook.com/surfski.info

And on Twitter, follow @surfskidotinfo

So anything vaguely live will be through on there!

I'm hoping to get another story and some more photos tonight.

I also heard that the hard men were complaining about launching through the surf at Woody Cape and the race director simply said, "Well, Bianca got through...?"

(In reality it was the paddlers' decision to start day 2 at Woody Cape - and, for some of them, to run/walk 20km up the beach to find a place to launch... Eish.)

Pity there's not the large field there was for the last time it was a Shamaal event, now that would be interesting to see how the race unfolded.

Feed back from Challenge legend Robbie Bester is that this is by far the biggest and most dangerous surf that has yet confronted the Challenge. Massive waves rolling in on top of each other without a break confronted the guys when coming in at Woody. Going out the next day was clean but huge with three breaks - the backline 800m was huge and rogue waves of ridiculous height came through when you were almost out (ask Hein). Port Alfred unplayable masses of white water - paddling in foam no traction and then smashed by 6ft shore dump - most paddlers are still taking sand out of their rectums and other cavities! Day Three easy out but a long day struggle into light easterly for last thirty km - lucky to get over 9kph - 10 hour paddle for some to do the nearly 75km. Latest from day four - stunning beach day - next to no surf - bikini clad babes on the beach - tired paddlers and Gavin Dick the director looks like he is older than his Dad!

All round awesome stuff - these guys (nutters) will go down in paddling history - if you see them in a pub - bow and buy them a beer or six. RESPECT!

Anton Erasmus - paddled it, sponsored it, directed it now reading about it!

I actually think it was good there were only locals for the anniversary race. Kinda' a throwback to the early days.

You said, it, Anton. Respect. But '79 and '83 had some grunt as well. Regards from Perth.

War stories are out there - I hope that when the paddlers sober up (they partied until 4am!) that they write it up. Guys reckon this was the most dangerous surf ever in a Challenge but not the hardest - the South Easter Head Butt Year takes that honour!

Interest shows that the event will not die - Border have shown a desire in running the next one - with some possible sponsors putting hands in pockets.

Spoke to one of the rescue duck pilots - he is still shaking -day 1 and 2 were extreme and he has a world of respect for the paddlers who took on this quest. Great guys and he will be back.

Bianca must be the toughest lady on a surfski ever. She just did not give up and made many a macho paddler look like a wimp. Give her honoury life membership to the sport.

One day they will make a feature film of this event!