Mocke Brothers go head to head in Cape Town
Fish Hoek – Action of the highest standard is expected when the second leg of the inaugural Fish Hoek Surfski Festival gets underway with a large number of the world’s finest open ocean paddling stars set take to the cold Cape waters for the mouthwatering clash.
The festival kicked off with last weekend’s Peter Creese Lighthouse Race however things step up a notch with the Cape Town Downwind on Sunday 16 December, an event which also doubles as both the final leg of the Oceanpaddler World Series and the singles leg of the SA Surfski Championships.
Mocke Brothers
South Africa’s remarkable depth in the sport promises a race to remember with local brothers Dawid and Jasper Mocke undoubtedly at the forefront of the charge as they go head to head for the 2012 Oceanpaddler World Series title.
Dawid Mocke
Jasper Mocke will look to build on his recent victory in the series’ opening event last weekend whilst older brother and current World Series title holder Dawid looks make the title his own once more.
Jasper Mocke would have to beat his brother by 8 places to take the lead in the Oceanpaddler World Series
The duo, along with fellow locals Simon van Gysen, Sean Rice and Tom Schilperoort, make up the formidable local attack and together will look to hold off the formidable KZN charge, headed up by the ever determined and classy Hank McGregor (Team Best 4 Kayak Centre).
Hank McGregor - Defending SA Surfski Champion
With their vast knowledge of local conditions and their superior amount of time spent on the ocean than their currently more river based KZN rivals, the Cape paddlers go into the clash as favourites however few would be brave enough to ever write McGregor off.
Having claimed both the singles and doubles national surfski titles last year, McGregor will be out to prove he do so outside of his local waters in 2012 and brings with him a wave of top paddlers such as Grant and Brandon van der Walt and many others.
Hank McGregor
Inter-provincial challenge
The event is also the Inter-provincial decider and hence the stakes will be high as the ‘Fish Hoek Five’ look to ensure the trophy remains in the Western Cape whilst Matt Bouman, Barry Lewin, Daryl and Brett Bartho and co represent KZN and Richard von Wildemann, Bevan Manson and Kyle Friedenstein fly the flag for the Eastern Cape.
Others looking to snatch a coveted top ten place would be former Olympian Shaun Rubenstein, ‘Fisher King’ Len Jenkins, lifesaving convert Adam Nisbet and renowned surfski star Oscar Chalupsky.
Women’s race
The women’s race is again expected to be a Nikki Mocke versus Michele Eray affair. The former Olympic team mates have enjoyed many hard fought tussle on the bigger ocean paddling stages in recent years and will undoubtedly be going hammer and tongs once again on Sunday.
Michele Eray came second in Hong Kong a few weeks ago
They will, however, be up against the likes of Michelle Burn, Danica Bartho, Bianca Beavitt, Kerry Louw, Nikki Russell, Kim van Gysen and Jenna Ward from around South Africa whilst Chloe Burnett and Angie Moulden lead the European charge.
There will also be a strong junior presence in both the men’s and women’s races with the likes of Dominic Notten, Kenny Rice, Craig Flanagan, Nic Notten, Calvin McKie and Gene Prato battling it out in the boys section and Kirsten Flanagan, Amy Hare and Anna Notten, amongst others, giving it their all in the girls race.
Downwind
Should the expected South Easterly wind prevail paddlers will launch from Millers Point, head south for a couple of kilometers before turning around and making their way to Fish Hoek.
Despite a couple days of relative calm in days leading up to the event a strong wind is expected for race day giving competitors the downwind conditions they had hoped for.
The Cape Town Downwind takes place on Sunday 16 December and will start at 14h00 at Miller’s Point subject to weather and surf conditions. More info can be found at www.capepointchallenge.com