Aussie Long Distance Paddling - an Observation

[Editor: Craig Fisher's company, http://www.bookeasy.com.au/ has been hosting our live commentary pages for the last couple of races.  For the Dubai Shamaal they re-wrote it and hosted it on three distributed servers so that it could take the load (we had over 1,800 people logged in from around the world.  Awesome job guys - and thanks so much!]

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In Australia Marathon Kayak paddling is a low level sport that does not have a high profile. Long distance ski paddling has had even less support and the better long distance ski paddlers tend to be Iron Men that have been racing on the Professional Ironman circuits. With the demise of a well funded Ironman circuit the Ironmen (and women,) could see Ocean Ski paddling as the new avenue to support a living. Brendon Sarson, Jeremy Cotter, Caine and Shannon Eckstein and even Matthew Bouman fall into this category.

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Compared to South Africa who has a well established long distance ski and kayak paddling structure Australia has little to compare to this. The Western Australians have the Avon Descent which is once a year and may account for many of the Western Australians involved in longer distance paddling.

Summer Circuit

In the last 2 -3 years Ocean Skis are becoming more accepted in Australia and the existing long distance ski races are opening entries to the Ocean Ski's. Western Australia has now got a summer circuit and there are more and better races opening up on the East Coast of Australia. There is a long way to go to catch up to the South African scene but there is definitely a shift.

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I see it as similar to Rugby Union in Australia and South Africa. Union was a minority sport in Australia with AFL and League dominating the winter football landscape. In recent years with money and profile Union has gained some credibility in a population that is either fanatical AFL or League. Union in South Africa and New Zealand is a religion. Although Union is a minority sport in Aussie they still manage to win the odd World Cup or two.

With Long Distance Ski Paddling I reckon the same is true. If the Aussies take up the long distance ski sport with more focus and with the depth that exists in Australia, which is phenomenal, I think the South Africans might be seeing more and more Aussies in the line up at these elite events especially if they start attracting the Ironman which are all phenomenally fit and need an income to support their exercise habit.

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Watch out South Africa, the Aussies Are Coming

I think the bottom Line is watch out South Africa - the Aussies are coming and don't ever underestimate the depth of paddlers coming out of Aussie. I think this was a clear message coming out of the Shaamal in 2008.

It's interesting to compare the team members' results from Dubai: