World Cup - Latest

This correspondent participated in a dice on the Umgeni River last night on a borrowed Red7 Surf 60 (thanks Gav!).

The Team Grand Prix event registration was taking place and I met up with some of the international paddlers - Mark Sandvold (US), Mark Buck (US), Dave Jensen (US), Dean Gardiner (Aus).  The NZ paddlers were there and I spotted some French team members as well.  All extremely friendly people (as are our Durban hosts) and much beer and braaied (barbequed) boerwors (SA speciality sausage) was consumed...

Some of the visitors (Mark Buck, Mark Sandvold, one of the NZ paddlers), went for an orientation paddle yesterday with Darryl Bartho...

They finished at Westbrook Beach which is likely to be the race finish point.  The surf was huge and they waited for some time for a smaller set before heading in.  Mark Buck was eaten by a big wave and his ski went into the beach without him, being damaged as it arrived.  (It'll be repaired in time for the race.)

It was a graphic introduction to the Durban surf and all except one of the paddlers swam.  It seems the beach shelves steeply at Westbrook and the shore break was big.

Predictions for the day?  The forecasts still say almost no wind, and what breeze there is will be variable.  The swell is forecast at 1.7m - but with a 15sec interval which means major energy...

World Cup Registration takes place tonight at the Bay of Plenty...

For more information, see the Surf Ski World Cup website