52kph in a Surf Ski - World Cup Madness!
[Editor: 52kph on a surf ski? Impossible! Well, Malcolm "Goblin" Stewart has some compelling evidence - and a hilarious story - to share following the hectic ARB Surf Ski World Cup last Sunday. Read on...]
Preparation
Sean Temple & I are still recovering from one helluva doubles ARB World Cup. Our preparation was anything but intense evidenced by our time and position (2hrs 30 mins, 38th double). We had done just one race together plus a handful of 40 minute early morning sessions. And the race we had done was the 12k Lab Series race from Durban's Dairy beach in flat, calm and windless conditions. It was also done in a different boat to the one we planned to use for the race.
Race Day: the Green Machine
Our race day boat was an old, but trusty luminous green Dorado double known to us as the "Green Machine". Since we had incorporated some in's and out's into our training schedule we reckoned we could handle anything that Poseidon and the elements could throw at us.
We arrived at Toti on race day with a false confidence that was only slightly eroded by the howling sou'wester. Primed for action, we waited keenly for the doubles start. During the 20 minute gap between starts, we noted with increasing trepidation the 4 or 5 singles paddlers that were rescued by the Life Savers. Finally the doubles gun sounded weakly in the stiff breeze.
We took off like banshees, easily handling the rough conditions at the break zone and took a conservative wide line around the cans to avoid the chaos of the big group.
Surreal Sight #1
After about 10 minutes of cruising we had our first swim. We hadn't worked out the direction, power or strength of the swells which were getting bigger and bigger by the second and seemed to come from both sides. Confidence somewhat shaken we had another 2 swims in the next 6km. Between our 2nd and 3rd dips we encountered surreal sight number one. Coming towards us from the east was a double ski, with one paddler on top and a rather frightened looking paddler clutching the back sans paddle.
We shouted over to them if they were OK, got a muted "lost paddle but OK" then continued on. Quite what we would have done had said they needed help I still don't know. Rougher and rougher seas greeted us and regular 20km/h boat speeds and the odd 30km/h followed with not a soul in sight - no helicopter no rescue boats just a wild angry ocean with white caps everywhere.
Surreal Experience #2
Then surreal experience number two: in the middle of nowhere after 18km we saw a paddler swimming in the sea, as cool as ever - no boat no paddle, just a life jacket. We asked if he needed help and thankfully he said, "No thanks, I'll swim in." "What's your number then?" Sean shouted. "640-something" and we were gone and he was gone.
That dude was about 1km from the shore in the angriest sea I have ever been in and yet he acted as if he was going for a Sunday afternoon swim in his 10ft bloody millpond! "How hardcore are paddlers?!" I wondered anxiously, clutching my paddle white knuckle hard and teeth clenched. At exactly 20km Sean shouted with great joy "20k's up, just 10 more to..." upon which we got swamped by a monster. A swell had become a wave and broke right over us. We had seen plenty of waves breaking around us and had been lucky to miss them until know.
52kph
How we stayed on Green Machine after this swamping I still can't fathom. Then 4 km later, after plenty of nervous brace-filled runs, a massive swell approached from behind, breaking at the crest with an ominous roar. Evidently we were perfectly aligned to catch this beast which was the last thing we intended. We tried our best to steer to the right to prevent us from going directly down the steep face and into the abyss below.
Bracing harder and harder and with no response from Green Machine's rudder, we were plucked up by the white crest of the monster and shunted forwards maintaining a dangerously fast straight line down the bumpy 4 metre face. The Green Machine and two terrified paddlers shuddered and cracked (crapped!) down this wave. Unbelievably the GPS read fifty two crazy km/hr (see below) until we all but disappeared into and under the next swell.
After an amazing nose dive with complimentary enema via nose we popped up, in one piece atop our trusty Green Machine! After a big laugh at the madness of it all we continued on and made it to the finish at Vetches much to the relief and surprise of our much more sensible better halves. Boat slightly damaged, full of water but in one piece... Crew, well crew in one piece but completely wrecked mentally! What a race, what an experience, what madness...ARB World Cup 2007....
Goblin (aka Malcolm Stewart) and Sean Temple