South Africa

Sharon Armstrong again, doing what she loves on the warm Durban ocean.  

This kind of paddling has a different flavour to the downwinds that we do over here in Cape Town.  The runs tend to be bigger and longer and fast and the water's much warmer than ours.

We tend to be nervous of the surf when we go to Durban; when they come here they always exclaim how cold the water is!

40kt and big waves is combination only very experienced paddlers should attempt - Sharon has our full respect!

Peter Holloway got into surfskis in the late 90s, using a series of hand-me-down boats for playing in the waves...  but around that time Fish Hoek saw a series of encounters between Great White Sharks and surfskis (click here for the details).  "For some reason," says Peter, "I lost interest in paddling for a while and took up cycling instead!"

And it was only 2014 that his yearning to be back on the sea overcame his aversion of big toothy fish.  He bought a Custom Kayaks Horizon from the surfski school and went on to a Think Evo II in which he did his first Miller's Run in 2015.  He now paddles a Fenn Swordfish S and this video was taken as he did his 89th Miller's Run.

#mockemillersrunoftheseason

The Mocke Millers Run Of The Season competition started in November and continues until the end of February; prizes for fastest run, the most runs, the fastest mixed doubles runs and... the best video are all on offer.

Pete's also after the 20-run special edition shirt and is only 4 away from that particular goal.

The day of this video, the SE swell was just begining to swing into False Bay, and Pete took one on the nose as he headed out to Bakoven Rock (which marks the start of the run itself).  It was big and bouncy and enormous fun.

"For me, the Miller's Run is the epitome of surfski paddling," said Peter. "It is a perfect combination of facing your fears and harnessing the power of the wind and waves. The rush of flying down the face of a huge ocean swell at 25 km/h is one that not many sports can compare with... it's also a great way to keep fit!"

Anything under 50min is considered a respectable time and Peter has broken his own record no fewer than 4 times so far during the competition, his current personal best being 47:32, which he achieved on 28 Dec 2017.

Go Pete!

The Miller's Run may be the best known of the downwind runs in Cape Town, South Africa, but there are plenty of others...  This video was shot just to the north of Cape Town's city centre, on another popular route that runs from Milnerton to Big Bay, Blouberg.  The sea on this part of the coast offers very different conditions to the Miller's Run, which often has confused seas with several sets of waves running at different angles.  The Milnerton to Big Bay run, in contrast, usually has "clean" runs, lining up perfectly along the coast.

On the day this video was shot, the wind was gusting 47kt and there was very little ground swell.  Richard Kohler was in the front of the Carbonology Zest Double; Timothy Venn Fey was in the back with the camera.

As he fell off his ski yet again, Tim Wightman felt panic starting to well up.  If he didn’t get back on and paddling in the next few moments, the gale-force wind and breaking waves would drive him onto the jagged rocks of Miller’s Point.  “Calm down!” he yelled to himself.  “Take it slowly!”  “This time, stay in the f%#$ing boat!”

Sharon Armstrong is a highly respected downwind paddler in Durban, South Africa and she often has her GoPro strapped to the back of her ski...  In November, 2017, Durban had some weather - and she headed out for a run from Marine Lifesaving Club to Umhlanga - in 35kt and torrential rain and lightning!  Respect!

Durban – The final race of the 2015 FNB Durban Downwind Series saw some fantastic downwind conditions as paddlers made their way from La Mercy on the North Coast to the Marine Surf Lifesaving Club on Saturday with Australian Michael Booth narrowly claiming a beach sprint over Matt Bouman with Michelle Burn showing her class to claim victory in the women’s race on Saturday.

Durban’s globally renowned winter surfski season got underway on Sunday 4 May with the Bay Union Season Starter, race one of the four leg Bay Union Surfski Series, which saw regular front runner Hank McGregor and top step of the podium novice Jenna Ward get their 2014 campaign underway in ideal fashion with victory in the men’s and women’s races respectively.

Durban – No surf and magnificently flat seas saw Friday evening’s Thule Surfski Challenge, race four of the 2014 Varsity College Marine Surfski Series, turn into a raw, unforgiving 8km sprint which played right into the hands of the remarkably fit Hank McGregor and Michelle Burn as the respective men’s and women’s series defending champions extended their lead at the top of the 2014 standings whilst hundreds of others enjoyed getting back on the water.

The 2013 Stella Kayaks, Citadel Private Wealthcare Dolphin Coast Challenge was the 14th running of the iconic South African event.  Oscar Chalupsky and Matt Bouman paddled together in the new team format, and took the race in a nailbiting finish, outpaddling Hank McGregor and Grant van der Walt who came second.  The surf on both days provided plenty of excitement...

Three great races, two weeks of downwind paddling with some of the best surfski paddlers in the world, including the 2013 Ocean Racing World Champion, all in the spectacular mother city of Cape Town in mid-summer.  C’mon, you’d be crazy to miss it.