Rob Mousley

Yeeeeeha!  As I accelerated down yet another small run, I thought, ‘I can definitely handle this boat’…”  In fact, in the conditions I was paddling in, the DNA gave me a taste of what it feels like to be an elite paddler…

Durban – With their sights firmly set on the upcoming World Marathon Champs K2 title, the crew of Hank McGregor and Andy Birkett delivered a masterclass to claim the two-day 43km Gara Dolphin Coast Challenge title on Sunday.

Last year we posted an article about the "Revo Foil", a project being undertaken by Revo Kayaks to create a foiling surfski.  At the time it was clear that much R&D work remained to be done...  but with today's announcement on durbansurfski.com, its clear that Revo has made progress.

No more head-mount videos please!  Well, at least let's mix it up a little...  Head mount point of view is all very well, but I used to have a rear-deck mounted camera mast which gave a sensational perspective.  But having switched boats to the Swordfish S, the mast base wasn't compatible and I've been planning for ages to build a new one.  Here it is - the Mousley camera mast hack.

The Miller's Run in Cape Town is deservedly one of the best known downind routes in the world...  But it's on the "Reverse Buffels" run where we get to play in 40-50kt howling blasts of wind and spray.  On Saturday, 23 June, 2018, we had everything - wildlife, rainbows, endless 20kph runs, gale-force blasts in "Hurricane Alley"... and even a cameo appearance by the Kenny Rice!

"Wow!"  "That's incredible!"

So we were paddling the "Reverse Miller's Run" in Cape Town; that's just like the summer Miller's Run that we do in the southeaster in summer, only we do the reverse in winter when the prevailing northwester blows!  We'd been enjoying the clean offshore runs for a km or two when suddenly the sky lit up with a complete rainbow...  breathtakingly beautiful.

“Kenny flew off the line,” said Sean Rice. “I had to consolidate, stay on his wave to the buoy. I knew I couldn’t give him an inch… I went hard for 3km to try to open a gap; looked around, he was still right there!” And what he didn’t know was that “Flash” Gordan Harbrecht was also right behind him…

The paddlers were dicing in the first big international race of the European season: EuroChallenge 2018 off La Vila Joyosa, Spain.

[Editor: This is the first of what I hope will be many "Tuesday Tips" from Stewart O'Regan, mad Irish-Aussie and Think Kayak's agent in Australia...!]  Here's Stew: If I had a dollar for every time I get asked what grip tape I use, why I use it etc etc, well I might not have the resources to retire, but I’d certainly be better off!

Could an Outrigger Canoe manufacturer bring radical innovation to the surfski market? One of our forum readers noticed a short blog on the Kaiwa’a website announcing the surfski project. I emailed Kai Bartlett to find out more…

A challenging 29km surfski race in front one of the most beautiful cities in the world, around one of the most iconic islands in the world, on a holiday dedicated to the liberation of South Africa...  What a way to celebrate!