Rob Mousley

Here are the 2011 Surfski World Rankings, courtesy of Dean Gardiner and Ocean Paddler who have put it all together...

When Mario Graziani called to say that there was an Allwave CX surfski in Cape Town and would I like to try it, I leapt at the chance.  At the same time I was a little apprehensive – what could Italians possibly know about making surfskis?!

Imagine taking ten days out of your life to paddle with (and be coached by) two of the best surfski exponents ever…  In 2012, you have three opportunities to take a spectacular trip to some of the most remote and beautiful parts of the Western Australian coast with Dean Gardiner and Oscar Chalupsky.

“Ok, let’s sprint to the other side of the harbor,” I said.   Issuing a challenge like that to my training partner Dale Lippstreu always results in a ball-bursting, neck and neck, 110% redline effort.  This time though he just disappeared (behind me) and 200m later I looked back to see him paddling backwards.  “I thought I had something on the rudder,” he said.  Nah.  We did it again and the same thing happened.  I was on an Carbonology Sport Atom – and on flat water it made me look like a paddling super-hero.

Cape Town is one of the best surfski spots in the world.  In summer the southeaster howls; in winter the northwesters storm - and we go downwind.  Never too cold, never too hot, we paddle the year round. 

This week South African surfski elites Jasper Mocke and Tom Schilperoort are in the UAE for The Al Gharbia Watersports Festival. They’re doing clinics with locals and racing in the Gulf, hoping to spread the reach of surfski to places where it’s never been to before. Tom wrote us this update from the desert. 

A big ski for big people: supremely stable and massive fun downwind (it makes a superb camera platform!)

I had the good fortune to paddle the latest Fenn creation last weekend – the Mako Elite Slim Line (SL).  I’d heard that the boat was tippier than the Elite and I was curious to see how I’d handle it.

“What would happen,” I thought, “if we put the current surfski world champion onto a double with one of the best downwind paddlers of all time?”

Ivan Lawler narrates this cool video which introduces our sport...  If anyone asks you what surfski paddling is all about, send them the link...