After a long and hot trip down to Portimao from Porto with plenty admin the last thing I felt like doing was training. Eish! I did know however that I needed to find some consistency this week after some lightly disappointing results the week before.

With tired eyes I headed out on the morning run on Tuesday to put a stamp of determination to the week which in the end paid off. 

The second day of racing consisted of a round robin knock out sprint event just like a lifesaving carnival. Nelo supplied all the spec skis for the 600m shootout.

Had a real mare today. Finished 6^th. So tempted not to blog the bad stuff but how real is that. Don’t want to be that dood that moans ether. 

Warming up - Pic - Jasper Mocke

On Friday afternoon I hit the drive down to Plett for the second race of the weekend. I was so stoked to find OFF THE HOEK open. I restaurant owned by a close mate open for a decent graze before crashing really hard. Lucky the race in Plett only starts at 2pm so some extra recovery did some good on the coach.

Conditions were way calmer than previous years and the lookout mouth was not out to bite you on the ass on each lap. The course was exciting like normal with 5 laps of the bay including upwind, downwind, cross wind and waves in the mouth all in one.

I am finally home after the Easter weekend of surfski madness in the Easter Cape.

Tuesday lying on my couch in the heart of beer and ice cream season (rest), I checked the weather to see the SW was going to blow for the Winkle Toti Winkle the next day and that the course would be changed to a downwind.

It’s been a chaotic week back in Durban of catching up with mates and family so this blog is a little over due. It has given me some to reflect on the huge high.

The proving ground. I believe that Dubai is the strongest field in any race in the world right now. Yes it has the money as the richest race in the world to draw the paddlers in but for me the whole vibe on the race is all about getting the chance to race against the best in the world. To me, this is the ultimate challenge.

Just a quick post from a mates phone, just picked up 8th in the biggest race in the world, The Dubai Shamaal. Super stocked to have got in the top 10. Had a solid day on the water and a very good final 5km to finish strong.

Pic By Murray Williams (shot for the fast email dood, you a legend)

Full report tomorrow!

Smiles all around the camp at the moment here at the Dubai Shamaal Surfski race venue at DIMC as the wind (Shamaal is a desert wind) the race was named after has been blowing the last 2 days and reports are it will blow tomorrow over the race.

Early morning wakeup call with some lingering jetlag wasn’t fun but as soon as the trucks arrived to transport our ski’s to the start the vibe changed to that of excitement and nerves. Game face time only to get off the bus and get hit by freezing 10 degree Temperatures!

Just a quick note. Went ok in the Dragon Run. Got a 9th. Very technical course.

Results

1 - Shannon

2 - Jezza

3 - TJ

4 - Lighty

5 - Dawid

6 - Daryl

7 - Deno

8 - Scott

9 - Me

10 - Jasper

Off to find food, will do a full report this evening!

Just finished with the race registration briefing and all the boys are here.

The main talk is not who is here, everyone knows each other by now and rather on the race course. The prediction is for northerly winds. This makes the race extremely technical and hard. No sprint champ is going to win the dragon run.

The first section from the start on the main land will to the 9 pins will be side on and very bumpy. There are little islands everywhere with huge a...

Photos thanks to Anton Erasmus of Epic Kayaks and the Southern Shamaal

Got 2nd today in a Surfski Series race in PE. Racing Richard Von Wildemann on his home course was interesting. He smoked me over a section through Cape Recife opening a 60m gap I couldn't close. Great to get some race practice in to sharpen the skills, hurt from the big effort the day before in EL.

Here is the Press Release on the race by Game Plan Media

Flat and hot conditions greeted the paddlers this morning on Nahoon beach in East London at national trials. The 31km paddled to Kids beach was going to be tough with a strong field and min wind.

Race got away cleanly at 9am with the downwind leg first up down towards the city. Even though it is on a lake and it’s fresh water there were some really nice runner all the way to the turn at the North Breakwater.

Dawid was fast out the blocks as normal and went onto his wave to the first buoy. It broke up as soon as we caught our first run. I stayed a little closer in. I have never paddled this section so was relying on my Garmin to sho...

Just finished the race registration and dinner here in Chicago for tomorrows 3rd running of the Chicago Shoreline Marathon on Lake Michigan.

Weather.

The weather has been back and forth and I have seen 3 different wind directions in as many days. Unfortunately the wind for to...

Have had a couple days in San Francisco before heading up to Chicago. Been hanging with Dawid Mocke who is always great to travel with. Super pumped to do stuff and explore new spots and we certainly made the most of it.

Kindly expat saffa Robin Graham put us up in Woodside near the Stanford University so have really got a chance to see a ton of San Francisco this trip. Have hung out in Fort Baker, Sausalito, Berkeley, the City, San J...

Dawid and I have only climbed in the boat together twice. The first time was 3 years ago when we won the US Surfski Champs Doubles race and again today.

The race was a simple 16km out and back from Berkeley in the bay. The wind picked up really strong really early in the morning so there were some really solid bumps rolling in for the bay standards.

We sat really well on the back of the bunch with 2 Ausi parings doing the wo...

Paddling in San Francisco is super fun, small waves and strong wind. It has a third element that certainly throws a curve ball into the mix every time. Current dominates the Golden Gate. It’s impossible to read even for the locals.

In the years gone by it has been difficult to race here but didn’t have a huge ...

The demo day went off really well today. There are tons of doods from around the states that only get a chance once a year to see other paddlers and the new kit on the market. All the states distributors had people trying boats all day and I gave a lesson to some keen paddlers. This is the third time I have been over here and I can deffinately see drastic growth.

It's Friday evening and the people I am staying with on mate Carter ‘100 miler’ John...

My week in LA is coming to an end. Tomorrow I hit the long drive to San Francisco for this the USA Surfski Champs. The week in LA has been a huge success. Jetlag has been kicked really fast, got in some really good training at the Newport Aquatic Centre and meet some classic people along the way.

DeAnne and Patrick Hemmens of Ocean Paddle Sports have been amazing, given me a bed (more like a second home) and allowed me to torment their kids....

Missed the states trip last year, now am wondering why as I really love California.

Got I Friday after a long but good flight. My Joberg Washington was empty and got some sleep, a first. So cool hearing such drastically different accents. The USA is so spread out you can’t really call it one country but ...

All photos by Anthony Grote. www.anthonygrote.com

There were plenty smiles on the beach at the start of the Dunlop Surfski World Cup. The SW had come and the field w...

Barbara Yendell kindly sent me these picture of the Mauritius ocean Classis. Check her pics at www.barbarayendell.com

Where do I start? Have spent the week on the Island of Mauritius for the Investec Mauritius Ocean Classic.

The Island

A couple of my mates opted to hire a house in Tamerin Bay on the West of the Island. What a win. The weather at the race venue wasn’t the greatest on the south so ended up being perfect being in the protection of the bay. We surfed and dived the reef at Tamerin in the time off. Was cool staying with mates and getting awa...

The Splash festival put on a great show with a 2 lap course out to the boiler, bell boy, coke can and back to the base at Hobie beach. 

Hit my first session on Friday with no pain in my shoulder and felt solid. First paddle with no pain in 2 weeks so can not tell my joy! 

Last race of the series saw a large turn out in rough NE conditions. Trevor the race organizer was busy with the 4 nations and asked me to help out. Ended up setting the course and doing prize giving to take some pressure off him. 

For some fun and variety I jumped in a double with my dad. First time we have paddled in the same boat since I was 13 years old. Been a while hey. Was a blast, the old man is machine! Scary to think he is 53. Hope I am in his shape at his age. 

With last weeks race off due to large surf and hectic NE wind, it was awesome getting to marine to see light SW breeze and the flattest day of the year. Got 2^nd to Bevin Manson who paddled really well. Thanks to Ian Campbell for the photos!

Had a solid first week back at training, positive on some levels but the Garmin 705 not telling me great numbers, expected being the first week but motivating me to really get stuck into it. 

Most of the racing I have done in Cape Town has been focused around the Fish Hoek, Granger bay or Hout Bay areas but there is a lot more to the Cape coast and got to explore some of it’s beauty today. 

Headed down south this morning for the Winkle Toti Winkle Surfski race. Have had a great record at this event so wanted to carry on the tradition. I have had 6 wins and never lost, only missing one race due to travelling before today. 

With the surfski media focused on the Southern Shamaal at present I haven’t been able to get the photos I really wanted from Dubai yet. I expect this file to grow in the next week or so but for now here are a couple.

Warming up before the start. Pic by Mark Cloete of SA Paddler Mag

Looking a bit white and broken at the finish...

The greatest surfski show of all time did not disappoint with one hell of a race. The race did have one downer with a chaos of a start. Many of the top notch field did not obey the starter’s obstructions and a number of the top contenders who did listen got a really bad start. I was one of this group that got caught out. Well that’s racing for you and am really disappointed many don’t have the ears or integrity to make things fare for all. Things will have to change, how I am not sure but with the money that’s now up for grabs this is just not on. 

Open ocean waves/runs break behind me on a big day. Durbs world cup 07, Pic by Anthony Grote (www.anthonygrote.com) 

Jumped in a double for the second race of the Da Real Downwind Series. Paddled with my fish partner Wayne Wilson but with me driving this time! Wayne is driving for next weeks Fish River Marathon. 

Went to a talk this evening by Anton Erasmus from the East Cape and Gavin Dickenson from Dubai about the Southern Shamaal. The old PE – EL race has been rehashed into a new format with some great input from the Dubai team. Great for the sport of paddling to see the tradition of this challenge being kept alive. Check out their website to be launched in 2 weeks at www.southernshamaal.com .

Photo's by Anthony Grote (www.antonygrote.com)

After missing this historic South African surfski race last year due to some work experience for my degree at Varsity College, I was eager to get back in the mix this year with it being the SA Double Surfski Champs this year. I am the 2 time USA Doubles surfski champ and would love to win my own national title. 

Surfski website www.surfski.info have just released their World Series results for the 07/08 season. The World Series is their opinion on who is the best surfski paddler in the world. It’s not really official but it’s the only thing to go on right now. Rob and Alain who run the sight have done a great job promoting the sport and spreading the word about our great sport. I hope someday there will be a ton of doods travelling the world on a kind of tour to all the top races around the world. I finished 5^th last year and have finish...

Awesome pic by Anthony Grote (www.anthonygrote.com) just seconds after the start when the bunch was still together.

Everyone has their day, today wasn’t mine!

What a day in Durban! The city dished out a classic for the Grand Pre relay today. The teams of 5 (4 paddlers and 1 swimmer) took to the water at the Durban Underwater Club for the short sprint event to warm up for the downwind race tomorrow. It’s not often we get to race in a team and the fun format is a great showcase for the sport creating an amazing spectator environment.

I have a massive soft spot for the Eastern Cape and have enjoyed 2 trips down that section of the coast recently. I had a great trip the the Hansa Knysna Sedgefield and the Investec St Francis Surfski races. The coast is just so majestic and the people are so welcoming you think you are in paradise. 

I have made some awesome mates from down there and in talking to one of them I heard the paddling club in Plett would be putting on a race on the 22nd of March with some prize money, well I dug a little deeper and WOW! 

The p...