Readying my last couple of blogs there is a common theme of how amazing Durban is this time of year and how it is hard to believe it is the middle of winter. I think every year I get to paddle my ski around the country the more I appreciate it, the more perspective it brings on why we paddle. 



Today was one of "those days" that makes your heart happy.

I woke up to the sound of the surf crashing on the bank just a hund...

How cool are therse shots from 5 Beaches? 

Check out the rest of Lynne's the photo from the 5 beaches Read More..

The weather gods certainly shined on the south coast today for the 5 Beaches. This traditional race started by the late Sam Wire starts at Umkomaas and has surf turns at Carideen, Winkle and Warner's before finishing at the Toti River covering 18km of some amazing coastline. 

The way the surfski vibe in SA is going there are less and less people willing to take on the surf in these races that have in's and out's which is suck a load of ...

As the series hit every winter the realization sinks in that I have to race every week for 10 weeks in a row. This bring a number of challenges, if one want to go well at world later in the year then the hard yards get done now. One also needs to look after sponsors who back my racing so the balance is a fine line. 

GoPro screen shot of crashing through the surf on my warm up. 

Training this week has been awesome with 2 l...

A friend Roy from Firsthouse took these from the finish today. 

There is a lot that goes into organizing a surfski race so taking on organizing another set of races I didn't decide on lightly. What excited me about putting on some races this winter was a fresh slate of new ideas. 

All photos by Anthony Grote www.anthonygrote.co.za 

Coming up with some new concepts was really fun the last couple weeks with the help of a couple focus groups will a...

A friend Sharon Armstrong send me these cool shots from the doubles race as well.

Racing for the line

Finishing 2nd

Big thanks to Bruce Viaene for these cracker shots the singles race. www.bvphoto.co.za

For more photos of the champs check out this album <...

After a cracker sleep and a late 2pm start I felt relaxed and ready lining up at yellow sand for the singles race. The field left and right of me on the start line was world class and the challenge for a national title with so many of the top paddlers in the country on top for excited me.

The glassy sea wasn’t what the paddlers on the line or the organisers wanted but everyone has to get on with the job at hand. The flat cond...

The sport of surfski paddling has gone through an awesome evolution over the last 10 year with the start of a proper organizational structure joining with Canoeing South Africa in the 2003 and picking the first national teams in 2004. 

I have been hearing new from my Zululand mates that their little surfski series was growing fast and the vibe at the events were awesome only into their 2^nd year of putting on the races. I have been wanting to support as I always to with the Mouth 2 Mouth and finally got the chance this weekend.

A friend Lee got a crew together to car pool up and what a treat. The Zini people are always so welcoming. I love the community feel of a small town. There was a cool turn out of 60 boats of which 20 did short course (always cool to see new people getting into surfski) and ...

I love surfski paddling and cherish the opportunities I get to travel with the Eastern Cape being one of my favourites. Booked a last minute ticket to hit some early season race to gage where my training is at after a kind offer from a training partner to host me on the trip.

After one hell of a trip I sit in the PE airport on my way home with my tail between my legs running for cover. Nothing went to plan and the racing was a disaster on all fronts. I go...

There just isn’t any way round how hard this race is. I have taken it for granted in years gone back and bitten in the ass wonder if I would finish. I haven’t focused on this event but my weekend long paddlers were twice as long.

The weather didn’t play ball with a NW wind which is a head wind to finish. At the end 50km going into the wind is a mental challenge, luckily the swell was small making the race achievable, just...

I left Durban with a fully packed trailer of 20 boats early Friday morning for the long solo drive down South Africa’s East Coast to Cape Town.

The going was slow with the trailer but with some good music the time few by and got Plett for an overnight before pushing on to Fish Hoek the next day. I didn’t realise the effect 2 days in the car would have an even with a decent night’s sleep my body just didn’t wake up.

The vibe leading into this year’s East London tour was as epic with some 40 people going from Durban and the KZN north coast. The squad put together by Billy Harker had all booked into the same hotel and basically take over. I love that there are no age parameters in our sport and get to hang out with people from 16 to 65 and they were all amped to get it the sea for some solid racing.

There were some 20 people on my flight and with an Auto...

I got an invite to the GoPro Hero 3 launch in Cape Town last week and couldn’t resist the temptation, booked a ticket and it was well worth the time in the Cape. I got to hang with the GoPro crowd from Omnico, paddled the Surfski World Cup Course for December and did the Hansa 3 beaches race in Fish Hoek. Quite a busy weekend.

The GoPro Hero 3 just like the wind in the Cape has made a huge stir and rightly so. The thing is well tiny, you won...

After a bummer Fish getting back into my ski the last 2 weeks has been so SWEET. Last Sunday I did a long paddle all on my own, the conditions were super kak but the freedom, silence and solitude was exactly what the body and mind needed to kick my season back on track.

Some awesome time on the water this last week and some training advice from my pops (ooo does he like dishing it out) also put the mind in a good space, wanting to prove to something to mys...

Going into two long days at the office with very limited millage this last month was quite nerve wrecking. Dolphin Coast is not for sissies with challenging surf, hot Durban weather and some large miles. It attracts the stall warts to downwind paddling who are a great crew of people tirelessly organising races like this for the good of the sport. In simple, it is tough race, tough salt of the earth people.

I elected to paddle with my ‘li...

I put Anthony Grote in the back of my double Surfski for a sunrise shoot.

Check out all the photos on my new Facebook page here

Check out Anthony Grote's website at www.anthonygrote.com and his Facebook page Read More..

There was a surprisingly good mood amongst the paddlers on the beach at the considering the 20km race course in the heat with no help from Mother Nature. Just shows how much the paddlers appreciate the opportunity to paddle on the island.

With little assistance racing was going to be tough. Amped to race I got off the start really well with Jasper Mocke. Quite soon 4...

All photos by Jean Jacques Fabien

I arrived in Mauritius on Tuesday evening to the warmest of welcomes at Tamasa, the base for the Mauritius Ocean classic. The great food and friendly faces at dinner lifted the mood after a long days travel. Didn’t really get all the needed to be done at home finished but the vibe here just takes you away from reality into an amazing surfski holiday.

...

Cranking down an open ocean run, heart pumping, full of adrenalin, it doesn’t get much better. Everything about this event caters for the surfski enthusiast.

The ocean is just alive in East London with some of the best downwind a paddler can find and this year it delivered again. I hopped on a little one hour flight down the east coast on Friday and got picked up by the part time comedian unofficial mayor of Nahoon, Brendan Thompson and spent the rainy aft...

The weather certainly played ball this year. Driving up to Richards Bay for the start of this year’s Mouth 2 Mouth I had flash back of last year’s flat 45km out and back grind. Only the fluttering trees coming into Alkandstand started to settle my nightmare memories.

Almost missed the start trying to get sunscreen off my hands in the shore break but got away fine in through the small surf. Not always so small. Zululand is known for its big swell. R...

If you didnt know the Pirates Wall and Back Surfski Series has started in Durban.

We live in an amazing town, paddling with the city lights and staduim in the backround is just a blessing. Check these shots:

After a month away from home racing in the USA and Portugal, I got home some 2 weeks ago to refocus on the next block. SA Champs the first of a number of local races to finish off a busy year. Driving up to Richards Bay on Friday evening I was confident I had go through some really good sessions in the time I had been home to be ready to race.

Richards Bay is wild in every front. The town is in the bush basically with sharks, hippo’s and crocodiles all in the sam...

The electric atmosphere at the start of this race is something to experience. The race venue has bumping tunes and Andre from Nelo shouting commands from a mic. The first 800m to the hot spot with the world’s best sprinters at the race was expected to be hectic so nerves are on a high!

The count down to the start from a big clock was very fair and the first couple hundred meters were manic. I went as mad as I could off the start ...

I have a real soft spot for Chicago with my last trip there in 2009 being one of my favourites. The city fascinates me, the people are so seriously welcoming and the concept of racing right under the high rises of a city is really unique.

I had an amazing trip this year again and was able to see a Movie in the park, Cirque Du Soleil, The Chicago Air Show and my favourite a ball game at Wrigley Field to see the Cubs.

It’s hard not to feel amped to race when...

Mark Twain wasn’t joking when he said "The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco." The last week here has been cold for a Durban boy. Call me soft, I don’t mind, I still say climbing in the water here is cold.

Pic by John Brownley

I came to San Francisco a little more prepared this year after freezing in the race here 2 years ago....

Paddling under the “Golden Gate” is something that will stay with me forever. It’s just such an iconic landmark and represents to me the achievement of not just sitting on the couch the realisation of making things happen in life to get to there you want to be.

Warming up under the monstrosity certainly is awe inspiring and couldn’t help getting a fright now and again looking up.

The race was a relaxed vibe. My host Carter Johnson and hi...

Everything seemed to be lining up perfectly with a confident paddle in the Sporty race on Thursday and a very cool rest day in Friday.

Photo thanks to Brian Allott 

Diary post here: http://www.surfski.info/races/africa/item/1311-island-shamaal-%E2%80%93-sporty%E2%80%99s-downwind-dash.html

Rob from www.surfski.info asked me to write some posts for his website over the time we are in Mauritius. Pointless posting twice so check the Diary of the last couple days here:

http://www.surfski.info/races/africa/item/1310-mauritius-diary-–-island-shamaal-2011.html

I really do love it h...

Photos thanks to Anthony Grote www.anthonygrote.com

Photos thanks to one of my Varsity College Surfskischool Students Jed

Head down in the shore break!

On t...

It’s late Friday evening with the Dunlop Durban Surfski World Cup Weekend about to kick off.

I have been doing some homework using Garmin Connect on the 2 courses for this weekend’s Dunlop Durban Surfski World Cup. 

I am sitting on a balcony looking over the lights of Dubai. There is no place quite like this. The marvel of building a city out of the dust knocks you back a spec. My thoughts ahead of the 5^th addiction of the Dubai Shamaal are mirrors to some extent on the city lights. The marvel of a small group of paddlers putting together the richest race in the world on in the desert and helping surfski to the next level astounds me. 

Thanks to the race organiser Charl for these shots!

Pull harder Chopper! hahahahaha!

Photo credits to the Thompson family (stolen of facebook).

Funny shot of us finish the doubles after our mission over the rocks on the point

Saturday got off to a good start with a nice SW blowing through the window when I woke up. Stoked. Haven’t had a race in a downwind for a while. EL as expected delivered. 

It’s Friday afternoon and this is where I am sitting, in the East London Surf at Nahoon. Got to be one of my favourite places in the world.

A friend from the host club of ZKC send these shots to me, Thanks Stretch. Cant find out who took them but thanks to them to!

Been working hard on my stretching this year, it works, well I think so!

Finally getting my starts right, second week in a row.

Very happy to get that over with after a solid 2h35min. Loooooong and Har...

Frustration! Highs and lows are always going to happen but am searching for that high. I am telling myself patience but not so easy.

Sitting in Madrid Airport watching a cool sunset (irony, sunset in an ariport of all places) as I reflect on yesterday’s race. Have a massive smile on my face. Have seen so much of Europe in the last 3 weeks, made great friends (Rui is my hero), raced hard and right at this point is the sweetest feeling, homeward bound.

Back to my Formentera race report.

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...