Sad day, missed a paddle out today honouring a club mate and friends passing. A great spirit! RIP Lucky Khumalo. I will say my piece the next time I paddle out at Marine and will forever remember lucky every time I head down to the beach. My thoughts are with my Marine family!

Day 2 of racing consists of a lifesaving style spec ski race. With sprinters galore on the entry list and the Olympic ring tattoo’s everywhere on the start line the racing was nothing but unreal fast.

I got a good start in my heat and semi to cruise through to the final with not expelling too much. The start is not traditional lifesaving style. You start behind your ski and run to the water’s edge, pick up the ski and into the water. Kind of used to...

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 get to tour with some cool people. One of them Dawid Mocke and myself live in different city’s but end up spending more time together than most of my family. Haha! We chat lots about anything from politics to paddling and Dawid thought it would be cool to let people into the inside track on what goes on. I had to ask him 5 questions on the trip to Chicago trip and visa vera. Its interesting reading.

Firstly, well done...

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...

One of the finest evenings with friend on tour ever. Dawid gets pumped about doing stuff the locals do in cities we travel to where I am more into tourist attractions but am slowly understanding why. Thanks to some guidance from a friend Gordon we went to a movie in a park in the middle of the city. Check out the video:

The city is just alive here in summer. People spend the whole winter indoors a...

For those who missed the Varsity College Marine Series TV Show on Supersport here is the show cut into 5 parts and put online so you can watch them whenever you want!

Got tagged on facebook in this photo of the front bunch heading out to the first buoy in last weekend's US Surfski Champs. Just so cool seeing it from a different angel on what we get up to out there. 

Thanks to Sean Gibson for sharing the shot. It even hit the papers back home!

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...

The perks of my life right now are the many new people I meat or friends I get to catch up with from many corners of the globe that converge on surfski races. All after the same thrill of a crack downwind run, beating a friend or my favourite, to paddle in unique places.

I have been to the US Surfski Champs 3 times and the experience of San Francisco has been one that opened my eyes to different lifestyles and cultures. The city is a mix pot with its rou...

The last week has been crazy as expected before a month away from home. Well d-day has arrived and I am off. I am headed to 4 races on the international calendar.

WaveChaser Downwind in San Francisco - 7^th August

USA Surfski Champs in San Francisco - 13 and 14^th August