Race two of the 2022 Durban Winter Surfski Series saw the grading system of the series come to the fore with the Marine Golden Mile Challenge on Sunday.
The series adopted the grading system as a way to give those paddlers that are outside the top division in the men’s and women’s categories the chance to fight it out for a race category win.
Sunday’s race saw paddlers take on a loop course along the Durban beachfront that saw the long course race four laps which totalled 18km while the short course raced two laps to finish with a 9km race however paddlers had to beach in the shore break and run around a flag at the end of each lap.
With age categories out the window it gives all paddlers a chance to fight it out for a grade prize, as all the paddlers had to try and catch the in-form Hank McGregor who finished first ahead of Matt Bouman in second.
Brendon Waters managed to snatch the top spot in the B Grade while the C Grade winner was the first women’s paddler across the line Saskia Hockly.
In the doubles race Richard Lowe and Jason Ekstrand set the pace as the overall winners while Glenn Hilliar and Trevor Maher finishing at the top of the B Category while James Sharpe and Keegan Vogt took first place in the C Grade.
The next race of the 2022 Durban Winter Surfski Series is the famous Pirates Umhlanga Pirates on Saturday, 11 June.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS – Race Two Durban Winter Surfski Series (Marine Golden Mile Challenge)
A Category
1.Hank McGregor 1:28:45.56
2.Matthew Bouman 1:32:50.46
3.Gene Prato 1:35:38.28
4.Matthew Coetzer 1:36:27.04
5.Joshua Simpkins 1:36:29.84
B Category
1.Brendon Waters 1:38:43.20
2.Luke Nisbet 1:39:31.65
3.Nic Burden 1:39:54.49
4.Herman Chalupsky 1:40:25.51
5.Vernon Vogt 1:42:51.37
C Category
1.Saskia Hockly 1:47:04.62
2.Billy Harker 1:48:28.81
3.Mark Lewin 1:49:30.34
4.Gavin Tarr 1:50:02.36
5.Steve Botha 1:52:27.29
Short Course
1.Luc O’brien 0:55:36.57
2.Tatum Botha 0:57:00.38
3.Avela Mzobe/Ayanda Dube 0:57:27.19
4.Justin Geyve 0:58:37.67
5.Gary O’connor/Megan O’connor 0:58:45.78