Newly crowned national surfski champions Hank McGregor and Michelle Burn will spearhead the assault on the ICF Ocean Racing world titles in Lanzarote in July, following the announcement of the national team on Friday.
McGregor, who retained his single ski and double ski crowns at the Fenn SA Surfski championships in his hometown of Durban last weekend, has made no bones about his desire to claim a surfski world title to go with his eleven marathon world titles.
The 43 year-old heads up a senior team of five men and three women that is dominated by surfski racers from the Western Cape.
Brothers Nick and Dom Notten, Dawid Mocke and former world champs silver medallist Kenny Rice make up the balance of the senior men’s team, while Melanie van Niekerk and Candice Murray join Burn in the senior women’s line-up.
Josh Fenn, who partnered Hank McGregor to the national double ski crown last Sunday has been named in the Under 23 team with Capetonian Dan Jacobs, while Kira Bester and Border’s Jade Wilson have been selected for the Under 23 women’s team.
Western Cape juniors Josh Smith and Dyllan Farrell earned their places in the Under 18 team at the national champs in Durban, while Umhlanga sisters Saskia and Valmajean Hockly, who is still an Under 16 athlete, will represent South Africa in the junior girls race.
Senior Men
Hank McGregor, Nicholas Notten, Dawid Mocke, Kenneth Rice, Dominic Notten
U23 Men
Joshua Fenn, Daniel Jacobs
U18 Boys
Josh Smith, Dyllan Farrell
Senior Women
Michelle Burn, Melanie Van Niekerk, Candice Murray
U23 Women
Kira Bester, Jade Wilson
U18 Girls
Saskia Hockly, Valmajean Hockly