Hi {name},

Two of the country’s iconic surf ski races are taking place on back-to-back weekends.

The one, looking far balmier than the first one was.

The Carbonology PE2East London came to a glorious completion at Nahoon Beach last Saturday.

For the first time since 2013, paddlers raced on the traditional course for all four days, from PE to EL, without any of the days being switched around to accommodate better downwind conditions.

The first (and longest) day was the 80km slog from Bluewater Bay to Woody Cape. Fortunately the field had a moderate following sea.

My predicted favourite Hadiaris/Chiazzari combination did not live up to expectation and the fastest time on Day 1, was recorded by the home-grown Vaalie combination of Wayne and Warren Jacobs.

A surprise in the SS1 result saw Kelvin Trautman win the first day. He had gone off in an earlier batch and the rest of his competition had no idea where he was.

Nix Birkett showed that she was going to be the women to beat by finishing 5 minutes clear of Bubbles Beavitt.

Traditionally, the second day is the shortest and easiest. Not this year. 

By all accounts, the jaunt from Woody Cape to Port Alfred will be forever etched into the memories of the majority of competitors, especially the back markers.

Both the wind speed and the swell size were significantly higher than what had been predicted. This resulted in almost the entire field having a time that was slower than both the third and the fourth days. Some withdrew from the race due to damaged craft and time constraints. The slowest time for the day was over eight hours.

Besides some exciting surf conditions, the third and fourth days were a doddle in comparison.

The Jacobs brothers held on to win the SS2 category, with the South Coast hillbilly’s managing to salvage a modicum of respect by scratching back to second on the final day.

Zach Preyser and Bevan Manson had a ding dong over the four days in the SS1. The young Zachery eventually finishing just over nine minutes ahead (after 20 hours of racing). Luke Swinney made up enough time on the Day 1 winner, Kelvin, to snatch the bronze.

Nix Birkett continued to exert her dominance over the remaining days, and eventually finished an hour ahead of second-placed Bianca Beavitt in the woman’s race.

The organisation of an event of this nature is extremely complex. Hats must go off to Bulla and his team for a superb job.

From a look at the start list for the STBB Cape Point Challenge, it appears that there is more than one sucker for punishment, with a number of the PE2EL finishers reflected.

History is being made this year, with the utilisation of the two-day window period.

The race has been moved to Sunday so as to take advantage of more favourable conditions.

As with the PE2EL, the race looks like it will be held over the traditional course, and paddlers will get to paddle around the point (which has not been the case in a number of previous years).

The presence of Peter Cole will be sorely missed, and many will have him in their minds and hearts when they round the point.

His long-standing position of race director has been taken over by the threesome of Kenny Rice, Ian Black and Paul Marais.

Comment from Kenny: “Race conditions are looking balmy and scenic for those taking on the challenge and brutal and honest for those racing up front. A light southerly or onshore of 5-6 knots – at the very most – and enough swell to keep you on your toes around the key reef systems closer toCape Point. We may even see a bunch race like we once saw in 2011/2012.”

Favourite Men:
Nicholas Notten (defending champ)
Uli Hart
Josh Fenn
Hank McGregor
Jasper Mocke
Tyrone Maher
Dominic Notten

Favourite Women:
Kira Bester
Rosie Edwards (defending champ)
Chloe Bunnett
Melanie Van Niekerk
Brynde Kreft
Katarina Milova
Jade Wilson

The foot and mouth outbreak in the KZN midlands is playing havoc with the canoeing calendar.

The KZN mixed doubles championships, which had been moved from Underberg to the Lions River (due to the outbreak), has now been cancelled, due to the spread of the disease to that area as well.

Fortunately, there is a paddling alternative in the province that will not be affected, and anyone still keen for some competition can drift down to the South Coast and take part in the age old Winkle-Toti-Winkle ski race on the 16th.

That is all for a while ... wishing all and everyone a fantastic, peaceful, and safe Christmas.

Your SG
Copper

An Air Canada plane leaves Pearson Airport under the control of a Jewish captain; his co-pilot is Chinese. It's the first time they've flown together and an awkward silence between the two seemed to indicate a mutual dislike. Once they reach cruising altitude, the Jewish captain activates the auto-pilot, leans back in his seat, and mutters: 'I don't like Chinese.'

'No rike Chinese?' asks the co-pilot. 'Why not?'

'You people bombed Pearl Harbour, that's why!'

'No, no,' the co-pilot protests. 'Chinese not bomb Peahl Hahbah! That Japanese, not Chinese.'

'Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese ... doesn't matter, you're all alike!'

There's a few minutes of silence. 

'I no rike Jews!' the co-pilot suddenly announces.

'Oh yeah, why not?' asks the captain.

'Jews sink Titanic!' says the co-pilot.

'What? You're insane! Jews didn't sink the Titanic!' exclaims the captain. 'It was an iceberg!'

‘Iceberg, Goldberg, Greenberg, Rosenberg, no mattah ... all da same.’