Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Mocke, Notten win inaugural Island race
JASPER MOCKE partnered Nicky Notten to line honours in the men’s doubles section of the inaugural Bamboo Warehouse Freedom Paddle Surfski race around Robben Island on Freedom Day yesterday, while current world champ Hayley Nixon and the world junior champion Sabina Lawrie came home lonely to win the women’s race.
Mocke and Notten covered the 28km course that started and finished at the Oceana Power Boat Club in a time of 2hrs: 4min, with Nixon and Lawrie coming in less than 15 minutes later on a crisp, overcast winter’s day that saw the 200-strong field having to navigate rough sea conditions and also stay clear of a few Southern Right whales close to the island.
“I saw a whale only 15 metres away from our boat and that, while making us a tad nervous and on guard, was something special,” said Notten.
“To see the infamous Robben Island close up and going around it was almost a distraction knowing its history and that it housed Nelson Mandela for 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment.
“As for our overall effort, things worked out as planned. We paced ourselves well early on in bumpy conditions.
“We then managed to extend our lead around the island and held a good advantage until two kilometres out. Next minute we see young Natalians Tyron Maher and Clint Cook in our rear-view mirror and we had to put the hammer down to seal the deal as it were. The margin was about 60 metres.”
“The wind and swell made for a tricky morning but what a pleasure to have done the course and I feel good about the race becoming a world classic,” said Mocke.
“Hats off to organisers Robin Tindell and Tim Fey for having the initiative and spotting the gap on the calendar.
““We don’t have that much in the way of world- class doubles races in surfski, so I’m sure overseas folk will be attracted next time.”
The small women’s field was always going to produce a one-sided affair in favour of pre-race favourites Nixon and Lawrie once Bianca Beavitt had opted to compete in the singles section.
And that it was with two champs teamed up in a race for the first time.
“There were other races that were opportunities for us, but we couldn’t turn down a race of this magnitude in terms of a lot of SA history to it,” said Nixon.
“Last night I read a really cool quote by Nelson Mandela that said ‘being free is not only about breaking the chains, but about appreciating your fellow human and respecting them’, and I think the paddling community is all about that; you have the elite guys and then you have the turbo ballies who are along for the ride.
“From a personal viewpoint, I lap up the challenge of a race that has a head wind and tail wind section as it is a true test of skill, technique and fitness.”