Top crew devise plan for Fish River

AFTER winning their second successive Breede River Canoe Marathon title at the weekend, the Cape duo of Alex Adie and Nikki Mocké are shifting their focus to the Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon on October 9 and 10.

They have become a benchmark in women’s paddling in the Western Cape, particularly since Adie moved from her native Maritzburg to Tokai.

“It’s one of those combinations that just clicks,” Adie said. She is the twin sister of Berg champion Abby Adie-Solms.

“Nikki is such a great person and a good friend that it makes racing together a pleasure.

“We combine well together. Nikki has full confidence in me driving the boat, which is one of the reasons we go so well together and enjoy racing.”

Mocké was part of the national women’s K4 team which excelled at the Beijing Olympics.

She then returned home to focus her energies on raising a family with surfski icon Dawid Mocké and running their paddling business.

While her growing family may have kept her away from the paddling limelight, she showed at the recent Mauritius Classic surfski race that she is back to her best, making her Hansa Fish challenge with Adie one to be taken seriously.

Adie has produced a few serious challenges at the Hansa Fish, but has never managed to make the podium.

“The year I raced with Kelly Howe we were going really well in third until we broke our rudder,” she recalled.

“We know that it will be a tough race. It always is because the Fish always attracts the best paddlers in the country and it is SA K2 Champs as well this year.”

Adie says they have a fitness plan to ensure they are in contact with what is expected to be a highly competitive field.

Her twin sister is believed to have lured Czech Republic star Anna Adamova as a partner.

A number of the women’s crews from the SA marathon championships team doing duty in Hungary are also expected to enter.

Adie said she and Mocké would go into the race with a strategy that would avoid the risk of shooting the notorious Keith’s Flyover rapid 10km into the race. “We have discussed that. “No, we won’t be shooting Keith’s!” she said.

‘ It’s one of those combinations that just clicks