HIGH ALTITUDE SURFSKI CHAMPS
Chris Rowe’s viewpoint
Ja Boet
The High Altitude Surfski Champs at Dabs het plaasgevind Saterdag half vier ek se, Die parkeering was volop ons het onder parkeer langs die dam 10m van die water bietjie laat ons het het ingeskryf kit aangetrek en surfskis op die water gesit. Wegspring van die wal af +- 100 boats surfskis 10 laps and SUPs 7 laps.
Hey then the race kicks off ek se not just the surfskis but the 3 speedboats (actually 1 speedboat 1 tinney and 1 rubberduck with 2 dubious lifesavers) and a jetski. So then we all go off it is chaos ek se you cant easily paddle straight there are surfskis and waves all over the place and the SUPs are just trying to stay upright. So it is down to the first turnaround point and the speedboat goies a moerse wave and there come the first casualties okes fall out the lifesavers on the boards were there to help, thanks guys need okes like you on a race. But now this race has got top paddlers from the coast Hank Hayley Bridget and the Eurosteel teams how awesome is that up here in Joburg ek se.
We are going around the dam 1 lap 1km my broer there are 4 turnaround points and the speedboats are goieing the waves ek se and there are spectators all around the dam watching this ek se, there was a guy with a khaki cap and dark shades sitting in a white van blowing out clouds of herb smelling smoke. But now it is one thing to make waves on the dam that is part of it the surrfskis have a fighting chance but SUPs they go flying off there was this nice chick in her bodyhugging black suit hierdie donnerse lewensredders het haar geteiken hulle het n golf gegoei wat haar van haar SUP afgegoei het en daarna op haar laaste rondte het hulle draaie om haar gery om haar af te gooie ek was sommer lus om hulle te moer met my spaan.
Sy het nie weer uitgeval nie daai ounes was nie lewensredders nie hulle was lewensverwoesters. Maar Ja Boet die race die race het goed afgeloop. The best was the gin and tonic at the end, no Poweraid ek se, the real deal.
Then when we were having our GnTs out comes this K4 Nello with a towrope they hook up Bridget on a single board ski and towed her like she was behind a powerboat. That K4 is SAs choice for the worlds and the the qualifying events that could lead to the Olympics. The 4 paddlers in that
K4 are Nic and Dawie from ERK and David from Dabs and Mick Arthur. Man that was awesome, I do not know if that has been done anywhere else in the world, I trust that somebody will send a video of that to Hungary. You guys are champions. Then the prize giving later on and the party and the the dancing and whatever was priceless. Dabulamanzi the Transvaal Navy and the up country surfski event keep it going that’s what life is all about.