Think XO Hollow Carbon SUP from Dion Maxwell on Vimeo.

I started my 2011 season on an absolute high. I had finished off 2010 with a big personal victory at the Cape Point Challenge and enjoyed 6 solid weeks of rest over Christmas and New Year to rejuvenate body, mind and soul.

It was to be my 3^rd year of paddling on the international stage and I felt I had shed the name and comfort of being called an “under dog” or “newbie”. I had some serious work to do if I wanted to carry on improving my performances. It was going to be a very busy racing year (9 international races) but with the support of Daryl from Think Kayaks and my coach Peter Cole form ORKA I felt ready. I was about to find out that the sea is never flat and we can’t always enjoy smooth sailing!

I competed in many races during the year but here are just a few of my high lights from 2011.

Euro Challenge, Spain:

Flat, hot and extremely hard is what springs to mind when I think back to this one. A top field had turned up; Dawid Mocke, Jasper Mocke, Tom Shilperoort, Hank McGregor, Tim Jacobs, Manual Busto and a bunch of other talented competitors. My race plan worked out perfectly on the day and I managed to take 1^st just ahead of Dawid and Hank respectively. I also managed to bag both hotspots. It was the best way to start my year and a huge achievement for my career.

I have done this race 3 times and have gained a 3^rd, 2^nd and now finally a 1^st!

Durban World Cup, South Africa:

Not all smooth sailing. With just 2 weeks to race day, while on an early morning running session with the ORKA Training Squad, I managed to misjudge a step on the sidewalk. I went from full pace sprint to eating tar. I knew by the loud snapping noise that came from my left ankle that I was in trouble! I had torn and stretched the 3 main tendons in my left ankle. This injury meant that I was going nowhere slowly for a while.

The first thing that came to my mind (apart from all the swear words) was “o shit….coach Pete is going to kill me! ” ha ha….. But he didn’t and with the help of my physiotherapist and plenty of TLC from my girlfriend, Emily, I was off my crutches with 4 days to race day.

My ankle still heavily strapped up and on lots of anti-inflammatories I arrived in Durban to see the swell forecast of 8ft surf and very little wind…….GREAT! The race was 26km with all the big guns of SA Surfski there. My race actually went off much better than expected with a hard earned 4^th place in the end. Hank McGregor charged to the front to take the win ahead of Dawid Mocke and Matt Bouman.

The surf at the finish was brutal with a number of ski’s being broken. My finish was far from ideal ha ha… not being able to run from the shore break I got PUNISHED in front of the hundreds of finish line spectators. PS my boat came out without a scratch. THINK QUALITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sequence of my Beat down!

ASKR, Norway

Race organiser Karl- Lennard and his team had kindly invited me back after my win the year before, to take part in the second annual ASKR ICF Surfski World Cup. The race is held on the small island of Skipnes in the Vesteralren district of Norway. If you don’t have a map on hand, that’s WAY up north! In fact at 66 degrees latitude, well inside the Arctic Circle! This race has adventure written all over it!

Dawid Mocke, Joep van Bakel and I had made the journey, making sure this race story was far from written before we started. Joep is very quick on the flat and Dawid is very quick on the runs, I had to watch my back the whole way.

The race was a 22km out and back course. I was lucky enough to have some knowledge of the course from the previous year and used it to my advantage to pull away from Joep and then finally Dawid on the small runs we had going back home. Happy with my race and defending my title, I had a grin from ear to ear!

US Surfski Champs:

If there’s one race to tick off on the “dream” race calendar it would be this one. The race is superbly well run and the local paddlers are nonstop AMPED! The course is very technical with big currents, great wind every afternoon and a very busy shipping lane crossing right through the middle of the race course.

Dawid, Barry Lewin and Matt Bouman were the guys to beat. Right from the start gun it was a tight 6km tussle into the wind before turning for a 14km downwind section (into the current). I had made a race plan as to where I wanted to head and was pretty happy that it would work out with what the currents were doing etc. but what I didn’t expect was the 1.5hr delay in the start time of the race. I didn’t adjust my race plan and paid the price. I chose a deep and direct line while Dawid and Matt hugged the bank. Before I could react I was out the back and out the fight. The head current had increased in the 1.5hrs and my route I planned to take was straight into it.

I just couldn’t recover the ground I had lost and I finished up 3^rd with another big lesson learnt the hard way!

Chicago Shoreline Marathon, USA:

Tim and Kirsten Flentye really put on a fantastic event. The race is unique because it’s the only major Surfski race which is on a LAKE! Yes that’s right! When you do paddle on Lake Michigan it tends to feel more like the sea than a lake. It stretches 500km in length and can kick up some awesome runs. This year unfortunately our wind did not come through so we were faced with a 25km out and back course with a beach stop along the way. Barry Lewin, Dawid Mocke and I were out to try hold off local country men Greg Barton and Philippe Boccara.

The first 12km was more of a tactical race with everyone on the same bunch trying to do as little work as possible but the closer we got to the turn can and beach stop the more the pace picked up. At the beach stop Dawid got away from us and I was not quick enough to get back at him. The last 10km was super tough with Dawid and I within 50m of each other the whole way. At the end Dawid was the better paddler and I had to settle for 2^nd.

I learnt again no matter how long or short a race just one split second decision can make or break your chances of a win.

Nelo Summer Challenge, Portugal:

Porto, Portugal is the host to the Nelo Summer Challenge. This race is the “Rock Star” event of the Surfski calendar. It’s just 1 week after World Flat Water Sprint Champs and attracts a bunch of the top dogs of just about every paddling discipline in Europe and internationally. Walking around race headquarters during the days before the race, you can’t help yourself but feel somewhat ‘star struck’. Olympic ring tattoos almost become the norm ha ha….

Surfski is still growing in Europe and the idea of the race is about getting as many paddlers from other disciplines onto Surfskis as possible, so the race course was set to be a 12km downwind sprint! I normally have a very good start in a Surfski but man was I out classed by those sprint guys! I reached the hot spot well out of the top 20. A shell shock to the system but soon enough we were into the runs and I caught back up to the lead guys. Even though I ended up 4^th I felt I had a fantastic race beating a few much more seasoned paddlers than myself. When a race is so short you can’t miss 1 run, you have to be on your toes right from the start.

Hong Kong Dragon Run:

Hong Kong is not a place you expect to find a Surfski Race and never mind one of the biggest races that attracts over 150 international paddlers every year. The starting list was thick with big names from Australia, Europe and South Africa. Hong Kong has a 9hr time difference to us back in South Africa. That pretty much equals major jet lag and it really is an art to try and overcome it. I still need to perfect that art!

When race day loomed, I felt okay even with the lack of sleep but my nerves were through the roof! I normally manage to tuck them away but those butterflies in my stomach weren’t having it this time! The start horn couldn’t have come soon enough. I had a fantastic start getting out to the front; everyone was so close together for the first 6km of cross side runs that we could have spoken to each other most of the way.

This race was to be a battle of wits and determination. Tim Jacobs schooled us all on these things and cruised ahead of one of the most hotly contested Surfski fields ever seen! I finished a disappointing 8^th. There was just 2 minutes between the top 10 paddlers and that was after 25km of paddling. The racing level at the international races is forever increasing and a great indicator of a flourishing sport.

Cape Point Challenge, South Africa:

Not all smooth sailing- round 2. After a tough Dragon Run I came home with the biggest local race of the year just 3 weeks away. The Cape Point Challenge is an iconic 46km race around the South Western most tip of Africa. This piece of ocean was not called the “Cape Of Storms” by the first Dutch settlers for no reason; this race is as much of a challenge, physically and mentally, for the top guys as it is for every single one of its competitors! You have to be on the top of your game to win this one.

I was feeling confident after my previous years win and everything was on track, but exactly 9 days before the race the waves were cooking on a perfect summer’s day and the urge to surf was just too much to put off. Shortly after getting in the water one of my friends managed to peg the nose of her board into the back of my head. A complete freak accident but none the less I was soon enough on the phone AGAIN with coach Pete, my Girlfriend Emily and my physiotherapist explaining that I was in a neck brace with concussion, severe whiplash and 5 stitches. NOT IDEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

The doctor said Cape Point was game over but I decided to just see how I felt closer to the time. After a week of recovery the swelling had gone down enough and I managed to get in a 30min cruise. I was determined to get back in the boat in time for the race. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches I guess.

Race day came and I was just happy to be on the start line. I raced within myself as not to hurt my neck any more than it was and finished in 4^th. I was happy with my result considering the circumstances but that still couldn’t stop my thoughts of what could have been. Hank had a fantastic race winning with Jasper Mocke in 2^nd and Dawid Mocke in 3^rd. That accident was a real eye opener for me and gave me a huge fright.

Moving Forward:

All in all 2011 was another very successful year for me but as any sportsman will tell you, to do your best and beat the best you need to train with the right people and have the BEST equipment.

Thank you THINK Kayaks and ORKA Paddles for helping me live my dream!

BRING ON 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Tim Flentye, Greg Labuscagne Photography and ASKR for the pics!

Euro Challenge, Spain. Sean Rice 1st place

ASKR, Norway, Sean Rice 1st place

Byron Bay, Australia, Michael Booth 3rd place

US Surfski Champs, USA, Sean Rice 3rd place

Chicago Shoreline Marathon, USA, Sean Rice 2nd place

Nelo Summer Challenge, Portugal, Sean Rice 4th place

Race of Champions, Portugal, Sean Rice 2nd place

New Balance Surf Challenge, Sean Rice 1st place

Dragon Run, Hong Kong, Sean Rice 8th place, Michael Booth 10th place

Twenty Beaches, Australia, Michael Booth 12th place

Cape Point Challenge, South Africa, Sean Rice 4th place

By Michael Booth

After much drama trying to get an emergency passport on Wednesday, getting to Hong Kong was more a relief than anything. I had been looking forward to the race after suffering from a stress fracture and then cracking my tibia in the Nutri-Grain Ironman trial. It had been a long 3 months without being able to do a hell of alot.

Getting to Hong Kong on Thursday night didn’t give me much time to look around. We went to one of the paddler’s favorite cafés, called the Pacific Coffee Company, for food, coffee and internet. What more do you need? Had a shop down at the Stanley market that basically has all the clothes and knick-knacks you would want all for a “good price for you”.

With the Dubai race being cancelled the Dragon run looked to have one of the strongest international fields this year with many quality paddlers arriving from Australia and South Africa. With guys like Shannon Eckstein, Jeremy Cotter, Cory Hill, the Mocke brothers and Sean Rice I knew getting top ten would be no easy feat.

The report on wind guru going into the race wasn’t promising with a max of 6 knots coming from the northeast, which didn’t look quite like the Dragon run I had experienced a year earlier with large swell and runs. I paddled the Think Uno, which is my preferred Think ski at this time.

Bill and the guys from the Sea School always run an efficient and professional race. The race briefing is on the Friday night with race packs, sponsor logos and a feed of pizza, pasta and salad. On the morning of the race, boats are loaded onto trucks and competitors onto busses. We are then driven to the start line approximately 2 hours before race start. The bus trip is really good with competitors allowed to talk ham, contemplate bus crashes or think about the pain they are going to endure on the 23.5km course back to Stanly Sea School.

The race start was delayed almost an hour with race directors looking to milk as much of the light Northerly wind as they could. The race started from Clearwater Bay Beach at 11am with a couple of the top guys missing the start as the gun went basically straight after the 5min warning. I was fortunate enough to be already on the line and got a cracker start next to Sean Rice and got in a good V-wash in the pack out to Steep Island (which is 3km from the start). Once hitting there the pack began to split with Tom Schliperoot and Ben Allen making moves early.

While heading to Ninepins (7km out) the backwash off the Islands started to mix up the pack and the wash pack quickly diminished. After turning from 9 Pins Tom, Jasper and Jeremy took the outer line. They were chasing the small 1ft runners over the right shoulder pushing them out to sea. Tim, Hank and Dawid took a straighter line course to the “Kissing Whales” (which is 18km into the race and turning point into Stanley beach and the finish) with Ben, Sean and Shannon taking the inner line.

I turned 9 pins in about 10th with Cory Hill, David Rhodes and Grant van der Walt hot on my heels. Cory slowly passed and went away from me on the same line as Tim (but obviously a bit further back) but I was able to hold off the other two and catch up to Jeremy and pass Sean down the 11km downwind stretch.

Coming into the last 5km, I was sitting 9th and in this section all runners diminished and it was time to grind away. I looked forward and everyone was extremely close. I tried to work with Jeremy to keep Sean at bay and tried to catch Ben but their flat water prowess showed in the conditions. Sean passed and dropped me with about 1km to go from the finish. Jeremy, who I train with at home, took a little tactical line on the inside in fear that Jody Zerbst from back home would pay him out for me getting one up on him (it was a bit of a laugh after the race). I was able to pass Shannon Eckstein, who was clearly cramping and hurting toward the end of the race after having to work extra hard at the start after missing the gun.

I was extremely happy with tenth place, being so close to a lot of guys that I had never really thought I could be competitive with. The race lived up to my expectations with 4th to 10th within 1min of each other. Next time I get to race such a field hopefully I will be more within the mix rather than toward the back of the top paddlers.

The race as I said before always runs smoothly with a couple of kids from the sea school picking up our boats and carrying them back up to the racks. There is a post race feed and drinks that leads onto the presentation and into Central Hong Kong at Wagyu. Unfortunately couldn’t make it to that this year as it was my Girlfriends 21st the next day. But needless to say I experienced enough of Hong Kong the year before!

I’ve been to the Dragon Run twice now and will hopefully be able to make it back next year. I am thrilled to have met Bruce, Daryl and Stewart from Think with their professionalism and support allowing the trip to go smoothly.

Michael Booth

For more information see the specs for the Think Eze.

2010 Race Results

• Euro Challenge, Alicante, Spain, May 1: Sean Rice, 2nd place, Think Uno

• Mayor’s Cup, New York, US, Aug 14: Sean Rice, 1st place, Think Uno

• US Surfski Champs, San Francisco, US, Aug 21: Sean Rice, 4th place, Think Uno Max

• Nelo Summer Challenge, Vila Do Conde, Portugal, Aug 27: Ken Wallace, 2nd place, Think Uno

• Dragon Run, Hong Kong, China, Nov 27: Ben Allen, 4th place, Think Uno Max
• Dubai Shamaal, Dubai, UAE, Dec 3; Ben Allen, 1st place, Think Uno Max; Sean Rice, 3rd place, Think Uno

2009 Race Results

Mayor’s Cup, NYC, Oct 18, 2009

Sean Rice, 1st Place (Uno)

Spanish National Championships, Sept 19, 2009

Kiko Vega, 1st Place (Uno)

Chicago Shoreline Marathon, Chicago, August 29, 2009

2nd Place – Sean Rice

Championnat de France, Le Pradet, August 28, 2009

6th Place – Jean Rillard

US Surfski Championships, San Francisco, August 22, 2009

6th Place – Sean Rice
8th Place – Tony Schumacher

Round Bowen Challenge, June 7, 2009

1st Place – Eric Borgnes (Think Uno)

Ski to Sea May 24, 2009

4th Fastest Paddle Leg – Wes Hammer (Think Uno)

European Challenge 2009 — La Vila Joiosa

3rd Place – Sean Rice
5th Place – Tom Schilperoort

Below are some general guidelines for which Think Kayak may be best for you. Of course we recommend trying them all, and talking with an experienced dealer to help you make the best choice.

Think Fit

New to performance paddling, but not to the idea of high performance? The Fit is a great choice for you if you want a light, and fast craft, but paddling may not be your only sport. You still plan to bike, run, and generally be adventurous. The Fit is a very speedy training partner that doesn’t ask to see your paddling licence before you go for a joy ride.

Think Evo

A versatility monster; the Evo is great for racing, training, and big water days. It has enough speed to compete with the big guns, but she’s willing to forgive your little mistakes. The Evo is for you if you paddle with a passion, but may not have racked up years of experience just yet.

Think Legend

You live to paddle, and you love a good race. Paddling is your sport, unless the water freezes (and then you XC ski, cause it’s good cross-training). You want a platform with enough stability to maximize your engine, without giving up speed. The Legend is a great choice for you if competition is your focus, and you plan to be in the lead pack.

Think Uno

World Cup tested and proven, the Uno is FAST! The bottom line; there is always a compromise between stability and speed. The Uno gives up a little bit of the former (but not too much), and goes like stink. Best suited to experienced pilots.

Above all, we recommend a boat that is fun, inspires confidence, and allows you to paddle your best all the time. Don’t be lured into buying the “fastest” boat. What is fast for a pro, may not be fastest, or the best choice for you!

Hong Kong Dragon Run and Dubai Shamaal Tour
November- December 2010

Hong Kong:

Hong Kong is an amazing place in many ways. If it was not for the huge high-tech city with over seven million people living in it, it would resemble the landscape of a Jerrasic Park movie. The smog drifting across from the massive coal factories deep inside mainland China hide the 250 islands that surround the area. Some days it’s nearly impossible to see more than 5 km and very easy to get lost while paddling , but some how mother nature still has the upper hand with 60% of the land being too mountanous to build on. This greenery gives some relief to the over welming feeling of “Big city life”

Monday: I arrived in Hong Kong late on Monday night after 22 hours of traveling. With HK being 6 hours out of my time zone I planned to get there well before the race day so I could ajdust but more importantly also get used to the new boat I was going to race that weekend.

Tuesday: Last night was rough! Forcing myself to eventually get to sleep by 2am was not easy. I made sure to set my alarm for the morning so that I could try get into their day night pattern but I slept right through it and only woke up at 1pm (7am SA time)! NOT IDEAL!

Wednesday & Thursday: New boat still hasn’t arrived! I manage to borrow a boat to train on while I wait. All the other top guys start to arrive and the race vibe builds quickly.

Saturday: RACE DAY! The weather is humid but the wind is up! The start is frantic as per usual but I get myself into the front pack. The first 7km is side chop with a head wind. It was enough to break everyone up. Rounding ‘9 pins rock’ for the 12 km downwind leg I was still in the mix, but soon after that, the wheels fell off. I actually think I might have paddled faster if I had turned around and headed back into the wind haha.. The downwind leg was very technical with the runs coming over your left shoulder while you had to angle hard left to get out the main current. I ended up 10th overall very frustrated as I knew I was paddling a hell of a lot better than that.

Sunday: Got up early for a 15km grind just to loosen the muscles before my flight to Dubai. Had a last minute shopping spree through the many markets of Hong Kong and Kowloon. Then it was off to the airport for my overnight flight to Dubai.

Dubai:

Dubai is the land of no limits. It’s also the home of the richest race on the calendar attracting paddlers from 27 different countries. Anyone who’s anyone in Surfski paddling was here to chase the $60 000 prize purse. This was going to be one hell of a race!

Tuesday: Get into Dubai at 5:30 am. Straight to the hotel to catch up on some of the sleep I missed out on during the flight. After a solid 3 hr sleep I head down stairs to hit the the buffet breakfast HARD! I eat way to much but walk away feeling satisfied with money well spent lol. That evening I went for an easy paddle with some of the local guys to get some inside tips for race day.

Wednesday: Feeling well rested I do a hard session this morning to remind the body what we are actually here to do. 2 days till race day and I’m already nervous. The weather predictions are for flat hot conditions. Much to the dissapointment of many guys who do better in the bumps. Deep inside I was grinning from ear to ear. This was right up my ally but to make top 10 was still going to be no walk in the park, that’s forsure.

Thursday: With all my final pre race checks on juice bottles, boat and paddling gear done the only thing left to do was put my game face on and try not to focus on all the pre-race hype at race registration. Sounds easy but it’s really not.

Friday: RACE DAY! It’s HOT!!!!! No actually it wasn’t hot it was boiling! Well over the 30 degree mark. Race start was set for 2:30pm to try wait for the afternoon winds, but this is also the hottest time of the day. NOT IDEAL! I spend most of my morning hiding in the shade doing very little very slowly.
The race was 24km long with the last 4km in a dead flat wind protected channel.
I manage to position myself in the lead pack of 8 guys. Everyone hustling for the best waves. On the turn for the “downwind leg” Dawid Mocke, Ben Allen and myself broke away heading on a deep sea line. I had worked out that by staying deep we would miss a head current being pushed out along the beach front. From there it was all a blur. Coming into the last 4 km I just couldn’t stay on Ben or Dawids wave. I was absolutly broken. I went from racing to survival. With no wind to cool you off the heat got to me straight away. I force another GU into my mouth. I manage to hold off the other guys and finish 3rd. I was beyond stoked! This race was a massive acheivment for me. Straight onto the phone to the family watching the live commentry at home and of course COACH Pete. I knew I was fit but you never know what’s going to happen till you are actually in the race. All those early morning 2000m sessions on the swamp suddenly seemed worth it. Ok well most of them ha ha…

A huge thank you goes to THINK KAYAKS and ORKA TRAINING for making all of this possible.

Next up : 2 weeks till Cape Point Challenge! Giddy up!