Durban — Uli Hart and Michelle Burn leveraged good downwind paddling conditions to their advantage to claim the men’s and women’s national titles respectively on the second day of the Euro Steel South African Surfski Championships in Durban on Sunday.

Hart, 23, won his first SA Surfski Championship, while the former world champion Burn picked up her sixth national title. The pair worked hard to secure their victories in conditions that contrasted sharply with Saturday’s doubles race, on a flat sea.

Sunday’s start was also almost waveless. It began at the Durban Undersea Club. However, when competitors paddled beyond the protection of the Bluff, the race to Umdloti was a thrilling contest as the paddlers worked the swells.

The men’s race was determined by having some of the tournament favourites even before the tournament began. Mark Keeling and veteran Dawid Mocke made it about the Western Cape as they claimed all three podium positions, alongside a pre-race favourite Hank McGregor who came out fourth.

The women’s event had Kira Bester finish second before their first junior Georgia Singe, who ensured the Western Cape claimed five out of the six overall places.

“I made a few mistakes. I thought uMhlanga was Umdloti and I came back toward the shore and then had to go out again. And then a bit later, passing the girls who started ahead of us, I started feeling like I was too far out and so came back in again – but it turned out all right. I was just pushing the whole way. It was only when I could see the last buoy just before the finish, and I could not see anyone else, that I realised I’d done it – and then I was just glad I did not get caught in that shore break. I was lucky I had a bit of a gap and I had a match left to burn, so I could time it right to get to the beach,” Hart said.

Michelle Burn prepares to negotiate the tricky shore break in eMdloti as she claims another SA title at the Euro Steel SA Surfski Champs presented by Fenn. | Lynne Hauptfleisch Adrenalynne Gameplan Media

Burn had no issues with her navigation, but was under constant pressure from defending champion Bester. Other than a forearm cramp and Bester, the tournament was enjoyable. Burn told the media of being comfortable out there and enjoying the course because of being familiar with the route, having used it often during training.

“I had a fantastic start to get to the front and I then just tried to control the race as we were getting out to the runs (waves). I did not want the other girls to cut too far left, so I went to the front to make sure everyone went deep until we got to the good conditions, and then I just paddled and linked up the runs as best I could. I pulled away from Kira for a while, but at uMhlanga I looked back and she was right back on my tail. I pulled away a bit again and she came back at me, and for the last three kays she actually pulled up right next to me. I was battling with some forearm cramp and I just couldn’t get onto the right bumps (waves), but I just managed to hold it together somehow and in the last 100 metres I managed to get on a wave ahead of her as we came in,” Burn said.

The junior category was tight racing and there already was a top five all within three minutes. Ryley Smith led U16 and was the first junior to reach Umdloti, ahead of Heath Clarke and another under-16, Sam Mocke.

The event moves on to Portugal in October 2024.

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