McGregor and Nixon celebrate Surfski World Series titles

SOUTH African surfski stars Hank McGregor and Hayley Nixon were confirmed winners of the 2016 World Surfski Series titles after the Perth Doctor in Australia on the weekend.

Following McGregor’s impressive win in the Hong Kong Dragon run earlier in the month that assured the multiple Marathon World Champion of his first World Surfski Series title, the 38-year-old went on to claim the Australian race’s spoils, while Nixon took the women’s title from a strong field to secure a South African clean sweep of series honours.

For McGregor the win in Perth was particularly symbolic as he came into the event with the series title secured but wanted to test himself against the best surfski paddlers in the world, and the Perth Doctor produced the biggest and best quality field of this year’s World Surfski Series to date.

“It feels so satisfying to win against such a class field in the biggest race of its kind. It is also the best way to back up the series title. This is the first time that I have had the time to go and challenge for the World Surfski Series title and I managed to get seven wins overall and four title race wins, which is really satisfying,” he said.

For Nixon the Perth Doctor win and clinching the World Surfski Series title is a career highlight after a decade on international rowing, canoeing and now surfski racing.

“I can’t stop grinning! This is my first World title ever and I am ecstatic!” she said.

The Euro Steel/Carbonology Sport star said that the mild conditions that confronted the big Perth Doctor field suited her perfectly.

“I had a clear goal to win the overall race but I felt I had a chance at the hotspot prize too, even though I was racing against really strong paddlers like Rachel Clarke, Tenealle Hatton and Nikki Russell. The runs were small and there was a lot of chances for you to put your paddles down and relax. It was very hot out there but I enjoy that challenge and I felt comfortable,” said Nixon.

“I was extremely happy and totally broken. I have never won an international title. I have always trained as hard as I can and dreamed of doing well on an international stage. To win in such a prestigious event against a field that contains people that have been my surfski idols feels incredible,” she said.

She paid tribute to her Durban coach Linton Hope. “He had total confidence in me and I trusted him. I am in shock at winning the World Surfski Series title; it is not something that I thought I was going to do. I am not the best surfski paddler in the world but I do know that the reason I won was performing consistently,” she concluded.