CAPETONIAN Uli Hart stormed to victory on a rainy night in Durban, taking full advantage of the benign ocean conditions to claim the SA Schools title at the Varsity College Surfski Challenge that brought down the curtain on the popular Friday night FNB Surfski Series.
Hart, the silver medallist at the recent SA Marathon Champs in Pietermaritzburg, who went on to place fifth at the ICF Surfski world champs junior title decider, cantered home thirty seconds clear of determined East London U16 ace Jordy Malherbe, with Kearsney pupil Callum Davis right on his tail.
With a surfski national junior title in the bag Hart will now focus his energies on the upcoming sprint season that kicks off shortly.
U16 stars from East London hogged much of the limelight, as young Zara Wood made good on her intentions to try and win the overall juniors girls race.
Wood was locked in a duel with Epworth racer Amy Peckett and managed to scramble up the beach first to claim the title and the overall bragging rights.
Cayleigh Shaw, Cara Waud and Allice Edward were not far behind in the hunt for the remaining podium places.
The final leg of the series, which has been dogged by heavy surf conditions that forced the postponement of two of the races, attracted another big turnout despite the rainy weather, and saw Andy Birkett add his name to the list of class paddlers to have won a leg of the series.
The Euro Steel Dusi icon and World Marathon Champs silver medallist was made to work for his swag as Brandon van der Walt, Wade Krieger and Gene Prato were never far behind, but Birkett revelled in the flat ocean conditions to win by twelve seconds.
Surfski World Champ Hayley Nixon was in her element, loving the cool conditions and the persistent company of a pod of dolphins to race away to a comfortable win over gutsy youngster Sabina Lawrie.
The overall series double ski champions Jenna Ward and Luke Nisbet ended the fiercely competitive doubles series with a second place finish to Olympic medallist Bridgitte Hartley and Hamish Lovemore, with Brent Chiazzari and Travis Slier following the two fast mixed doubles crews home.
In a family affair Jody and Duane Taylor fronted the short course race on an evening where the flat ocean lent itself to very fast times.
