Popular surfski series cancelled due to gale force winds

GALE force winds and treacherous seas conditions forecasted for Friday 17 October has forced the postponement of the opening leg of the 2014 Illovo Suncoast Wall and Back Surfski Series that was set to kick off tomorrow night at Suncoast Pirates Surf Lifesaving Club at Battery Beach in Durban.

The decades old event that was revived last year brings many surfski enthusiasts to the Durban beachfront on designated Friday evenings in October and November annually to partake in the eight kilometer mad dash to the harbour wall and back.

This is a popular way to kick start the weekend in Durban, home to the largest surfski population in the world. But surfskiers will have to wait another week though as Mother Nature looks to turn the ocean upside down this weekend.

The much anticipated series has been postponed due to the winds forecasted to reach up to 70km/h and swells as high as three meters.

“If you head from Pirates to the harbour wall you’d be paddling straight into the teeth of the wind,” explained elite paddler, Barry Lewin.

“Paddling into strong winds is any paddler’s worst nightmare,” he added.

The event organisers were forced to make the decision to postpone the series opener as paddling into the strong wind and high swells would not only be dangerous, but would increase the amount of time the competitors were on the water for.

“Being a late afternoon start would mean the strong winds would slow paddlers down to such a degree that many would finish in the dark and then safety becomes a major issue for the organisers,” said Lewin.

The series consists of six races on consecutive Fridays and will now get underway a week later than initially scheduled. The opening leg of the Illovo Suncoast Wall and Back Surfski Series will now take place on Friday 24 October and will conclude on Friday 28 November.

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