RACE Four of the Illovo Suncoast Wall and Back Surfski Series saw the fourth new face on the top step of men’s podium as Jean-Luc Mauvis took full advantage of a weakened field.
With many of the region’s top men and women absent from the starting line due to their participation in the Dischem Automall Pete Marlin surfski race, the door was opened for Mauvis to clinch a rare victory in Durban’s competitive surfski scene.
While in the women’s race, Durban North resident Danica Bartho sealed her first victory in the series.
Mauvis follows in the footsteps of the first three races’ winners: Australian Brendon Rice, uMhlanga’s Matt Bouman and Hank McGregor, and with two races to go and many of the top paddlers set to be absent again in the near future due to the Dragon Run in Hong Kong in a couple of weeks time, has thrown the proverbial cat among the pigeons in the race for the series’ spoils.
Nikki Russell has been in dominant form in the series thus far however her absence saw Danica Bartho climb to the top step of race four’s women’s podium while Jordan Clauson clinched yet another win in the junior boys’ category.
The penultimate race of the six leg series takes place at 5.30pm at Suncoast Pirates Surf Lifesaving Club at Battery Beach on Friday 21 November.
