THE much anticipated 2016 surfski season on the KwaZulu-Natal coast got underway on Friday evening when 275 of Durban’s eager surfski community tackled the FNB Surfski Challenge, race one of the Varsity College FNB Marine Surfski Series, a clash that also saw uMhlanga’s Matt Bouman, and Our Lady of Fatima pupil, Kyeta Purchase, open their accounts with early season race victories. Bouman was full of confidence ahead of the commencement of the Durban season and made light work of his nearest rivals in the idyllically flat and novice-friendly conditions.
Bouman charged home ahead of former surf lifesaving sensation and ever-improving surfski ace Wade Krieger and Gene Prato while Jason Ekstrand secured fourth position and Grand Master flyer Lee McGregor secured yet another remarkable result as he rounded out the top five.
The women’s clash was another display of the extraordinary depth of ladies paddling talent in Durban with the race signaling another significant milestone in the series’ history as the growth in depth in women’s paddling in the region of late saw the series offer a dedicated ladies batch for the first time ever.
Up front, junior sensation Purchase edged out Mt Edgecombe’s Jenna Ward for victory while emerging star, Hayley Arthur, claimed third place ahead of Donna Tutton and Sabina Lawrie while Sharon Armstrong and Lynne Hauptfleisch edged out Kelly Biljoen and Wilma Deysel in the women’s doubles race.
“Conditions were absolutely perfect, you couldn’t have asked for better,” said Purchase. “There was a small wave on the way out and then a slight bump – which you had to work quite hard to catch – on the way down to the bottom can, and then very manageable surf on the way in again.”
“I’m training with the seniors every day so it’s nice to be able to mix it up with them and compare where I am against them in the races too. I’ve been training really hard during the festive season – twice a day, every day – so I’ve got a good base, even if I am a little tired, coming into the series. The Marine Surfski Series is my favourite series of them all, the one I enjoy the most, so it would be nice to try win it this year, even though I am still a junior,” she added.
