Two milestone wins at King of the Bay surfski showdown
Women's surfski world champ Hayley Nixon won the title after years of trying.
THE anticipated tussle at the front of the Bay Union King of the Bay Surfksi race produced plenty of drama and created the opportunity for U23 ace Hamish Lovemore to show his class by taking overall line honours in the 14th edition of this iconic race, while women’s surfski world champ Hayley Nixon finally bagged the title after years of trying.
The race starts with an hour of flatwater dicing from the Silt Canal on the Bluff side of the harbour before exiting through the harbour breakwater, and it was here that the cut-throat racing claimed the scalp of the on-form Brandon van Der Walt.
First the leaders took a chancy line across a shallow sandbank in the centre of the harbour, and then as they exited the harbour Van Der Walt was on the outside of the bunch and collided with the harbour break water, destroying his rudder and his chances of claiming a second King of the Bay title.
The women’s title proved to be a thrilling duel between uMgeni Park’s Hayley Nixon and La Lucia’s Kyeta Purchase, after the withdrawal of Jenna Ward due to illness.
They shared a measured start to the race across the harbour with Sabina Lawrie before Nixon took control of the race once they left the shelter of the harbour.
“It was tough out there, you had to earn your Smarties,” said Nixon. “It was basically 16 kilometres of hard grind before we got any sort of downwind, but the run back to the finish was brilliant as there was a really nice bump to take advantage of.”
“Kyeta (Purchase) was very strong and stayed with me most of the way, which bodes well for her marathon form. I managed to stay at the front and there was no surf to speak about at the finish at Marine,” Nixon said.
“I am so chuffed to win this race. It is a title that every Durban surfski paddler would love to have behind their name, and I have so many second places that the win feels sweeter. It is also the coolest trophy I have ever seen, which just adds to the satisfaction. I can’t wait to get my hands on it,” she added.
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