Burn wins Durban’s PUP race
Glen Anil resident, Burn, who is also targeting a serious challenge at the world surfski champs in Lanzarote, showed her form is peaking at the right time with a juggernaut solo performance that saw her finish fifth overall.
NATIONAL champions Hank McGregor and Michelle Burn delivered powerful individual performances to win the iconic Pirates Umhlanga Pirates surfski classic titles on Saturday in mild ocean conditions.
Glen Anil resident, Burn, who is also targeting a serious challenge at the world surfski champs in Lanzarote, showed her form is peaking at the right time with a juggernaut solo performance that saw her finish fifth overall.
She said that she had used the 26km race as a final hard session before she starts her tapering for the world champs, but added that she has been blindsided by the event being two kilometers longer than advertised.
Read also: North Durban residents named in powerful national surfski team
“I know two kays doesn’t sound like a lot but when 26 becomes 28 kilometres you feel pretty tired afterwards. On the way to uMhlanga the bunch I was with dropped off the faster guys and I realised they weren’t going to get back so I went on my own and put in two kays of really hard paddling to catch up to the second bunch,” said Burn.
As a test of her preparations for the surfski world champs Burn was excited by her form.
“I am feeling so good. I have such a great training group in uMhlanga with the Hockly girls under Matt Bouman. It is good to have a group all motivated by the same thing,” said Burn.
In the men’s race, McGregor, who is starting to taper for the ICF Surfski World Championships in three weeks time, was peerless in the conditions that offered little in terms of downwind help for the paddlers, and was under no pressure to claim the win, which also wraps up his victory in the five-leg winter surfski series.
Completing a red-letter day for the family, Hank McGregor’s wife Pippa won the women’s doubles title with Jordan Peek.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532.
For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram
