Salt Rock’s Hank McGregor had to swim after his surfski, ultimately costing him a podium place in the second race of the Wall and Back Surfski series in Durban.

Rough seas and a strong easterly wind knocked the recently crowned Flat Water Marathon world champion off his surfski and the other competitors took their chance to get ahead of McGregor.

The race then went into the hands of the Bartho brothers, renowned stalwarts of Durbans surski community, who claimed three podium spots last Friday. Brett and Daryl Bartho claimed first and third place in the men’s category while Brett’s wife, Danica, came second in the women’s category.

Nikki Russell won her second race of the series, coming in ahead of Danica who was hot on her heels.

“When we turned to head back, Danica was only 20 meters behind me so I knew I just had to put my head down and work as hard as I possibly could all the way home!” she said.

Danica will use the experience from the race to help her on her way as she paddles from Richards Bay to Durban, the first woman to do so, on Wednesday, October 30 to Saturday, November 2. She is undertaking the paddle for her “Lettie Paddle” campaign to create awareness for cancer to raise funds for her close friend Nikki “Lettie” Heynes, who is currently fighting off lung, liver and bone cancer. Heynes herself overcame breast cancer in 2012.

The third race of the Wall and Back Series hits the waves on Friday, November 1 at 5.15pm at the Pirates lifesaving club at Battery Beach.