McGregor ends Wall and Back on a high

With conditions set fair for the eighth and final race of the 2015 Illovo Suncoast Pirates Wall and Back Surfski Series it was the familiar face of Hank McGregor who powered to his fifth, and ultimately series clinching win, while junior Kyeta Purchase managed to sew up the ladies series at Suncoast Pirates on Friday evening.

In what has been another exciting installment of the Wall and Back series Salt Rock’s McGregor has been in a ding-dong battle with fellow Durban surfski stalwart Matt Bouman.

As is customary at Suncoast Pirates the shore break took no prisoners and made it difficult heading out and coming in however with some typical summer conditions past the backline it was always going to be a slog to the harbour wall and back.

Barry Lewin played his part in the resurrection of the Wall and Back series in 2013 and following solid years of competition, said it is one of the tougher series in Durban.

“The Wall and Back Series definitely caters to hard core paddling enthusiasts,” said Lewin.

“It has always been a series that throws all sorts of challenges as paddlers and conditions are never 100 percent downwind which makes it a good test.”

Lewin, who won the mixed doubles with Carly Davidson on Friday, was able to watch the racing up ahead of him and said it was another hard race for the top paddlers.

“With balmy conditions on Friday it was always going to be a close race and Hank managed to edge out Matt and Wade (Krieger) in another good, solid race. Kyeta also wrapped up the ladies series with another finish which just goes to show how well she is coming along as a surfski paddler,” he said.

The doubles race was another tightly fought affair with Jason Ekstrand and Richard Lowe proving too good for the rest of the field as they managed to fight off Quinton Rutherford and Lee Furby for the win.

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