Ballito teen Tessa Salmon paddled her way into the spotlight at the 2025 Reef Shootout – finishing first among the juniors last Friday.

Held at Durban’s Vetch’s Beach, the 800m race tested paddlers on a demanding figure-eight course, rounding multiple buoys before sprinting to the finish at DUC.

The event featured seven competitive categories in a knockout format. In each round, competitors were eliminated until five remained to battle it out in the final for a cash prize.

At just 15, Salmon impressed as the top junior in the ladies’ Reef Shootout, finishing fifth overall – an impressive feat in only her third race.

Now in Grade 9 at Epworth High School for Girls in Pietermaritzburg, Salmon only began paddling last year and initially had no plans to compete.

“I was nervous and not too keen on doing the race, but my friends convinced me,” she said.

“I went into the race not expecting much. It was great to paddle against strong KZN female paddlers, and I learned a lot.”

Despite a fast start, she couldn’t maintain her pace in the final but still held off the competition to secure the top junior position.

Durban paddling legend Luke Nisbet and Olympic paddler Tiffany Koch stole the show, winning both the long-distance ski (mixed) and lifesaving ski (mixed) categories.

Meanwhile, the much-anticipated Engen Ballito Downwind Paddle Fest, scheduled for Sunday, was postponed due to rough seas and dangerous swell conditions. A new date will be announced next week.

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