WITH interesting conditions to deal with at the opening leg of the Illovo Suncoast Pirates Wall and Back Surfski Series it was visiting Australian, Brendan Rice, and Nicole Russell who dealt with the conditions the best, as they powered to win in the first race of the series on Friday evening.

There was quite a chop as the paddlers headed out, there were a number of boats who spent a bit of time getting behind the backline.
The general feeling was that once you got out past the backline the conditions were good and race winner, Rice, echoed that sentiment.

“There was a bit of a bump coming in and going out,” the Australian said.

“It was a little bit dicey getting out there, but that is what makes racing so interesting and once you got out it was pretty flat.”
Having come out to paddle in the Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon the Perth local decided to stay on for a bit longer and take in the surf that the East Coast has to offer and he explained that he enjoyed his race on Friday.

“We don’t get much swell in Perth but we get some good downwind conditions but I really had a good time out there. It was quite tricky but it was a lot of fun and I am chuffed that I was able to come here and win against the local guys,” Rice added.

The ladies race was going to be an interesting affair with Nicole Russell and Mt Edgecombe’s, Jenna Ward, both on the start line but it was the former who started well and was able to claim the victory ahead of Ward in what was a good race.

“It is just really great to get a win in the first race of the season,” she said. “There was a pretty big break but once you got beyond that it was really flat but getting out there was the fun part.”

Russell had to use all of her experience following a disappointing Wall and Back Series in 2013, she was just happy that she could get the win and get off the mark early in the series.