FIVE time Marathon World Champ Hank McGregor wasn’t running the risk of sharing the Varsity College FNB Marine Surfski Series title for a second year running after winning Friday evening’s IT Works Surfski Challenge, race eight of the ten-leg competition. McGregor and uMhlanga resident Matt Bouman were co-winners in 2014, however, the world champ clinched his fifth of this year’s series, handing him an unassailable lead along the men’s overall log.

“I got the news once I got off the water and I’m stoked to have won the title again,” said McGregor. “It’s always nice to be racing neck and neck with Matthew (Bouman), he’s a top class athlete and deserved last year’s title just as much as I did, but it was nice for me to be able to come back this year and get the win.”

Despite wrapping up the title with two races still to go, McGregor confirmed he will still be on the start line in both the HiQ Surfski Challenge and Varsity College Surfski Challenge in the coming weeks.

“You’re only as good as your last race so I’ll definitely still be out there, giving it my all in the coming weeks. Besides, what else is there to do on Friday evening? Coming down and racing against friends is such a fantastic way to start the weekend,” he said.

In the women’s race, it was a clean sweep for Nikki Russell, who made it two wins from two. Mt Edgecombe’s Jenna Ward narrowly edged out Our Lady of Fatima pupil, Kyeta Purchase and Michelle Burn.

The doubles category was another hotly contested affair as a three-way sprint up the beach between Wayne Wilson and Charles Heinse, Jason Ekstrand and Richard Lowe as well as Wilson twins Travis and Tyler eventually saw Wilson and Heinse emerge victorious.