THE mixed double crew of Matt Bouman and Danville Park Girls’ High School learner, Valma Jean Hockly were the overall winners at Friday’s Chalupsky Properties Surfski Series.

The fourth race in the series also saw Gene Prato win the men’s race, while Tracey Nuss won the women’s race.

Prato took full advantage of the flat seas and mild conditions to get to the front from the start at Marine SLC and cantered home almost a minute clear of second placed Wade Krieger.

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With three different paddlers having won the first three races in the eight-race series, the second win leaves Prato holding all the cards, but he quickly admits that the size and quality of the field will change dramatically after the MyLife Dusi.

“A lot of the guys were sitting out for the Dusi this week, so at the next race there will be a lot more competition,” he noted.

The race was notable for the absence of a number of traditionally dominant paddlers, many of them electing not to race as part of their preparations for the MyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon this week, including last week’s winners Hank McGregor and Hayley Nixon.

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In sharp contrast the crew of Bridgitte Hartley, who was named this week as the new chair of the International Canoe Federation’s Athletes Commission and McGregor’s wife Pippa McGregor, used the race as a warm-up for their Dusi campaign, and romped home as the fastest women on the water, and sixth fastest doubles crew overall.