OCTOBER is a significant month for the surfski community in the country with three weekends of paddling to look forward to.

The biggest of those events is the ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships, also known as the World Surfski Champs, which take place in Durban for the first time.

The event will be held at the Durban Undersea Club from October 17 to 19.

It is sandwiched between the Pirates-Umhlanga-Pirates, the week before in Durban, and East London’s Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race, a week after the champs.

Also read: Mount Edgecombe paddler puts in star performance at world champs

The Pirates-Umhlanga-Pirates (PUP) takes place on October 12 and is the world’s oldest surfksi race still taking place annually, and this year will give the top international paddlers a chance to get a preview of the potential World Championship race area under race conditions.

“We are so excited to be able to attract the world’s best ocean racing paddlers to the home of the surfski for the world championships,” said Colin Simpkins, the secretary general of PaddleSport SA and the Race Director for the ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships. “Just as exciting for us is the fact we have two such special races the week before and week after the world champs, so our international visitors have an opportunity to see the best South Africa can offer on three consecutive weekends.

“The overseas visitors can paddle the oldest surfski race in the world, then compete for world titles a week later, and then just a week after that can take part in an event that combines serious downwind racing with good prize-money and a great paddling festival. So far just about all the world’s best ocean paddlers have indicated they will be in Durban, and a lot are adding the extra races to their itineraries, so this is going to be a great showcase of South African ocean paddling,” he said.

For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook , X or  Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here