SOUTH Africa’s top paddlers were treated to a visit by the shoals of silver sardines on World Ocean Day, June 8, as they competed in the Leatherback Rum Aliwal Shoal Surfski Challenge.
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Paddlers sailed from Scottburgh Main Beach to Aliwal Shoal MPA and back. Amanzimtoti’s Deirdre Bentley and Umgababa’s own Kwanele Banda won the doubles event of the hotly-contested race, which saw the culmination of the Ocean Festival running from June 5 to 8.
Event organiser and race director, Barry Lewin, commented, “What a spectacular addition, having the sardine run coincide with the surfski challenge as we celebrate World Ocean Day. A huge congratulations to all our competitors for such an impressive display of skill, and to our fantastic sponsors for another successful challenge.”
He added that conditions during the day were perfect for the 16km race, featuring exhilarating downwind conditions.
“The paddlers had a great time. It could not have gone better, with the ocean delivering in spades on a day earmarked for celebrating marine life,” said Lewin.
Beyond the surfski, an ocean festival was enjoyed by visitors who participated in various activities including a beach and scuba diving reef clean-up, an educational workshop, science and research presentations on ocean conservation, an exclusive film screening, live music and entertainment during the evening, and a sunrise beach yoga and movement exercise.
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