The weapons primed and ready for use, Balmoral Beach Sydney

You don’t need to kayak on Sydney Harbour for long before you realise which paddling sport has become really popular. You’re cruising along at a nice pace through dawn waters in your sea-kayak, when a long white pencil-shaped boat with a hard-paddling rider zooms past you in a blur of flashing wing-blades. These speed machines are known as Ocean Racing Skis, and are the Formula 1 of the fitness paddling scene.

Ocean racing skis - seriously fast

The popularity of this sport is being helped along in Sydney by the enthusiasm and boundless energy of a bloke names Dez Blanchfield, who late in 2008 started Blast Paddlers to help facilitate the growth of paddle groups in Sydney. Having seen my earlier post on the Balmoral Blast, Dez invited me to come and check out race-day at the Balmoral chapter.

Dez on the right, firing up the paddlers

What stands out is the incredible organisation of these events. Dez, unable to find the right “race day” software, simply commissioned and built his own. Now his paddlers can register online, race or run time trials, and before the ski is back on the car the results and paddlers times are already posted online and via email. This remarkable efficiency allows paddlers to monitor their times, and their personal progress, as they compete each week, and helps motivate their fitness and paddle training.

The days winner, a double from Long Reef SLSC

On this particular day the paddlers were doing a race with paddlers and support crew from the Long Reef SLSC to warm up for the Fenn Cup 2009 Series, an upcoming series of summer ocean races on the northern beaches. This race was an easy 18km paddle from Balmoral to the Roseville Bridge and back. Not that I saw much of it mind you, as I busy sitting at the start/finish line with a coffee and a fresh muffin!

This guy was ridiculously fast!

At the end of the event, Dez handed out prizes to paddlers and congratulated the winners, before talking up the newest chapter of Blast Paddlers in Cronulla. It seems expansion is well and truly on the agenda, and can only be a good thing for this growing sport.

Lastly, my mate Olli, who had competed in the Blast race, convinced me to try his Fenn XT racing ski before I left. You can see my incredible performance on the ski here. Enjoy. 

Unique ski transport!

Tags: Balmoral Beach, Balmoral Blast, Dez Blanchfield, Fenn Cup 2009, ocean racing ski, ocean ski, racing ski, ski

Beautiful sunny Middle Harbour

Nothing can contrast paddling Alaska more than a paddle on Sydney Harbour in balmy conditions under an almost Spring sun. To go from icebergs to harbour rocks and aqua waters in a week is crazy!

In today’s paddle I also came across Jonathan & Coco who, through the apparent negligence of a kayak-hirer in Balmoral who left a hull plug off their hire SOT, sank off Chinaman’s Beach and had to recover perched on rocks. If you read this guys, hope you didn’t freeze too much and that the incident didn’t put you off paddling in the future! Drop me a line if you want a decent paddle and I’ll make sure you get looked after.

And lastly, it was good to see my old friend the seal eating fish amongst the moored yachts at Balmoral Beach. Happy fishing friend!

Tags: Balmoral, Balmoral Beach, Chinamans Beach, sealions, seals

Balmoral Beach has a great little kiosk that does excellent egg and bacon rolls. On this particular day I paddled out to watch the sunrise before heading in for breakfast. Yum! 

Tags: bacon and egg roll, Balmoral Beach, sunrise

Fenn XT Mako and Boréal Nanook - Balmoral Beach, Sydney

As I was gearing up for an early morning paddle on Sydney Harbour, a passing paddle-colleague stopped to say gday and let me know he was about to take part in the Balmoral Blast paddle time-trial at Balmoral Beach. So rather than head off up Middle Harbour to Roseville as planned, I thought I’d tag along for some photos and see how fast the Balmoral Blast would get with these macho lads and lasses on their sleek ocean racing skis.

My mate Olli on his banana, oops I mean ocean ski, at the start of his time trial at the Balmoral Blast - Balmoral Beach, Sydney Australia

After seeing my mate Olli power past I thought I’d try and tag along with the race, in the hopes of getting a good pic on his return leg. In fact I didn’t manage to get him on the return leg at all (embarrassed to say I “misplaced” the camera – how you do that in a kayak I still don’t quite understand!). But here are a few pics I did manage to capture along the way.

Sunrise over Grotto Point & Manly - Sydney Australia

Paddlers crossing past the ocean side of Middle Head - Sydney Harbour

Fat Paddler trying to keep up with the racers - Middle Head, Sydney

Needless to say it is an amazing backdrop for a race and I can see why Olli loves it so much. Anyway, I did catch up with Olli again after his time trial, and even managed to find the camera again, so we had a quick photo session before heading into Balmoral Beach for a “Paddlers Breakfast” of coffee and egg & bacon rolls. A perfect end to a perfect morning’s paddle!

Olli's banana.... the Fenn XT Mako

Fat Paddler on his Boréal Nanook - Balmoral Beach, Sydney

Breakfast of Champions! Fresh coffee, egg and bacon roll with sauce. Yum!

A last look at Balmoral Beach before the return leg home...

Tags: Balmoral Beach, racing ski