Summer Series Race 3 – Botany Bay, Sydney Australia
On a wet, cloudy summer’s day (!!) Team Fat Paddler and a bunch of other paddlers arrived at Sydney’s Botany Bay for the third race of the Summer Series. For many, it was a fast affair in relatively benign conditions, but for a few of us (myself included) it was simply about trying to race a surf ski for the first time. Only four weeks ago I started trying to paddle a ski, and for fellow Team Fat paddler member Mogo, he had even less experience still. Regardless, with the brilliant support of Slipstream Surf who lent us both a couple of Stellar SR surf skis, we hit the water with three other TFP mates and “raced” through the chop and boat wake that had cut up the bay. Bigger story to come, but here’s my video highlights (and yes, I know my forward stroke is rubbish and needs help!!). Cheers, FP
Great job FP !!
….at least you know what a forward stroke is *grin*….
Mike.
FP – Very professional including your show-off scene of rescuing your “brother” paddler; (then the ungrateful so-and-so fell in again). Viva Stellar!
Looks like a pretty commendable job, FP, tho’ your wing paddle technique is definitely on the genteel side. But, at least, it’s a wing paddle!
You showed very nice rescue technique. The rescuee clearly needs more time in the boat. He probably should have spent a minute or two with his legs out, resting and regaining his equilibrium, before starting off again. There’s lots of personal experience behind that statement!
Great vid
Thanks Slipstream Surf for the use of the Stellar SR . My GoPro had a battery failure before the race so I can’t provide a video but I will say this on a debrief of my first Ski race:
I was a bit tippy (see video) making friends with this borrowed ski and by the time I lined up for the start I was more concerned about my crappy warm up and keeping in the boat that I fell in a few times . I need about 1km to warm up and after that I am OK . The borrowed paddle from Nat from SydneySurfski.com was an Epic mid-wing also new to me. This felt fantastic and once warmed up and wet, Malcolm from Carbonology pulled along side and got me in the runners. From there Mogo was one with the stellar.
The conditions were not the best and as I rounded the 5km mark I saw other people having troubles as well. Malcolm pulled alongside me again and got to me doing intervals on the go at 80%. This went very well and after a period he took me to 100% . Now for a kayaker that might not mean much, but to a person on a ski that means a hell of a lot. My ski was out of the water and the venturi was sucking air and this was not for a short time. This was what people call an “Aha” moment when things come together to make that moment very special . I was a Ski racer at that point and it felt bloody amazing. The combination of getting yourself to this point is incredible. Malcolm was shouting beside me “feel the connection between the Heel and Shoulder.. Go Go Go…keep going”.
As the Mighty Mick Doohan said of another racer “you cant teach someone to be fast and soon they will learn not to fall off”.
Thanks to FP team, Blast, Carbonology and Stellar for a bloody beautiful machine. Yet another I would love to have in my garage once the wife releases my ski funding.
Ps The Carbonology paddle is such a beautiful piece of kit I want to mount it behind glass. I have used it this morning in the harbour and have decided it is best used when wet!!!
Well done FP. Can we take it from the vid that you had no encounters of the ahem falling-in kind ? If so double well done !!!