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The Shamaals are blowing...
October 11, 2008
Amongst all the talk between the Safas and Aussies about who is dominating the sport, there is a determined group of UAE paddlers set on showing just how far the sport has come in the region when the gun sounds for this year’s Shamaal.
Spurred on the by the awesome, but completely unsurprising, race by Crowie in Mauritius (he placed 5th & surprised all who did not know about his Oz surf pedigree) committed groups from DSKC & Abu Dhabi Ocean Warriors are putting in the hard yards to be well prepared & give it their all come December 2nd . Following a closely guarded program from a secret source, the starts have been early, the hours long, the pain plentiful but the results obvious with the pace across the board cranking up several notches from last season.
And if local knowledge counts for anything then the Dubai Shamaal hosts will be well prepared and race ready. Last week in Dubai the Middle Eastern Ocean Racing series, kicked off with it’s first race and 47 boats in the water. The course was a hot flat 18km grind around the palm. Haydon Smith & Crowy dominated and place 1st & 2nd. Christi O Higgins brought it home for the girls in a respectable 85% of the winning boys times. The series culminates in the crowning of the Regional Champion. The Middle Eastern Ocean Racing series, brainchild of local Oz powerhouse Colin Campbell, is aimed toward raising the profile of the sport across the region and to provide the platform for locals to launch their assault on this year’s race.
Finish line
Organization is running smoothly from the Dubai International Marine Club in prep for the Dubai Shamaal. Mette Thorsen [info@dubaishamaal.com] is back in admin seat & those that met her last year know that she run’s a pretty tight ship. All info on the Dubai race is on the race site www.dubaishamaal.com. Accommodation costs are down, visa’s are cheaper, weather is perfect & about your only issue is securing a ski – so do not delay your reservation for Dubai.
Shamaal Base Camp – it does not get much better than this.
Race Start 2008
Race prep 2008 Mocke style.
The Southern Shamaal web site is about to launch & teams are being formed. Dean Gardiner’s Oz team are very keen to retain the title & the South African’s have other idea’s. The UAE have a very fast team in preparation that will no doubt include Smith & Crow, neither who are strangers to big surf. Rumor has it a fast USA team is being formed as well as a EU team. DSKC are sending two teams down, one is ‘fast’ & the other ‘not so fast’, but time will tell. Word from Western Oz is that ‘The Truck Nesbitt’ will be back in South African waters with two speedboats in his team.
The Truck lets loose in the Gulf. Full 16 valves.
Paddlers in Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth are all forming teams & rumor has it the Chalupsky Brothers will partner up in a masters team with Eastern Cape Champ Hennie Roos. If the conditions are wild – they could win. Word is that The Border Fenn Foamies will be back as well with a combined age of more than 300 years.
Crow (right) congratulates Smith on his win. Both look to be in the starting line up for the UAE in the Southern Shamaal 2009.
[ Story courtesy of DSKC ]
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