NATIONAL NEWS - The 2015 Mazars South African Surfski Championships were not without their drama but it was Dawid Mocké who managed to conquer the conditions and the rest of the field in the men’s singles in Cape Town at the weekend.

Brother Jasper and Hank McGregor won the doubles with Dawid’s wife Nikki winning both the ladies singles and doubles titles.

The Mocké Paddling star was up against a world-class field that included the likes of Hank McGregor (Euro Steel/Epic Kayaks), his brother Jasper (Euro Steel/Mocké Paddling) as well as former Ocean Racing World Champion Sean Rice (Think Kayaks) however the 38-year-old held his nerve to clinch the prestigious national title.

“I really didn’t go into the race with huge expectations, to be honest,” mentioned Mocké after his win. “I have backed off a bit with my racing recently however when I saw the weather prediction I was ready and knew that they were going to suit me.”

“I must admit that everything lined up for me on Sunday – as well as for Nikki (Mocké).”
With some of the best ocean paddlers in the world up against him, Mocké’s understated expectations were understandable.

However, the competitive field was minus one early on due to the dramatic withdrawal of Hank McGregor after his ski was pierced from behind, leaving him floundering some way off-shore in notoriously shark infested waters and eventually having to swim/paddle himself and his craft ashore.

Despite McGregor’s absence, Mocké was still up against a number of world champions in various paddling disciplines and had his work cut out for him during the initial push to the turning can. “It was really hectic into the wind and Matt Bouman started really well and was really strong going to the turning can which gave him a good lead when he got to the can.

“At the turn the line from there is quite deceptive and I think a little home ground knowledge helped me because Matt took a different line.

“Simon van Gysen followed me and we caught Matt about two or three kilometres into the downwind section and then I managed to get two or three good runs into the finish which got me a 50 metre gap to the line,” an elated Mocké said.

“Getting a victory like this in my home waters is incredibly special and to do it on the Miller’s Run, where Jasper and I have done so much training, is incredible.

The ladies race was an intense affair as it was a straight fight between Nikki Mocké and 2015 Berg River Canoe Marathon champion Bianca Beavitt (Century City/Pink Lady).

The race ended in a flat out sprint which Mocké won by a single second, handing the Mocké clan a clean sweep in the men’s and ladies divisions.

The racing in the junior divisions was also hard fought with Kenny Rice (Think Kayaks) proving too strong for the rest of the Under-23 Men’s field as he took the honours ahead of brothers Dominic and Nicholas Notten respectively.

In the Under-18 race is was Fish Hoek local Mark Keeling who blew the rest of the junior boys field away as he paddled to a commanding five-minute victory over Bailey de Foundaumiere and William Wood.

The singles action was preceded by Saturday’s doubles clashes whereby Dawid’s brother Jasper Mocké triumphed with regular river and flat water marathon partner McGregor.

The pair, who won silver in the K2 event at the 2015 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Gyor in September, finished just ahead of the impressive Under-23 pair of Kenny Rice and Dominic Notten with Dawid Mocké and Tom Schilperoot finishing third.