Activity grows down under

Cold winter up here in Europe, with everybody looking forward to first competitions as a nice way to warm up, and summer activity comes more and more intense in the southern hemisphere. This weekends there are two important dates, in Australia and South Africa, concentrating some of the best disciplines paddlers of both countries.

At Perth (Australia) there is a surfski and SUP competition, The Doctor, with a 27.5 km. downwind paddle that will have some of the current greatest surfski specialists looking for victory: Dawid and Jasper Mocke (winner of the Mandurah Duel last weekend), Tim Jacobs or the olympic champion Clint Robinson.

Meanwhile, at the Umkimzulu River, South Africa, the countdown for the Dusi goes thorugh the Global Trader Drak Challenge. Two stages to complete 63 km., one thousand contestants and some of the most fit downriver paddlers on the A batch, like McGregor, Jenkins, Mbanjwa, Mhlope, Zondi, van der Walt borthers and a long etc. In ladies, fight looks intense between Adie sisters, Abbey Ulansky, Robyn Kime or 2011 winner of the ICF World Series Hilary Pitchford.