Mocke brothers dominate Men's Health Discovery Scottburgh to Brighton surf ski ultra marathon

Durban - Dawid Mocke brought down the curtain on the winter surf ski series with an emphatic family domination of the tough 46 kilometer Men's Health Discovery Scottburgh to Brighton surf ski ultra marathon, raced on a dead calm ocean that offered little assistance to the big field that took part.

Mocke and his younger brother Jasper timed their race to perfection, and make their break at the front from the big bunch as they approached the compulsory beach stop at Amanzimtoti.

"I have done this race often enough to know that it is a long way, and that the racing only starts at Toti," said Dawid Mocke, who has now won the race four times in six outings.

With his younger brother happy to follow his lead Dawid Mocke caught a small wave going into Amanzimtoti that gave the siblings a fifty metre lead. "It was crucial because there can be carnage in the surf when a big bunch comes in together," said Dawid Mocke.

Only the winner of last weekend's Dunlop Surf Ski World Cup Clint Pretorius was able to stay with the Mocke brothers, but shortly after that he paid the price for doing most of the pulling on the long leg to Amanzimtoti, and was dropped off the front bunch. "When Clint (Pretorius) blew, he blew pretty spectacularly!", said Dawid Mocke.

"The brotherly love thing ended about four kilometres from the finish at Brighton," he added. "From there on it was every man for himself." Dawid Mocke managed to beach at the finish on the Bluff less than a minute ahead of his brother, with visiting Australian racer Mark Anderson pacing himself well to clinch the last place on the podium.

"I am stoked to be on the podium with my brother," said Jasper Mocke. "The race was just like our training sessions together. He is always giving me tips and advice, and I am happy to sit on his wave for as long as I can."

"This race is sadomasochism!" chuckled Dawid Mocke. "You know when you get to the start in the dark and cold at Scottburgh, where the surf is always dodgy, that you are in for a very tough race, no matter what the conditions are like on the day."

The women's title fell to the nuggety Amanzimtoti star Tiffany Kruger, revelling in her local waters to post another excellent result ahead of Michelle Eder.

Nigel and Michael Stevens won the double ski race, finishing third overall, with the season's on-form mixed doubles crew of Sean and Alison Uys crowning a successful winter with the mixed doubles title.

Despite the flat sea conditions, the notorious surf at Amanzimtoti gave the big field a hard time, many of them taking part in a new shorter marathon that ended at Toti. Several paddlers misjudged the surf coming in at Amanzimtoti and ended the race with broken skis.

DISCOVERY MEN'S HEALTH SURF SKI SERIES
Men's Health Discovery Scottburgh to Brighton
Men
1.Dawid Mocke 3:45.57
2.Jasper Mocke 3:46.46
3.Mark Anderson 3:51.56
4.Bevan Manson 3:54.39
5.Travis Wilkinson 3:55.59
6.Brett Bartho 3:56.07
7.Richard von Wildemann 3:56.11
8.Clint Pretorius 3:58.40
9.Shadrack Mkhize 4:03.41
10.Mark Mulder 4:03.42

Women
1.Tiffany Kruger 4:25.42
2.Michelle Eder 4:40.00

Double ski
1. Nigel Stevens/Michael Stevens 3:51.09
2.Gavin Searle/Quinton Rutherford 3:54.11
3.Brandon van der Walt/Chad Andrews 3:54.23
4.Marc Holtzhauzen/Werner Holtzhauzen 3:56.26
5.Luke Symonds/Neil Evans 3: 57.49