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Strong Caribbean team
for ARB Surf Ski World Cup
Durban – The number of international teams entered for this months ARB Surf
Ski World Cup has increased, following the confirmation of an entry from a
talented team from the Caribbean Islands.
Stuart Knaggs has confirmed from the island of St Martin in the Caribbean
where he works as a marine surveyor that he will join the classy likes of
Franck Fifils and Ludovic Gaffin from Guadeloupe, and Federico Muskus from
Puerto Rico, in a team called the “Caribbean Islands”.
Knaggs, who is no stranger to South African racing conditions, will have
plenty of time to acclimatise and familiarise himself with the Durban surf
conditions, as he arrived in South Africa with his wife who is taking part
in the Comrades marathon.
“It’s tough for us to train as a team, as we are scattered across a lot of
different islands in the Caribbean,” said Knaggs. “So we all have to follow
our own training programmes. Luckily we are all experienced ski paddlers.”
Knaggs also confirmed that they are on a mission to avenge the result of
2006, when their team was narrowly beaten in the team competition by the US
team.
“We were 0.85 point behind the USA team last year. This has to be
rectified,” said Knaggs. “Also, because some of us are from French overseas
territories, it will be interesting to see how our team rates against the
French Federation team.”
France is sending a team of six , including a coach and manager to this
year’s ARB Surf Ski World Cup, the first time that a full French ocean
racing team has formally entered into an international event.
Knaggs is also passionate about helping to continue the remarkable worldwide
growth of surf ski paddling.
“We would also like to promote the Caribbean as a racing destination and use
the press from the World Cup to promote paddling back home,” he said. The
Caribbean two race series will take place from 22 to 29 September this year.
The ARB Surf Ski World Cup in Durban on the weekend of 30 June and 1 July is
widely regarded as the world’s premier surf ski event, and has won the
sanction of the International Canoe Federation as the year’s only ICF World
Cup Ski race.
This, together with the substantial prize money on offer, has attracted a
large, competitive and representative field from the world’s most active ski
paddling nations.
The ARB Surf Ski World Cup will take the form of a 25km to 30km single ski
championship race, to be held on either Saturday 30 June or Sunday 1 July,
to take advantage of the best weather conditions. Doubles entries are
also welcome and category prizes will be awarded. There will also be over R
60 000 of attendance lucky draw give aways.
All the race information can be found at
www.surfskiworldcup.com
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