WAIS athlete Brendon Sarson (Balcatta) put in an excellent performance last week in the Dubai Shamaal International Surf Ski race over 20km coming in ninth overall, an improvement of five places from last year.
In a field containing the best ocean racers from around the world and a smattering of sprint kayakers including Olympic Gold Medallists Eirik Veraas Larsen (Norway) and Tim Brabants (UK), Sarson showed his strength in this form of racing by putting himself in the lead group from the start.
In a busy week for Sarson he was also part of the Australian team that contested the Sothern Shamaal in South Africa from Port Elizabeth to East London. The event was a relay over 240km was held over four days.
The Australian team with Ash Nesbit and Dean Gardiner teaming with Sarson came second behind a young powerful South African team who took it to the Australians over the first couple of days and were able to with stand a blistering finish by Gardiner and Sarson on the double ski on the last day to win by just over two minutes.
Locally Steve Bird (Mount Pleasant) and Jesse Phillips (Rivervale) dominated the third Sprint Regatta of the season at Champion Lakes with Bird winning the K1 200m, Phillips the K1 1000m and combining to comfortably win the K2 1000m.
The regatta was also a swan song for Olympic Bronze Medallist Lisa Russ who won all four women’s events, being the K1 and K2 200m and 500m. Lisa has been a fine ambassador the sport and will be missed, however, we wish her all the best for the future as she relocates up north to Derby.
This weekend will see WAIS athletes race in the first National Grand Prix of the season in Adelaide. The event will be an early season guide to form with Phillips, Bird, Daniel Bowker (Kingsley) and Gold Coast based Michael Baker all competing. Brendon Sarson will also compete, flying in from South Africa the night before competition begins.
