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A 3ª edição do NELO Summer Challenge irá este ano contar com uma competição paralela de Stand Up Paddle Board. Será uma corrida que liga a Póvoa do Varzim a Vila do Conde num total de 7 km em Downwind com partida e chegada na praia.
A competição realiza-se duas categorias: menos de 14 pés e mais de 14 pés. Mais informação…

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Ben Allen showed us on the weekend at race three of the 2011 Pacific Ocean Series, the Byron Bay Ocean Paddle, competing in his first PACOS event this year, that he is clearly the best paddler in Queensland / North NSW.

Read full report on the Pacific Ocean Series website

O Nelo Summer Challenge é um dos grandes eventos desportivos agendados para este Verão, na Póvoa de Varzim. Para que seja um sucesso, tal como na edição anterior, a organização pede voluntários para colaborar nesta competição de alto nível. Além dos voluntários poderem envolver-se e fazer parte de um evento desta dimensão, a animação e o convívio são, também, convites irrecusáveis para que marquem presença. 
Sendo assim, os interessados devem efectuar a sua inscrição no Clube Fluvial Vilacondense ou na Casa da Juventude. A inscrição também pode ser efectuada em http://summerchallenge.nelo.eu/voluntariado. Para mais informações consulte o sítio electrónico em http://www.summerchallenge.nelo.eu. Não há requisitos, mas a organização alerta que falar inglês é uma mais-valia.
A prova realiza-se nos dias 27 e 28 de Agosto e são esperados os melhores atletas para participar nesta prova internacional de Surf Ski.

Windguru couldn’t quite make up its mind as to how hard the wind would blow come Sunday, however it was certain of one thing: the surf coming in at La Mercy beach would be massive! Take a look at some photo’s by Greg Labuscagne on this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.173550652707583.46845.154072097988772

I had woken up with a sore throat and blocked head on Saturday morning. In my final race prep paddle my heart rate was unusually high, and I slunk off the water and into bed for the rest of the day. I am learning (finally) that when your body gives you warning signs, you need to listen, and act on them. Lots of Vitamin C, water, and an immune booster and the most crucial ingredient-REST. With Berg only 2 weeks away, I really couldn’t afford to get sick now. Luckily it seemed to work, as i woke up with just a small head cold on race day.

My small (really small) rental car, with awesome Thule racks and Nelo Ski loaded on top must have looked pretty crazy driving along the freeway to Marine Surf Life Saving Club for the start at 9am. At least I had wheels! The wind was nowhere to be seen, and the swell looked big, but I knew it would be travelling pretty fast to try to catch.

As usual, the race started with the slower batches first, racing snakes last. We were off in B Batch, and we had some pretty fast guys in our batch. I wasn’t feeling fantastic off the start, and let the front bunch go, along with Nikki. I knew this was going to be a long, hard grind and didn’t feel it was necessary to blow myself up in the first 5 minutes.

After about 2km I made a small break, and then basically tried to go just below max the rest of the race. I wanted a nice time buffer over any competitors in case I had a problem coming in at the finish, and ended up winning by 5.5min from Nikki Mocke, with Australian Ruth Highman in 3rd. I felt great the whole way, and managed to keep my boat speed up, as well as catching the odd bump (few and far between), and so I am happy with my form going into Berg.

As is Hank I am sure. He looked phenomenal when he came past me just before the Lighthouse, and I am sure he is going to dominate Berg as he did this race!

I got some great coverage including a National TV clip on the SABC News (even if it showed me getting smashed in the shorey! at least I had a smile on my face!)

Here is a link to the results:
http://www.surfski.co.za/viewresults.php

Michele Eray
http://micheray.com/2011/06/28/dunlop-durban-surf-ski-wc-report/