A large City Pounders contingent lined up last weekend at Fremantle for the ski challenge. Some time later they arrived at Sorrento, after enduring a lack of breeze, broken equipment, shark sightings and a little bit of blatant cheating.
The event was part of the national Men's Health Ocean Racing series, and was also contested by former City member Dean Gardiner, now based in Sydney and one of the world's best open water paddlers.
While some chose to paddle to whole distance solo, others entered the Relay event with legs from Fremantle to Cottesloe, Cottesloe to City, City to Scarboro and Scarboro to Sorrento. The expected seas breeze failed to arrive (for once), and the start was delayed an hour. A weak breeze eventually arrived to help paddlers along their way, but those hoping for a free ride along the coast were to be disappointed.
Speaking of free rides, the Cottesloe to City leg was pretty comfortable for one double ski pair who shall remain nameless. After allegedly breaking a rudder cable in the first leg, they jumped in the car and drove to City where they picked up another double and rejoined the field.
A shark sighting to the south of City did help a few to lift the pace for a while. Not among them was John Sydenham, who was so in "the zone" and focussed on the task at hand that he was the only person in the field not to know anything about it.
There was more drama at the finish line, when it appeared that Rosie Langdale was going to paddle the girls team past solo paddlers Ken Richards and Mike Langdale right at the end. Some dubious tactics from the old boys saw Rosie squeezed out of contention, but she had the last laugh on her old man as the girls picked up the first prize in their division.
The Over 40's men's team were also in the prizes. No-one is really sure what they each got as their prize (they won't show anyone), but it was rumoured to be an apron of some description.
