Some of the world鈥檚 best surfskiers are getting set to take on the waters of Howe Sound.
The first ever CMW Canadian Surfski Championships are coming to 麻豆社国产on Aug. 23 and the lineup is a who鈥檚 who in the sport.
Event organizer Bob Putnam said scheduling the Canadian championships one week after the U.S. Surfski Championships in San Francisco has made the event more attractive to international competitors.
鈥淪ome of the best guys in the world are coming,鈥� Putnam said. 鈥淭he race has generated quite a bit of excitement as there is no other聽surfski聽race of this magnitude in the Pacific Northwest, and paddlers are excited to compete on a course that promises fast wave riding and spectacular scenery.鈥�
For those unfamiliar with the sport, surfskis are fast and lightweight watercrafts similar to an outrigger canoe but without the outrigger and are paddled like a kayak.
鈥淭he way they鈥檙e set up is you use more of your body and legs,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou connect to the boat better and the more elite racers use longer and more narrow boats. It鈥檚 a little bit of a derivative of Olympic sprint kayaking and a lot of guys will progress from that sport into ours.鈥�
Some of the big names competing at the event include Australian native and multi-time Olympic medalist in canoe sprint Clint Robinson, South African native and current World Marathon Kayak champion Hank McGregor, and South African 2014 International Canoe Federation World Cup Champ Sean Rice.
Top Canadian contenders include Maple Ridge鈥檚 Wes Hammer and Nelson鈥檚 Jason Rusu.聽
The course kicks off at 2 p.m. at Porteau Cove, with the finish line set for the Mamquam Blind Channel. Putnam said it鈥檚 a challenging but not overwhelming course.
鈥淭he afternoon inflow winds and the likeliness of windy conditions makes this a really good local route,鈥� he said, explaining other paddling events have used a similar route. 鈥淭he good thing about 麻豆社国产is it鈥檚 in the realm of possibility for a lot more people than something like San Francisco. It鈥檚 all about being able to make the boat catch all the waves and a lot of it is timing 鈥� you have to be able to read the water.鈥�
Putnam said some racers might be able to complete the 21-kilometre course in an hour, with some racers reaching speeds of 20 km/h in good wind conditions.聽
Over 150 athletes are expected to compete for the inaugural title and $15,000 in cash and prizes. There will also be a $1,500 Hot Spot sprint for the leader at the two kilometre point.
He said support from both the 麻豆社国产Paddling Club and Deep Cove Outdoors retail store has helped the event take off. He encourages the community to come check out either the start or the finish line on the day of the event.
An awards ceremony and post-race barbecue occurs at the O鈥橲iyam Pavilion at 4 p.m. and all are welcome to attend.
For more details on the race, visit www.canadiansurfskichamps.com.聽
