Bouman dominates while Purchase steals it in Surf Challenge

Durban – Matt Bouman grabbed his first win in the Bay Union Surfski Series by taking advantage of superb weather conditions and his ingrained ability handling the surf to win the novel Lion of Africa Surf Challenge, while junior Kyeta Purchase pulled off a stunning come-from-behind move to take the women's title. Bouman (Epic Kayaks) had to assert himself early on to get away from team mate Wade Krieger, winner of the first leg of the five race series, with Luke Nisbet snapping at both of their heels throughout. Bouman ground out a lead on the downwind leg to the turning buoy close to the mouth of the uMgeni River, and then saw that erased as they turned for home. "I opted for a deep line to the top turn-can, but the can wasn't where I expected it to be," said Bouman. "Fortunately Luke (Nisbet) was following me but Wade (Krieger) took his own initiative and went straight to the buoy which nullified any advantage we had earned." The organisers of the Lion of Africa Surf Challenge set out to test each paddler's skills in the surf, and set a course that required them to turn around two markers in the surf zone on South Beach and Addington Beach. His superior surf skills allowed Bouman to get away from his two chasers to canter home to an impressive minute-and-a-half win. "It was good fun on the home leg when we had to do some surf slalom around some terrified gentlemen holding the surf turn-flags. I had the luxury of a lead going into the last turn and could watch the other two fighting it out for second." Bouman said he thrived on the high standard of surfski racing in the series, saying that Durban boasted some of the world's best. "We race at such a high level week in a week out, in this great surfski culture in Durban. That's the key to why we can produce world-beaters," he said. Bouman said the absence of Hank McGregor , who was attending a family wedding, had changed the character of the race. "Sometimes it is actually harder to paddle without that edge that is...

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