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Photo Credit: Blake Horton-Daily Telegraph
Vaikobi Race Team went 1,2,3 at the Belle Property King of the Harbour held at Manly on Saturday 18th of October which was race 1 of the Anytime Fitness/ Men's Fitness Australian Ocean Racing Series.
In a race between Coach and Athlete, Olympic Kayaking Gold Medalist from London 2012, Murray Stewart (NSW) duelled with his long time coach Tim Jacobs (NSW) all race to slingshot over a wave coming into the beach at the finish to become the 2014 King of the Harbour.
TJ described the eventful finish- " We were both coming in through Fairy Bower at a ridiculous pace and Muz slewed off a wave but managed to get going again and come back at me. Finally as we were coming into the beach I cracked onto a sucky wave when Muz steamrolled up the back of it and hooked on to it to then slingshot past me right at the beach to get the win".
The victory against his coach on Saturday might have resulted in a punishing training session on Monday morning for Murray we suspect....
Vaikobi's Champ from Gold Coast, Michael "Boothy" Booth (QLD) made a comeback to the Ski after a few months of SUP Racing on the West Coast of the USA to claim 3rd in a race which had unbelievable depth throughout.
Boothy hopped back on the plane on Saturday night to get back to the Gold Coast to claim a 3rd place in the Australian SUP Nationals on Sunday in the distance race to finish off a solid weekend for the the versatile ocean paddler.
Jeremy Cotter (QLD) and Greg Tobin (NSW) filled out the Top 5 in the Mens
In the Women's, Nurti Grain Iron Woman, Hannah Minogue (NSW) claimed a 19 second win over Wendy Reyntjes (VIC) with Tracy Wilson (NSW) claiming 3rd. Pocket Rocket Camille De Carmejane (NSW) and Mel Pelly (NSW) rounded out the Top 5 in a strong Women's race.
Finally, the big story of the day was the intruder on the race course. The King of the Harbour course around North Head is a real test for racing paddlers as they navigate around the rolling swells bouncing of the gigantic headland creating washing machine conditions. This year, competitors had to also contend with a Humpback whale who decided to come and get a closer look at the fast Vaikobi gear on the race track.
Max Riley commented, "I was chugging along and the next thing I saw was the tail of a whale go underneath my bow. I freaked out as I thought it was going to flick me, but it managed to slide underneath me so I put my head down and got the hell out of there...close call!"
Full Results are available HERE
Race 2 of the Anytime Fitness/ Men's Fitness Australian Ocean Racing Series is the Natural Gas SA Ocean Racing Series to be held on Nov 2nd at Port Noarlunga, SA.
This Saturday sees Race 1 of the Anytime Fitness Australian Ocean Racing Series- The King of the Harbour to be hosted at Manly Beach.
In the Surfski, all the big guns are looking to start firing with the racing season heating up here in Australia and there is no shortage of talent in the line up.
Photo Credit: Allan Coker
Vaikobi's Tim Jacobs & Murray Stewart will be on the start line looking to get a solid result in a race which at this stage is looking to be the traditional 15km King of the Harbour course taking competitors around North Head, into little Manly and return to Manly Beach.
Young gun Joey Hall will also be looking to capture a solid result against solid challengers such as Jeremy Cotter, Mark Anderson, Bruce Taylor and Greg Tobin.
There will be a solid SUP crew lining up for the 8km SUP race with the likes of Sam Parker, Dave Coward and Dave Kissane expected to feature.
Vaikobi will be there on the day with Ocean Paddler and there will be some end of line clearance offers available at Manly LSC.
Entries are still open now at: http://www.oceanpaddler.com/events/king-of-the-harbour otherwise on day entries are available starting at 8am tomorrow at Manly LSC.
October 7th 2014
In continuing Vaikobi's International expansion, Vaikobi is pleased to announce Paul Torriero to head up Vaikobi Canada.
Born in Australia, Paul moved to Canada when he was four years old where he was brought up and became a National Level Swimmer. After completing his Bachelors Degree from the University of Toronto, Canada, he returned to Australia to complete a MBA from both the University of Sydney and New South Wales.
Paul has over twenty years of experience working in business strategy and new business/ project development in a variety of industries and markets around the world. As a skilled business manager and marketer, Paul enjoys working on innovative and progressive brands. Paul has a strong connection to the Ocean having had strong involvement with Surf Life Saving in Australia, SUP, Surfski and O.C. racing in various levels using his strong physique to great effect.
Vaikobi’s Pat Langley commented "We are extremely pleased to have Paul join us as we build our business in Canada and North America in the longer term. His business experience will be invaluable to our team and his passion for the Ocean is contagious! Canada has such a strong paddle sport heritage and we are looking forward to having a stronger presence in this region so that more Canadians can get to experience the Vaikobi difference"
Vaikobi is now available through Vancouver’s Largest Paddle Sport Retailer, Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak http://www.deepcovekayak.com
Paul is based in Vancouver and can be contacted at: Paul@vaikobi.ca, Phone +1 (604) 518 6933
Vaikobi's Performance Water Helmet has now obtained approval from (SLSA) Surf Life Saving Australia to be used by affiliated members for Surf Sport activities during both racing and training.
From October 1st, SLSA have introduced a requirement for Surf Boat teams to wear SLSA approved helmets during training and competition in certain conditions.
The Vaikobi Performance Water Helmet has been trialed by clubs on the Northern Beaches of Sydney with them all enjoying the feeling of lightness whilst also not reducing their hearing or visionary senses.
Constructed out of high impact resistant Thermo Plastic, the helmet also features waterproof EVA foam as well as multiple vents for maximum breathability and drainage.
Being extremely lightweight and comfortable, the Vaikobi Performance water helmet comes in two sizes M ( 54-58cm) & L (58-62cm) plus also has a dial adjuster back strap to ensure a firm fit for every head size and shape.
Available in both Hi-Vis Yellow as well as Cyan Blue, the helmets can be worn underneath a standard Club competition Cap or alternatively they can have your club colours painted on.
For more information and club pricing, please contact pat@vaikobi.com or phone +61 406 384 170 or contact your local Vaikobi Stockist.
Vaikobi continues in its quest to design & develop the most comfortable paddling gear in the market with the release of the New 2014 V Heat Paddle Short.
The latest version of this hugely popular product features a seamless airprene butt panel for ultimate comfort in the seat without impeding your rotation.
The fit and cut has evolved slightly for the most ergonomic comfort whilst paddling. The SPF 50+ Vaikobi V Heat fabrication continues to perform and keeps you cool as conditions heat up.
Available through all Vaikobi Stockists, the New V Heat Paddle Short retails for AUD $79.99 and is ready to help you paddle hard this summer.
To view this product online at vaikobi.com, click here
Pic Credit: Cody Silverster
The US Surf Ski Championship has just been held today in San Francisco with South Africa's Sean Rice taking out a close victory in a sprint finish from Jasper Mocke (SA) and Veteran Champ, Clint Robinson (Queensland, Australia) in 3rd.
The big news from Team Vaikobi is that our young champion from North Carolina, Austin Kieffer has emerged from a solid year of training to be the 1st Placed US Athlete and finished 5th overall, just behind Dawid Mocke from South Africa.
To be the fastest US Surfski paddler at the nationals has been Austin's goal all year and to achieve it along with a Top 5 finish is outstanding. Watch this space as this kid has just started!
Pic: Austin will be smiling more than usual tonight!
The other Vaikobi Champion on the race track was Michael "Boothy" Booth who has barely paddled a surfski for the past three months due to his commitments with the Australian Sprint Kayaking Team, who finished a solid 7th place overall. Well done Boothy and good to see back on the Elite Glide.
Pic: Boothy (2nd from Left) pre race with Greg Tobin, Mark Ando Anderson and Michael Baker.
Competitors raced over a 28km course from Muir Beach (NE side of the Golden Gate Bridge) down into SF Bay, under the GG Bridge, past Angel Island and finishing at Berkeley Pier in light wind conditions but with typical SF chop generated from currents and shipping traffic.
At this stage, no news has emerged on the Womens results. We will update when we know.
US Surfski Championships- Top 10 Results
1st Sean Rice (SA)
2nd Jasper Mocke (SA)
3rd Clint Robinson (AUS)
4th Dawid Mocke (SA)
5th Austin Kieffer (USA)
6th Kenny Rice (SA)
7th Michael Booth (AUS)
8th Sam Norton (AUS)
9th Greg Tobin (AUS)
10th Tom Norton (AUS)
Check out: www.ussurfski.com for further updates and results
Winter is firing off a couple more cold blasts here in the Southern Hemisphere, but summer is around the corner so it is time to clear the warehouse of the remaining Vaikobi Hoodies.
The Warehouse Manager has advised that she wants them out!, so for just $25 (RRP $89.99), you can keep warm and look good when not on the water....and for a bargain price!
Note that some sizes are not available. Offer available whilst stocks last.