The Mandurah Duel, who will win between the Ocean & Estuary?
A battle between ocean and estuary.
Last year with stand up paddlers having to enter the ocean paddle, we were only speculating about who would have won, but for the first time ever in 2013, the stand up paddle division can enter either of the two races. And it's set to be one of the biggest events in the Aussie SUP calendar for 2013.
The whole concept of the race is a simple one, paddlers start at two points, some in the river, some out in the ocean - and finish up at a point further south, or north, depending on whether it's windy or not. Some say the ocean paddlers have an advantage, with the ever reliable Perth sea breeze kicking in and helping to blow the paddlers north up the coastline. Others say that the calmer waters of the estuary are an advantage, because paddlers could get a rhythm up and continue paddling at the same pace the whole way through. In the end it was the ocean paddlers who won last year, with the leading man crossing the line in 1hr 7mins using an OC1 to get himself there.
Last years Mandurah Duel was a huge success, with 240 competitors there was a grand spectacle as half the fleet took the outside route North, and the other fleet took the inside route South. Battling it out amongst the OC's, Kayaks and other paddle craft were 15 brave stand up paddlers who set off down the ocean side. The small numbers were probably due to the fact that SUP had never been allowed in the duel before, but they put on one heck of a show for the crowd, so this year they've been invited back with a bang!
This year, there's not only the choice for SUP to race in the ocean or estuary, but Battle of the Paddle style events on a separate day, right outside the main event! That's sure to bring in some numbers, plus the added exposure of the event as a SUP race from last year will help, so expect to see numbers in the 50+ range for this year.
It all kicks off on the 12th and 13th of January, and entries are open now.
Check out their website for details, and stay tuned after the event for photos, reports and results.
Narrabeen, NSW
