Surfing through 2010

14 Jan, 2010 | Written by maltacanoeracingclub | under News

The Dubai Surfski & Kayak Club has kindly donated six surfski’s to the Malta Canoe Racing Club. The kayaks are currently on their way to Malta courtesy of Carmelo Caruana Co. Ltd.

The surfski’s are 6m long but only 0.5m wide, however these dimensions help it cut through large broken waves. Surf skis are used worldwide for surf lifesaving, surf kayaking and for training and competition on flat-water or ocean (downwind) racing and vary in distance. Surfski races are perhaps the most interesting to watch, with some of the finest field of Ocean paddlers ever assembled to race including iron men, national, world and even Olympic champions all lining up to race.

The Malta Canoe Racing club will certainly putting these kayaks to good use, enabling their athletes to train in the open sea as opposed to being confined to the safe waters of the Msida Marina. The kayaks also extend the sport to a whole new demographic, attracting those who might have been put off racing due to its confinements in the Marina since the racing kayaks currently available only fair well in flat water.

A number of surfski races are being planned for the year. These are most likely to be based on the Australian Lifesaving Technique which includes both paddling and portages where the canoeist would have to run with the kayak along a short distance. The locations will vary across beaches all over the islands coast.

The MCRC would like to thank the Dubai Surfski & Kayak Club and Carmelo Caruana Ltd for all there help and support in bringing this fantastic sport to Malta.