KWAZULU-NATAL, DURBAN, 22 AUGUST 2016 – In an epic weekend of Surfski prowess, Jeep Team Surfski World Champion, Hank McGregor, paired with Lee Furby, claimed a strategic victory in the Gara Dolphin Coast Challenge, a two-day stage race off the Dolphin Coast that saw paddlers fighting for the title in a gruelling challenge that started from Suncoast and ended at Zinkwazi, with a nail-biting finish and narrow victory to the seasoned pair.

Day one was a 42km paddle from Suncoast Pirates Surf Lifesaving Club to Salt Rock. In a dramatic end to the day, race leaders at the time, McGregor and Furby, took an unfortunate swim in the sprint finish, giving team, Matt Bouwman and Wade Krieger, the edge to claim the opening day honours, and a 40-second head start into day two.   Day two of this downwind epic was 32km from Salt Rock to Zinkwazi. McGregor and Furby had much to do to catch up the 40-second deficit from day one. But like only McGregor can, using different lines and years of global paddling experience, he and Furby did the business to claim overall race honours in one of the most exciting events on the Surfski calendar.

Said McGregor at the end of Day 2, "The conditions were tough today with an offshore wind blowing and I think that the fitter pairs were able to benefit from it. We decided not to go too deep today and rather remain in the shallower water whilst Matt and Wade went deep, which made quite a big difference at the end of the race.”

RACE RESULTS

Men                                                                            Day 1               Day 2            Final 1.

Hank McGregor/Lee Furby                                            2:36:52            2:15:12         4:52:04

2. Matt Bouman/Wade Krieger                                      2:36:12            2:19:15          4:55:27

3. Luke Nisbet/Gene Prato                                            2:39:47            2:17:25          4:57:12

4. Steve Woods/Bevan Manson                                     2:44:35            2:16:58           5:01:34

5. Linton Hope/Zoog Heyns                                           2:48:48            2:28:06          5:16:55

Women                                                                       Day 1             Day 2              Final 1.

Nikki Russell/Jenna Ward                                              3:07:11          2:36:37            5:43:48  

Other Jeep Team results       OCR   The Jeep Warrior Race Series consists of eight events across South Africa. Jeep Warrior Race#5 Hazeldean Valley, Pretoria East took place on 20 and 21st August. Jeep Team’s OCR athletes who took podium in the Black Ops Elites event were Corina Marx and Thomas van Tonder.   Van Tonder took 2nd place (Men) in a time of 01h40, and Marx took 3rd place (Women) in 02h33. In the same race, Jeep Team’s JJ. Deysel came in 7th and Joshua Masudi came 11th.

Have a look at the following platforms to keep up to date with Jeep Team SA:

Website:       www.jeepteam.co.za

Facebook:     www.facebook.com/jeepteamsa

Twitter:         @jeepteamsa

Instagram:    @jeepteamsa  

Issued by Hot Salsa Media on behalf of Jeep Team SA. For more information, please contact: Viv Quann: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

5 JULY 2016, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – Canoe king, Hank McGregor (Jeep Team), continued his world-class reign of legendary back-to-back victories to claim his fourth Investec Mauritius Ocean Classic title on Saturday, 2 July 2016. The 26km event, which took place near Black River, Mauritius, also doubled as Round 1 of the 2016 ICF Ocean Racing World Cup, which is a new, three-part series on the world surfski calendar. Paddlers faced rough 25-knot downwind conditions at Saturday’s race, with McGregor commenting that “conditions were pretty wild out there, it was super cool! There were some wide-eyed paddlers.” It was a close race against McGregor (Jeep Team), with Australia’s Cory Hill and Michael Booth, and South Africa’s Jasper Mocké and Barry Lewin (Jeep Team), all battling it out for the title until the final two kilometres where McGregor edged ahead to claim the win in 1h08. Hill finished 2nd in 1h09, followed by Booth in 3rd (1h10), Mocké 4th (1h11m30) and Lewin 5th (1h11m57).

Said McGregor, “The final 2km saw us head into the notorious Le Morne Pass, where it’s a hard slog against strong headwinds to the end. I was able to get the lead going into this point, managing to keep it at three hundred metres all the way to the finish. I’m stoked with my fourth win here in a top-class field. The Mauritius Ocean Classic is one of my favourite surfski events as it is a very family-orientated race. This year, my wife Pippa and son Thorsten were here with me, and it was awesome to have their support!” Said Lewin, “I’m stoked with my 5th place finish in Mauritius. Love racing the top guys in the world, and the challenge of a wild ocean. Can't wait for next year.” Round 2 of the ICF Ocean Racing World Cup, the Nelo Summer Challenge, takes place in Portugal this weekend, 8 - 10 July 2016. The third and final event is happening in Tahiti in September 2016. It’s turning into another remarkable year for canoe king McGregor as he proves an unbeatable force in world surfski. At the end of May, he conquered the world’s toughest surfski ultra marathon, the 53km Maui Jim Molokai Surfski Challenge in Hawaii, for a third time. Just a few days later, he won the world’s oldest surfski event, the Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates Surfski Race, in Durban. Then on 29 June, McGregor claimed victory at the FNB Durban Downwind, which is a 2016 World Surfski Series title event. In-between these surfski races, he also won the K1 title at the 2016 South African Canoe Marathon Championships in Cape Town, a result which has qualified him for the 2016 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships taking place in Germany later this year.

2016 INVESTEC MAURITIUS OCEAN CLASSIC RESULTS:

1. Hank McGregor (SA) - 1:08:46
2. Cory Hill (AUS) - 1:09:43
3. Michael Booth (AUS) - 1:10:18
4. Jasper Mocké (SA) - 1:11:30
5. Barry Lewin (SA) - 1:11:57

Other Jeep Team Results: BMX Jeep Team’s 16-year-old BMX athlete, Alex Dolman, took on riders much older than himself this weekend, as he competed in the Elite category at Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the 2016 SA BMX National Age Group Series, which took place at the Rhino and Lion Reserve in Gauteng. Dolman managed to place 8th overall. OCR On Saturday, Jeep Team’s OCR champion, Thomas van Tonder, completed the Wolf Pack Challenge, an extreme, but fun, trail running event in Gauteng where there are no winners or losers. Started by Herman Mulder, the event has been designed for trail runners looking for a hard-core, no frills, back-to-basics physical challenge. The challenge comprised of five ascents of the Magaliesburg to the beacon above the Hartbeespoort Aerial Cableway. This equalled 1600m ascent over 21km.

Have a look at the following platforms to keep up to date with Jeep Team SA:

• Website: www.jeepteam.co.za
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeepteamsa
• Twitter: @jeepteamsa Instagram: JeepTeamSA

Editors’ Notes
For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

DURBAN, 28 JUNE 2016 – The King of surfski, Hank McGregor (Jeep Team), continues his reign of back-to-back victories, this time winning the FNB Durban Downwind Surfski title in Durban on Sunday, 26 June 2016. This is the first time McGregor has won this title since race inception in 2014. 

The third edition of the annual race, which doubled as a World Surfski Series title event, took place in flat ocean conditions, testing paddlers’ endurance and stamina as they raced 26km from La Mercy Beach to Addington Beach. 

McGregor set the pace from the start claiming the FNB Durban Downwind title in 1h44m50. 

Last year’s winner, Matthew Bouman, placed 2nd in 1h45m54, followed by Mark Anderson in 3rd (1h48m54), Gene Prato 4th (1h49m27) and Jeep Team’s Barry Lewin in 5th (1h50m40).

Said McGregor, “I’m stoked to take the win this time around. I narrowly lost it two years ago so it’s nice to win the Durban Downwind for the first time. I was in hospital on Friday so it was a hit and miss whether I was going to race but I’m glad I was able to get out there. Conditions were pretty tough. There was hardly any assistance really so it was a hard slog for 26kms. I managed to get out in front early and then kept the guys behind me for the rest of the race. There weren’t too many tactics involved really.”

It’s been a busy month for paddling legend, McGregor, with back-to-back victories across surfski and canoe marathon paddling disciplines. On 29 May 2016, he claimed his third Maui Jim Molokai Surfski Challenge title in Hawaii. This 53km surfski ultra marathon is considered the world’s toughest surfski event. 

Just days after this victory, and still recovering from jet lag, McGregor won the world’s oldest surfski event, the Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates Surfski Race, which took place in Durban on 5 June. 

He then swapped his surfski for a canoe to claim the K1 2016 South African Canoe Marathon Championship, which took place in Cape Town on 11 June. This result means he has qualified for the 2016 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships, happening in Brandenburg, Germany, in September.

Now he’s on his way to Mauritius for the 2016 Mauritius Ocean Classic World Surfski Series race, taking place on 2 July 2016. Jeep Team team mate, Barry Lewin will also be competing in the Mauritius Ocean Classic.

2016 FNB DURBAN DOWNWIND RESULTS

1. Hank McGregor 1:44.50
2. Matt Bouman 1:45.54
3. Mark Anderson (AUS) 1:48.54
4. Gene Prato 1:49.27
5. Barry Lewin 1:50.40
6. Luke Nisbet 1:50.52
7. Bailey de Fondaumiere (U18) 1:52.35
8. Jason Ekstrand 1:53.06
9. Steve Woods 1:53.43
10. Wade Krieger 1:54.10

Other Jeep Team results

MTB

On Saturday, 25 June 2016, Jeep Team’s MTB athlete, Thinus Redelinghuys, competed in Race#4 of the 2016 USN MTB Cup Series.

The 50km race took place at the Big Red barn, near Irene, Gauteng. Redelinghuys managed an impressive podium finish, placing 2nd overall.

#JeepTeamSA 

Editors’ Notes

For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

22 JUNE 2016, SCOTTBURGH, DURBAN – Thursday, the 16^th of June 2016, saw Jeep Team’s surfski paddler, Barry Lewin, and his racing partner, Lee Furby, amongst the first six boats to break the 46.5-km Scottburgh to Brighton Surfski race record, which was set in 1998, by some 16 minutes.

Lewin and Furby came in 3^rd after a nail-biting sprint finish between winners, Matthew Bouman/Wade Krieger, and Luke Nesbit/Gene Prato. Officials were unable to make out a winner between Bouman/Krieger and Nesbit/Prato boats, and unanimously called the race a tie win.

Having initially not planned to participate in the race due to its length and level of difficulty, 3^rd placed Lewin/Furby came into the race with less-than-desirable preparation, which slowed them down in the first 10km. According to Lewin, he was sore from gym sessions over the two previous days, which saw him take around 10km to loosen up.

Said Lewin, “No matter the results, surfski paddling, and specifically, downwind surfski paddling, was the winner. This was all due to the strong community around our sport and the great people I like to call my peers. Thank you, thank you and thank you to all involved in retaining the true essence of why we paddle.”

Lewin will be competing in the FNB Durban Downwind on the 25/26 of June. Some of the best surfski racers in the world will converge on Durban this weekend for the 2016 FNB Durban Downwind, setting the stage for another world-class duel as this World Surfski Series title event draws top elite ocean racers to Durban’s idyllic wintery conditions for this 26km clash.

With the backing of title sponsor, FNB, the event boasts a R40 000 prize purse across its various age categories and stands as Durban’s premier surfski event.

The format for 2016 will be a 26km race between La Mercy and Marine SLC with the course direction dependent on the wind direction on the day. The two-day window period allows organisers the best possible chance of the best conditions over the 25^th and 26^th June.

The singles and doubles races will take place simultaneously with the singles clash being the primary focus; however doubles are still welcome at the event.

SCOTTBURGH TO BRIGHTON RESULTS:

1. Matthew Bouman/Wade Krieger - 2:40:59
2. Luke Nesbit/Gene Prato - 2:40:59
3. Barry Lewin/Lee Furby - 2:46:42
4. Brett Hadiaris /Thomas Lovemore - 2:47:43
5. Zoog Haynes / Linton Hoper - 2:53:44
6. Brett Bartho/Grant van der Walt - 2:56:18

#JeepTeamSA

For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

15 JUNE 2016, CAPE TOWN – In a fierce showdown, multiple world-champion paddler, Hank McGregor (Jeep Team), claimed the K1 2016 South African Canoe Marathon Championship title just split seconds ahead of Andy Birkett and Brandon van der Walt at the 2016 South African Canoe Marathon Championships, which took place at Zandvlei, Cape Town, on 11 June 2016.  

The result was a reversal of the 2015 outcome where Birkett narrowly pipped McGregor to the title after a similar hard-fought sprint finish.

It was set to be a nail-biting championship from the get go, with South Africa’s best paddlers fighting for the limited two spots per age category on the South African team heading to the 2016 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Brandenburg, Germany, in September.

Following the weekend’s results, both McGregor and Birkett will be representing South Africa in the Senior Men’s K1 event at the World Championships, where McGregor will be gunning for a fourth consecutive K1 World title.

Saturday’s K1 race took place in tough cold and windy conditions at the Peninsula Canoe Club in Zandvlei.  At the fourth portage, a set-back saw Birkett fall out his boat. In a show of true sportsmanship, McGregor waited while Birkett climbed back into his boat, with the duo then racing to catch up with the group of paddlers in front.

In the final 200m of the race, McGregor, Birkett and Van der Walt edged ahead of the pack, leading to the exhilarating final sprint, with the three paddlers finishing within split seconds of each other in 2h14m17s.

Said McGregor, “It’s an exposed course, and pretty much the first port of call when the wind coming from the South Pole hits Africa. On Saturday it was windy, but these unpredictable conditions turned it into more of a surfski race, so the experienced surfski paddlers definitely had the advantage! I am stoked with this win. Thanks to everyone for all your support on the bank and well done to all the competitors on a solid, very challenging race.”

On Sunday in the K2 SA Championships, a last minute change of plans saw McGregor partner with Siseko Ntondini, instead of Jasper Mocke who withdrew due to illness.

Birkett / Louis Hattingh won the K2 event with Van der Walt / Stu McLaren in 2^nd, and McGregor / Ntondini in 3^rd.

RESULTS: SENIOR MEN K1

1. Hank McGregor - 2:14:17
2. Andy Birkett - 2:14:17
3. Brandon van der Walt - 2:14:19

RESULTS: SENIOR MEN K2

1. Andy Birkett/Louis Hattingh - 2:00:26
2. Brandon der Walt /Stu McLaren - 2:00:28
3. Hank McGregor/Siseko Ntondini - 2:01:28 

#JeepTeamSA                 

Editors’ Notes

PHOTO CAPTION: Hank McGregor and Siseko Ntondini during the 2016 K2 SA Canoe Marathon Championships in Zandvlei, Cape Town. Photographer: John Hishin / Gameplan Media

PIETERMARITZBURG, 31 May 2016 – South African surfski paddlers dominated the 40th annual Maui Jim Molokai Challenge in Hawaii on Sunday, 29 May 2016, with Jeep Team’s Hank McGregor leading the charge to claim his third Maui Jim title in relentlessly flat and windless ocean conditions.

McGregor finished the 53km surfski ultra marathon in 3h45, with fellow South Africans Sean Rice and Jasper Mocke finishing 2^nd and 3^rd respectively in 3h47 and 3h48.

The Maui Jim Molokai Challenge is the world’s oldest surfski race, and also one of the longest and toughest marathons, set across the Kaiwi Channel, between the Hawaiian islands of Molokai and Oahu. Called the ‘Channel of Bones’ by Hawaiians, the channel is renowned for unpredictable, and often extreme, weather conditions that can change in seconds.

2016 was one of the toughest Maui Jim Molokai Challenges in recent years, with paddlers competing in uncomfortably hot and humid conditions, with no downwind to speak of, which saw the race turn into a strategic test of physical strength and endurance.

A few kilometres into the race, a group of five paddlers surged ahead of the pack. This included the South African trio of McGregor, Rice and Mocke, plus Australia’s defending champion Cory Hill and his compatriot, Clint Robinson.

The race soon turned into an individual battle of endurance with each paddler seeking his own line across the channel that was offering no swell, runs or downwind assistance. In these conditions, McGregor’s experience gave him the edge he needed to find quicker lines and to finish at Maunalua Beach Park a minute and a half clear of second-placed Rice.

Said McGregor, “Last year I came so close to winning, so to come back and win now is awesome, and everything that I had hoped for. It was hot and brutal out there – probably one of the toughest surfski races I’ve ever done, and yet again living up to its name. Congrats to all my fellow countrymen that did so well!”

McGregor first won the race in 2009, followed by a second victory in 2014. In 2015, he led the field until the final two kilometres when Australians Cory Hill and Clint Robinson pipped him to the finish line.

2016 MAUI JIM MOLOKAI CHALLENGE RESULTS

1. Hank McGregor (RSA) 3:45:34
2. Sean Rice (RSA) 3:47:01
3. Jasper Mocké (RSA) 3:48:19
4. Clint Robinson (Aus) 3:49:20
5. Joey Hall (Aus) 4:01:02 

Other Jeep Team results…

Surfski

In Durban, Jeep Team’s Barry Lewin claimed 3^rd place in the 15km Winkle SLC Surfski Race, which took place on Sunday, 29 May.

The Winkle Race was one of the preliminary events leading up to the FNB Durban Downwind on 25 June 2016, which also doubles as a World Surfski Series event.

MTB

In the North West province, Jeep Team’s Pierre Smith competed in the season-opening event of the 2016 Gauteng Nissan Trailseeker MTB Series, which took place on Saturday, 28 May.

Smith finished the 70km marathon through the Mabalingwe Game Reserve in 8^th overall in 2h37. Max Knox won the Men’s race in 1h51, followed by Martien Venter in 2^nd (2h07) and Heine Engelbrecht in 3^rd (2h29).

Said Smith, “I had some great fun at the 1st Nissan Trailseeker race. I’m happy with a solid 8th overall after some tough races thus far. Thanks for all the support from everyone.”

On Sunday, Jeep Team’s Thinus Redelinghuys competed in the 54km Hollard Jozi Urban MTB Adventure.

The unusual race, in partnership with City Parks and Johannesburg Zoo, took riders on an urban adventure through Johannesburg’s parks and outdoor recreation facilities, with the route passing through interesting features that included storm water drains, underground tunnels and floating bridges.

Redelinghuys finished 5^th overall and 1^st Senior in 2h09.

#JeepTeamSA 

Have a look at the following platforms to keep up to date with Jeep Team SA:

Website: www.jeepteam.co.za
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeepteamsa
Twitter: @jeepteamsa
Instagram: JeepTeamSA

Editors’ Notes
Photo credits to Anthony Grote / Gameplan Media.
For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

KWAZULU-NATAL, DURBAN, MAY 2016 - KwaZulu-Natal’s sunny Durban is a surfski paradise famous worldwide for its golden beaches, big waves and exhilarating downwind racing conditions. The city is home to some of the world’s greatest surfski paddlers, and hosts the world’s largest surfski series, breaking world records for paddler numbers. It is the number one city in the world to live in if you’re passionate about the sport.

“Durban is the best place in the world to paddle. We have warm water year round and no real winter to speak of. For novice paddlers, the Durban Bay is a sanctuary to kick off learning the sport, and for the hard-core extreme paddler, Durban also provides some of the best downwind surf one can find. It’s this amazing environment that has aided the growth of the sport,” explains Barry Lewin, a Jeep Team-sponsored athlete, who is also one of South Africa’s top surfski paddlers, and organiser for Durban’s Varsity College FNB Marine Surfski Series and the Bay Union Surfski Series.

Describing how it all began, Lewin said the sport first took off in Durban in 2001 when the Winter Surfski Series, run by Billy Harker, hit the scene. Before this, surfski was considered more of a fun hobby than a professional sport.

Says Lewin, “Under Harker’s management, people started taking surfski seriously, with paddler numbers doubling from 100 to 200 in the first year of the series. In 2003, 525 paddlers took part in the series, and saw Durban break the Guinness World Record for the biggest entry for a domestic surfski event.”

Durban-born Lewin is an accomplished river marathon and surfski paddler, with a number of local and international titles to his name. Notable achievements include winning the Liffey Descent in Ireland on his first attempt back in 2007, as well as breaking the 25-year-old K1 record a year later at Australia’s Avon Descent. But it is back home in Durban where his passion and dedication to the development of surfski has really grown the sport in recent years.

Lewin has been instrumental in developing Durban’s young talent, having founded South Africa’s first surfski development programme for underprivileged youth, as well as launching Durban’s first surfski school in 2006. The development programme, now managed by Lewin’s dad, Mark Lewin, has produced a number of the country’s top paddlers, including Sthembiso Mbatha, who represented South Africa at the 2011 Surfski World Cup, and is now a coach at the school.

Says Lewin, “It all started with a small surfski school in Durban to teach people how to paddle in the sea. The joy of sharing my passion for the ocean and sport is extremely rewarding. The school is the perfect way to try out the sport. Coaches include myself as well as some of Durban’s top paddlers, including Wade Krieger and Sthembiso Mbatha. Schools travel from across KwaZulu-Natal to take part in our clinics.”

Lewin’s success with the Surfski School led to him taking over management in 2010 of Durban’s premier summer surfski event – the Varsity College FNB Marine Surfski Series. Under his leadership, the series attracted major sponsorship from Varsity College in 2010, and then from banking giant, FNB in 2015.  Since then, the series has grown into the world’s biggest surfski event, attracting record entries every year.

 “The Varsity College FNB Marine Surfski Series is special because it is also an event aimed at developing young surfski talent in Durban. Every year, the final race in the 10-part series doubles as the Varsity College FNB South African Schools Surfski Championships. This places Durban on the map globally as the premier hotspot for up-and-coming surfski talent.

Other major surfski events now taking place in Durban include the winter Bay Union Surfski Series (April – May 2016), which is also organised by Lewin; the Durban Downwind from 25 – 26 June 2016, which also doubles as a World Surfski Series event; and the Wall and Back Surfski Series (October – December 2016). Surf’s Up Durban!

#JeepTeamSA

Editors’ Notes

For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..