Impressive women’s field named for Robben Island Freedom Paddle

A strong roster at the Prescient Freedom Paddle suggests that the women’s event on Saturday will be an exciting struggle for the 2024 championship in the annual race around Robben Island.

With a field stacked with some of South Africa’s finest surfski and canoeing talents, this year’s women’s race promises to be a thrilling battle for victory in the famous 27km ocean racing event.

Freedom Paddle to feature the cream of women’s paddling

In a women’s field loaded with World Championship titles, the crew to beat appears to be the reigning champion combination of the immensely experienced Michelle Burn and her junior partner, Saskia Hockly.

Burn won the 2021 Ocean Racing World Championships in Spain, and Hockly won the junior championship at the same edition. 

Over the last three years, the outstanding 20-year-old “junior” partner in the combination has won five silver and bronze medals at the junior, U23, and senior paddling World Championships.

Last year, the Durban-based K2 struggled off the line in last place, but in strong headwind conditions to Robben Island, they caught their women’s competitors at the famous monument and won by 36 seconds on the downwind dice back to Oceana.

New pairings

Candice Starr and Kira Bester, last year’s runners-up, have broken up, but both are now part of two formidable combinations with the pedigree to defeat Hockly and Burn in what appears to be a fascinating no-holds-barred three-way tie.

Starr (previously Murray), who won the 2021 championship with Bester, has teamed up with Melanie van Niekerk to forge a team capable of capturing the win. Van Niekerk has claimed four mixed doubles titles at the Freedom Paddle and this will be her first venture into the women’s race.

Bester, the current World U23 World Champion who finished third overall at the World Ocean Racing Champs in Perth late last year, has teamed up with two-time race winner Pippa McGregor. McGregor is frequently overshadowed by her legendary husband Hank, but she is a formidable competitor in her own right, and this duo is sure to compete for victory.

The Nicole “Nix” Birkett and Jenna Nisbett combo, as well as current youth Canoe Marathon World Champions Georgia Singe and Holly Smith, are likely to be close to the front trio, although this year’s pace could be a little too fast up front.

Freedom Day paddle is for everyone

Entrants have the option of two distances on Freedom Day. The majority of the field on Saturday will tackle the 27km route, which takes all competitors on the historic route from the Oceana Power Boat Club, around Robben Island and back to the start.

The additional shorter 10km route, introduced in 2023, is sanctioned by Lifesaving SA and caters for those paddlers and lifeguards who are not confident enough for the long, open-water route around Robben Island. That course begins from Oceana but takes paddlers west along the coastline to a turning buoy off Sea Point, before returning to the start/finish area.

The event is open to all human paddle-powered craft that are seaworthy enough to complete the course. This includes surfskis, lifesaving paddle boats, stand-up paddle boards, ocean skulls and ocean kayaks.