Hi ,

Are you getting as excited as we are? The 2026 Pete Marlin and South African Ocean paddling Championships on October 31 & November 1 is fast approaching – and the final entry deadline is now just seven days away.

That means the leaders in the procrastination race are facing their finish line and have just one week to book their place on the start line in East London for this year's premier surfski race.

There is loads of prizemoney on offer, medals for the top three in each age category, and plenty of fun to be had at the weekend of downwind action.

It is the most fun you can have on or off you ski, so make sure you enter before midnight on Monday, October 26th.

With a week to go, there is also a bit of admin to get sorted (if you have not done so already) – checking & confirming accommodation, transport, food plans, boat and equipment checks ... and making sure your entry is sorted and correct.

Race Director Charl van Wyk reminds those who have left things late to make sure of the following: 

1) You are entered  – you can find a list of entries here (click for S1) and here (click for S2) and entries are still open on the PSA entry portal.

2) Check you and your partner are paired up correctly for the doubles race. If there is a change and you have not already informed us,  please email info@petemarlin.co.za with the details (your name and your partners name – we cannot always see who is contacting us from an email address or a first name only, so "I am paddling with Bob" does not always help!). No problem if you want to paddle singles in the doubles race: That is allowed, but if you have not already informed us, please let us know via the email above.

3) The same applies for the S1 race. If you want to paddle a double in that event, and have not already informed us, please let us know via email above.

4) A reminder to check your age category. If you are paddling in doubles, you can check your doubles age category on the PSA website here.

The official race WhatsApp group is the primary source of communication to paddlers. To make sure you are up to date with the event information and updates, we encourage you to remain on the group or please click the following link or click the button below to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HWVKX6xsaOWBtpppyHjZIW.

With just a month to go before race weekend, we want to acknowledge one of the key elements of our successful event.

We have always been extremely lucky to have a dedicated group of loyal supporters and partners who sponsor the event and allow us to make the event as successful as it has been, and 2026 is no different.

For all out-of-town paddlers aiming to grab a medal, title and / or a chunk of the prizemoney, a good night's sleep is a key element of the preparation. With that in mind the event organisers have put together a comprehensive list of accommodation offerings. Options range from recommended B&Bs and guest houses, to lodges, suites, private game reserves and resorts. The choice is yours, if you go to the event Accommodation Page.

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