The world’s best surfski paddlers will be congregating on the Durban beachfront in October 2025 to take part in the ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Champs.
Earlier this year, the International Canoe Federation awarded Durban the rights to host the annual event to decide the best ocean paddlers in the wortld, and the racing will take place on October 17-19, 2025, from the Durban Undersea Club (DUC).
The week-long series of events is not only aimed at the elite paddlers, with the “less racy” paddlers able to compete alongside the world best, while a programme of events has been planned to give paddlers a chance to compete in three top-quality events as well as a host of other activities and “smaller” races.
The week before the World Championships on October 12, the annual Pirates-Umhlanga-Pirates event will allow competitors to experience race conditions off the Durban beachfront and take part in the world’s oldest surfski race.
South Africa’s most popular ocean racing event, the annual two-day Biogen Pete Marlin Surfski Race, has moved their dates to October 25-26, a week later in East London (just a one-hour flight from Durban), giving paddlers the opportunity to compete in three events in three consecutive weekends.
The final programme of events will be released shortly.