CAPE TOWN – The entry list for the 2025 Prescient Freedom Paddle on April 27 offers a glimpse into an exciting future for women’s paddling in South Africa, with current world champions headlining a strong field of up-and-coming young stars and some experienced old hands.
Heading the lineup is current ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Champion Kira Bester, who claimed the world title in Portugal last year while still an U23 competitor. Another youngster who was also able to admire a pair of gold medals on her flight back from Portugal in October was Georgia Singe, after she won the junior title and then teamed up with Uli Hart to claim the mixed doubles a day later.
This year Bester, who partnered Pippa McGregor to victory in the race around Robben Island in 2024, will be teaming up on Freedom Day next weekend with close friend and regular training partner Melanie van Niekerk. With the event doubling as the national double ski championships, the experienced combination is heavily favoured to retain the South African SS2 title they won in Durban last year.
Singe, who is also a former junior marathon World Champion, and Hart are preparing for the defence of their Mixed Doubles crown in Durban in October, and with that in mind will be paddling the Prescient Freedom Paddle together. The pair are a powerful young combination and it seems likely only a major setback will prevent them from claiming victory in the mixed category – and denting the male egos of a lot of all-male crews in the journey around Robben Island.
Singe, Van Niekerk and Bester are however just the highlights of a strong lineup of the country’s top female surfski paddlers that has the ocean racing community contemplating an exciting few years of domination on the international stage.
Other world beaters in the race around Robben Island on April 27 include Saskia Hockly, who won bronze at the World Champs in the U23 race, and hopes to help McGregor successfully defend her Freedom Paddle title next weekend.
Hockly is no stranger to international success with junior, U23 and senior medals to her name in the past few years for both marathon and ocean racing at World Championship level. McGregor has some impressive results to her name, mostly as a very effective partner in a double – not least of all last year’s Prescient Freedom Paddle win. This fascinating combination of youth and experience will not be easily beaten.
A third crew that is sure to be challenging for overall honours is the experienced combination of Jenna Nisbet and Nix Birkett. Nisbett is a multiple medallist through the U23 and senior age categories at the World Marathon Champs and both have top-ten results from national and international surfski championships.
The 2025 Prescient Freedom Paddle takes place on April 27 and will see the bulk of the field tackling a 27km out and back course from Oceana Power Boat Club around Robben Island. A shorter 10km route takes paddlers from the Oceana Power Boat Club on a two-lap course west to Moulle Point and then east to the harbour’s breakwater.
Entries for the Prescient Freedom Paddle are still open and more information can be seen at https://freedompaddle.co.za/
