No two Discovery Surfers Challenges are ever the same and comparisons are often more about personal memories and performance than about fact. 2010 versus 2011 is, however, different with the extreme conditions of last year totally eclipsed by better surfaces and seas this past Saturday. Were they the best ever? – no they were not, although the odd journo might suggest so.
What 2011 did offer was level playing fields for everyone. There was plenty of space to manoeuvre once the initial crowds were broken free from and the sand was much firmer.
The extra kilometre added to the run has also made the contest between runner and paddler a great deal closer, whether all runners appreciate it or not.

The paddlers chose between two options, one took a route further out to sea than the other and it would appear that the former option was the more beneficial.
The new Gonubie cut-off ensured that all on foot had every opportunity to make it to the finish and qualify for the race t-shirt to which most competitors aspire.
The organisation in respect of crowd control has generally been good and this year it stepped up a notch, giving it a good professional feel.
Once again the people of Gonubie were superb and were out lining the beaches and streets well in advance of the arrival of participants.
The glow on the faces of the majority of the finishes said it all – 2011 was a great success.