With more than $30,000 on offer The Doctor attracted the globe’s very best paddlers and Mocke trumped them all, controlling the race throughout before pulling away from Australian number one Jeremy Cotter over the last kilometre of the 20km event to win by over ten metres.

Cotter’s fellow Gold Coaster Bruce Taylor upset some bigger names to finish third ahead of Mocke’s younger brother Jasper, while Hawaiian star Lauren Bartlett beat former Australian Ironwoman champion Kirsty Holmes and Perth doctor Ruth Highman in the women’s event.

Course Reversed

The Doctor is traditionally raced from Rottnest Island to the mainland but to ensure the event remained a downwind paddle as advertised, organisers were forced to start the event in Fremantle and head west to Rottnest.

Beijing gold medallist Kenny Wallace had blasted the field away off the start, setting a white hot pace and stringing the elite field out almost from the gun. The Olympic champion tired around the halfway mark but battled on to finish back in the field.

Mocke was able to paddle with a group that sat on the back of Wallace near the start and then took the lead about ten minutes into the event. Despite the best efforts of Cotter the South African was never headed.

“Ken Wallace took off at the start and it split the field,” a jubilant Mocke said, describing how he set up the victory.

“At one stage there when Ken was going for it I wondered how long I could carry on like that but things calmed down and I knew if I could get 50 to 60 metres lead it would be hard for people to catch.

“I like to lead and defend and that’s how it worked out, even though Jeremy was able to pull up right next to me in the last few minutes.

“This race is always super competitive and was one race that I really, really wanted to win badly.”

Women's Race

Ensuring both major titles went offshore, Maui’s Bartlett, a prolific winner in both OC1 and surf ski events at the Molokai to Oahu world championships, was too good for Australians Holmes and Highman in the women’s race.

Results Summary

Hank McGregor came 12th.

In the women's race:
1. Lauren Bartlett (HI/USA)
2. Kirsty Holmes (Aus)
3. Ruth Highman (Aus)

Article written by Rob Mousley - Surfski.Info