Durban was everything we dreamed of and more. Billy and Betsy dive into: what was going on with that shore break? Who handled it well, should the course run through such an intense shorey, and how viral did those videos go?

But more importantly, what was going through the minds of some of the top paddlers when they were on the water? It was a long course of 34km in less wind what many paddlers hoped for, and there was plenty of action between the buoys that didn’t make the live stream.

Newly crowned 2x world champion Kira Bester and 2025 U23 world champion Rosie Edwards join Paddlecast to talk through how the women’s race went from the front, recapping the key moments in their own words.

For the men’s race, 4x world champion Cory Hill and 2025 vice world champion Pierre Vilella tell the story of the front of the men’s race in their own words.

Billy & Betsy talk about their stand-outs, focusing on some impressive young paddlers including junior world champions Sam Mocke and Andrea Jimenez, as well as U23 stand-outs Rosie Edwards, Bernardo Pereira, and Matt Coetzer.

In her interview with Paddlecast, Kira Bester describes exactly how she was feeling in that moment when she won her world title, and who she was really racing for this year. Rosie Edwards explains just how shocked she was at her result, and why she thinks she paddled so well in Durban. Pierre Vilella, whose silver medal shocked many fans including a commentary team that called him Gordan Harbrecht for the first few minutes of the race, discusses how surprised he was, how his training group helps him, and why he thinks his recent venture into marathon racing was key to his stellar result.

16 year old Sam Mocke makes his podcast debut, almost as exciting as winning his second junior world title with plenty of time left in the junior category. He talks about which paddlers, Mocke family and otherwise, he looks up to as role models and inspiration. Sam outlines exactly just how ambitious he is with his goals for the future of his paddling career, far beyond more world titles…

Finally, Billy & Betsy mention a few more fantastic races that have been happening over the last couple of weeks while they’ve been focused on Durban, including:

The Krumlovsky

Liffey Descent

Great Alabama 650

Paddle Games

Pete Marlin

20 Beaches

Links to catch up on those races are included below.

Thanks to Carbonology UK for sponsoring this episode of Paddlecast! Carbonology is one of the world’s leading surfski brands, and notably it’s the brand of choice for the now 2x world champion Kira Bester, who has won both her world titles racing the Carbonology Flash X LV (Low Volume) ski. Paddlecast co-host Billy has spent plenty of time in Carbonology skis as well, including the intermediate-level Zest which was his first ski and a perfect introduction to surfski paddling for those coming from a strong sprint or marathon racing background.

Head over to carbonologysport.co.uk to check out their skis and other equipment. Contact [email protected] to learn more.

00:22 Introduction & why Billy didn't race

02:28 Women's Race Recap with Kira & Rosie

09:04 The Shorey

14:31 Men's Race Recap with Cory & Pierre

27:15 The Largest Start Line Ever at Worlds

29:40 Stand-Out Paddlers

Highlighting up-and-coming paddlers who performed exceptionally well or better than expected

35:28 Interview with Kira Bester

40:28 Interview with Rosie Edwards

43:38 Interview with Pierre Vilella

50:59 Interview with Sam Mocke

1:00:47 Interview with Cory Hill

Useful links: https://www.facebook.com/krumlovskymaraton

https://www.facebook.com/liffeydescent

https://www.facebook.com/GreatAlabama650

https://www.instagram.com/paddle_games

https://petemarlin.co.za/2025-results

https://20beaches.com.au

#surfski #surfskikayak #worldchampionship #durban2025 #visitsouthafrica #kayaking #surflifesaving #paddlesportsa #planetcanoe