Every sport has its heroes and household names. Soccer, tennis and rugby have theirs. Surfing and athletics have them and no doubt other sports have theirs too. Some sport heroes’ fame goes beyond the sport they have excelled in because their outstanding performances simply grab the imagination of all who see them or hear about them. One such person is Oscar Chalupsky, South Africa’s and the world’s “canoeist extraordinaire”. Oscar, meaning “mighty warrior”, was aptly named; what he tackled in the world of canoeing, specifically surfski paddling, he excelled in and has been on top of for many years. Oscar always had it coming with dad Paul setting the stage with his racing and long-distance kayaking, particularly his marathon from Cape Town to Durban with Tony Scott around the southernmost tip of Africa, including the Cape of Storms and Cape Agulhas. Oscar proved himself in paddling sports in surf life-saving races around the cans, being chosen for South African Olympics Team, in the harrowing PE to East London 4-day surfski ultra-marathon and by his famous performances on the Molokai Race in Hawaii when he trounced all-comers time and again, resulting in worldwide recognition. Later he partnered with Greg Barton, US Olympic Kayak Champion, to contribute to the Epic surfski range which together with pioneering brands like Fenn and PaddleYak (one of the first to use a deep seat with adjustable pedals on its original PY Adaptor), put ocean surfski racing on the map. Paddlers like Hank Mc Gregor and the Mocke brothers, Dawid and Jasper, extended the reach of the sport with their magnificent performances. The sport is catching on exponentially after being in the fold of surf life-saving and is being embraced now by recreational paddlers worldwide. Oscar, the large and powerful and most awesome of competitors, is now offering coaching on the finer skills of paddling, a master and legend in his own time, generously passing on his knowledge and passion to awestruck and appreciative fans. Oscar in true character is currently battling the odds healthwise and sharing his fight and the lessons being learned. He must gain great satisfaction knowing that he has inspired many by his superb performances and coaching.
Footnote: Oscar and Freya Hoffmeister (see previous News) did meet on occasion and by all accounts it was like the clash of the titans. One would have expected nothing less.