Kenny Rice and Danielle McKenzie win the Shaw and Partners DOCTOR 2022, with Shaw and Partners Brand Ambassador Cory Hill in fourth

While the Australian paddlers had set the pace all week, when it came to big dance – the 27 km endurance race the Shaw and Partners DOCTOR from Rottnest Island to Perth’s Sorrento beach - it was the South Africans who came through to blitz the field today and take a clean sweep of the male podium with Kenny Rice victor; while paddling supremo Kiwi Danielle McKenzie won the women’s showdown.   

With 20 knot plus winds putting the best surf paddling skills to the test, world champion, 27-year-old Rice took the prized victory in 1h36.26s with his fellow South Africans, Mark Keeling and Uli Hart crossing just seconds behind, to seal the podium for the Saffas.

Shaw and Partners Brand Ambassador and four-times Doctor winner Cory Hill was the first Aussie home taking 4th, South Africa’s Josh Fenn was 5th and veteran Hank McGregor was 6th, Perth’s paddling talent Michael Booth was 7th, Tom Norton who had performed so well early in the week was 8th; Friday’s Dash for Cash winner Olympian Riley Fitzsimmons was 9th, and Hot Shot winner North Bondi’s Noah Havard came in 10th.

In the women’s DOCTOR, it was all Kiwi Danielle McKenzie.  While her arch-rival, Jemma Smith from the NSW Central Coast started strong to win the Hot Shot 1km from the Thomson’s Bay start, 28-year-old McKenzie soon assumed control and broke away, relishing in the wave action whipped up by the 20 knot plus winds.   

Masterful McKenzie cut the tape in 1h48.36s, with Smith 2nd in 1h50.36s and USA young talent, the 20-year-old Ana Swetish coming home third (1h50.42s) – an impressive performance for her first Doctor.  South Africa’s Michelle Burn came in 4th, and the Gold Coast paddler from the Northcliffe club, Hannah Sculley snapped up 5th.