Dean Gardiner of NSW took out the 25km Graeme Long Memorial Race in Torquay on the weekend. The race was part of the Outlaw Ocean Paddling Series, and was an Australian Ocean Paddling Championship event.

More than 60 athletes from across Australia competed in the marquee 25km downwind race of the series.

Gardiner showed he was one of Australia's best ocean paddlers at the age of 45, crossing the finish line in 1hr 29 mins.

Gardiner making his way back out from Point Addis, the mid-race checkpoint.

Classic Gardiner about to pull down another runner.

Two minutes behind Gardiner in second place was Tony Schumacher, also from NSW, in a time of 1hr 32 mins 32 secs. Jody Zerbst was the first Victorian across the line in fifth place, in a time of 1 hr 36 min 46 sec.

Tony Schumacher, punching through the small chop, heads back out from Point Addis checkpoint.

Zerbst loving the downwind section and the beautiful surrounding cliff lines.

"A 25-knot southwesterly wind provided perfect conditions for a fast downwind race along spectacular coastline from Urquharts Bluff to Torquay," said Gardiner. "I went hard for a good kilometre after the first turning to hopefully get a break on the field, and I managed to get a good 100-metre lead. I knew I had Schumacher on my tail, so I had to keep pushing to stay in front. It was a great race and well done to the crew of Outlaw for putting it on."

The first female over the line was Ruth Highman from WA, in a time of 1 hr 51 mins 30 secs, followed by Lee Myattsin from SA in 2 hrs 5 mins 7 secs. In third place for the women was Kim Willocks from Victoria, in a time of 2 hrs 33 mins and 17 secs.

Ruth out in the open ocean of Bass Strait enjoying life and the running swell.

"It was hard work and there were some perfect runners to contend with at Point Addis and along the Bells Beach cliff line, but I am very happy to have taken out first place," said Highman.

Highman gaining control of her Epic again as the running swell and wind push her down the coastline.

Mat Carter took out first place in the Outrigger category in 1 hr 51 mins 40 secs, followed by Wade Vautier in 2 hrs 9 mins 31 secs, and Garry Jones in 2 hrs 11 mins 28 secs.

"Wade, Jarad, Tim and the Outlaw crew put on a well organised, professional event," said Carter after the race. "They jagged it big time for the weather. Reports leading up to the race suggested it was possibly going to be flat, but it was far from it. A good hour before the start, the wind started picking up and we had pretty big linkable runners the whole way. It was great paddling along a different coastline - paddling into a bay at halfway and back out again broke up the course a bit and worked well."

Notto and Vautier going head to head out in Bass Strait.

In conjunction with Torquay Surf Life Saving Club, Outlaw Race 5 was held in memory of Graeme Long, a great man of paddling and surf life saving who tragically lost his life in 1998 during a downwind paddle from Anglesea to Torquay.

Rohan Long, Graeme's son, presented the Graeme Long award to Rod Clark for his performance in the Outlaw race and also his efforts in the Murray Marathon after Christmas.

"I am very pleased to present this award to Rod Clark for his great achievement, skill and determination in the sport of paddling," said Long. "It would have brought a tear to my old man's eye and it brings a tear to my eye to present this award to you today."

Race organiser Wade Vautier said the race was a great success and looks forward to the next one at Barwon Heads on 28 March, as well as the next FINN paddle crit in Sandridge, Melbourne, on 27 January.

World Paddling Champion Dawid Mocke did not race due to missing his flight from Perth, but made it for the end of the race and presented the winning trophy.

"Next time I'll paddle the race rather than watch it from the air," he laughed.

Dean Gardiner, Wade Vautier and Tim Altman at the presentations.

Outlaw Paddling is a partnership between three Victorian ocean paddling experts - Wade Vautier, Jarad Kohlar and Tim Altman - designed to increase participation in competitive ocean paddling in Victoria, and provide paddlers a racing forum in which to test their skills.

"We started Outlaw because we wanted to introduce ocean paddling competition to Victoria, and because the conditions in Victoria lend themselves to downwind paddling races," said Vautier. "We hope to grow this event so that in the next couple of years we have 500 competitors lining up to take part."

The Outlaw Paddling series consists of seven races in 2009/2010 at various locations along Victoria's coastline, as well as one river paddle.

We would like to thank the following supporters for their help:

Event supported by:

Major sponsors:

The Paddlers Brand - at one with the elements

Peak Adventure - kayak coaching and training

Race results will be posted in the next 24 hours along with more detailed reports and photos.

Trevor Murray making his way to the finish line.

"This was the best fun I've had in my kayak all year. This was a great event and I will be doing more ocean paddling in the future," said Murray after the finish.

Until then, happy paddling from the team at Outlaw.