Oscar Chalupsky

Few Paddlers hold a record comparable to that of Oscar Chalupsky. Beginning his canoeing career during his school years, his list of accomplishments include twelve time World Molokai Surfski Champion, multiple winner of the Umkomaas River Marathon and Olympic Canoe Team Captain & participant, representing South Africa in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

In 1979, at the age of 15, Oscar Chalupsky made headlines at the South African Surf Lifesaving Champs, winning the Junior and Senior Ironman Titles on the same day. In 1983 he won the storied Molokai World Championships open-ocean race for the first time. Since then, the now 51 year-old South African who’s well known for both his on- and off-water antics, had this to say about winning his 12th title at the age of 49.

“I wanted to lose weight,” Chalupsky says in an interview with C&K contributor Joe Glickman, who points out that Oscar was resembling Santa Claus around Christmas time this past year, “and since I’m extremely goal oriented I decided to use Molokai as the carrot to get back in shape.”

According to Chalupsky, he started his Molokai training routine by waking up at 4:15 AM, checking his email and then running 3K to the gym. Then he would head to the sauna and do half an hour of push-ups, sit-ups and dips. To cool down, he says he would swim 1000-1500 meters, then take a 45- minute spin (bike) class and run back home. In the afternoon, he’d do a downwind paddle, or if it were flat, he’d do “a 45-60 minute technique sessions.”

“I’ve always maintained that age is more about motivation than anything else,” Chalupsky says later on in the interview. “I know you’re not supposed to go as fast at 49 as you did when you’re 39, but I feel that I’m capable of going much the same as I did and, in fact, my times on runs I’ve done for 20 years are much the same. The clock doesn’t lie. The stopwatch worries me far more than Father Time.”

Stats

Birthdate: March 1, 1963

Married to Clare Chalupsky and has two children Luke and Hannah

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 260lbs off training weight and 220lbs in training weight

Accomplishments

1979

Youngest Springbok/South African Lifesaver Victorious in Test against U.S.A Won all SOUTH AFRICAN Junior sprints canoeing from U16, U18

1980

1st person in the world & in the history of Surf Lifesaving to win Junior & Senior Iron Man Represented: Natal Schools Rugby
Natal Schools Water Polo
SOUTH AFRICAN Schools Water Polo
Natal Senior Canoeing Team
3rd SOUTH AFRICAN Wild Water Champs

1981

1st person in the world and in the history of Lifesaving to win Junior & Senior Victor Ludorum Youngest person to win 244km Port Elizabeth to East London Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race. Junior Springbok/South African Water Polo Team, successful tour to Israel.
Youngest Springbok/South African Canoeist.
2nd in Sella Descent, Biggest Canoe Race in the world held in Spain. SOUTH AFRICAN Junior Sportsman of the year.

1982

Springbok/South African Lifesaving Team test against U.S.A - Victorious Natal Water Polo Team
SOUTH AFRICAN Iron Man Champion
SOUTH AFRICAN Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Champion

1983

Winner of World Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Championships i.e. Molokai to Oahu (Hawaii), Beat 4 times winner Grant Henny from Australia, who won Bronze Olympic Medal
Winner of 244km Port Elizabeth to East London Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race Springbok/South African Lifesaving Team
Springbok/South African Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Team SOUTH AFRICAN Body Boarding Champion
SOUTH AFRICAN K1 Canoeing Champion
Natal Sportsman of the Year

1984

2nd time winner of World Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Championships in Hawaii SOUTH AFRICAN Iron Man Champion
Springbok/South African Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Champion
SOUTH AFRICAN Ski Champion

1985

3rd time winner of World Champion Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak in Hawaii
World Canoeing Champion , Spain, Sella Descent, 2000 participants & 500 000 spectators Winner of 244km Port Elizabeth to East London Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race Springbok/South African Canoeing Team
Springbok/South African Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Team
2nd place in Berg River Canoe Marathon
SOUTH AFRICAN K2 Canoeing Champion
3rd place in Dusi Canoe Marathon
SOUTH AFRICAN Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Champion

1986

4th time winner of World Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Championships in Hawaii Springbok/South African Canoeing, Lifesaving & Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayaking
SOUTH AFRICAN K2 Canoeing Champion
Winner of SOUTH AFRICAN Premier Down River Canoeing Race Umkomaas Marathon 2nd by 1 sec in the Sella Descent, held in Spain
SOUTH AFRICAN Iron Man Champion
SOUTH AFRICAN Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Champion

1987

5th time winner of World Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Championships in Hawaii Springbok/South African Lifesaving, Canoeing & Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayaking Teams Winner of Australian Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race in Newcastle
SOUTH AFRICAN Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Champion Winner Umkomaas Canoe Marathon

1988

6th time winner of World Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Championships in Hawaii
West German National Canoeing Team
Springbok/South African Lifesaving, Canoeing & Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Teams 3rd in SOUTH AFRICAN K2 Canoeing Championship
Winner of 244km Port Elizabeth to East London Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race SOUTH AFRICAN Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Champion

1989

7th time winner of World Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Championships, Beat double Gold Olympic Medalist, Greg Barton (USA), in World Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Champs.
Springbok/South African Lifesaving Captain, Successful tour to Taiwan against Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan & Japan
Springbok/South African Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Colours 1st place in Umkomaas Marathon
SOUTH AFRICAN Iron Man Champion

1990

I of 10 Finalists in 'Sportsman of the Decade'

1991

Reduced Golf Handicap from 24 to 4. (Sporting isolation year).

1992

Springbok/South African Lifesaving Team, tour to Australia Olympic Canoe Team Barcelona, Spain
Olympic Captain

1994

8th Time Winner of World Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Championships in Hawaii Winner of the Port Elizabeth, East London Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race

1996

Winner of the Port Elizabeth, East London Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race

1997

Completed Dusi Canoe Marathon, Pietermaritzburg to Durban, with Naas Botha (former South African Rugby great)

1998

Winner of the Heineken International Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race, Tahiti, French Polynesia Winner of the Port Elizabeth , East London 244km Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race
Completed Dusi Canoe Marathon, Pietermaritzburg to Durban, with Clive Barker (Former South African Soccer Coach)

1999

2nd in World Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Championships in Hawaii
Winner of the Heineken International Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race, Tahiti, French Polynesia
2nd in 60km World Sea Kayak Championships, Canada, 2nd to brother Herman by 10 seconds Winner of International Ocean Kayak Race, on the Chao Praya River, Bangkok, Thailand
Winner of International Ocean Kayak Race in Miami, Florida
Completed Dusi Canoe Marathon, Pietermaritzburg to Durban, with Doctor Khumalo (South African Soccer Player)

2000

9th Consecutive win at World Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race in Hawaii
Winner of 65km Cape Point Ocean Kayak Race Cape Town
3rd Place in the Heineken International Paddle Ski / Ocean Kayak Race, Tahiti, French Polynesia Completed Dusi Canoe Marathon, Pietermaritzburg to Durban, with Peggy Sue Khumalo (former Miss South Africa)