EAST Rand Kayak canoe club based at Homestead Dam in Benoni, hosted a 22km training river race on the Klip River in Meyerton on Saturday August 31 just as the August winds arrived bringing the icy chill cold front from the Western Cape, to herald the end of winter and the only really cold day of the Gauteng winter season!
Despite the cold, canoeists turned out in large numbers to participate in the training race, preparing for the major national A Grade Hansa Fish River canoe marathon which takes place in Cradock at the end of September – panic last minute training for some, trying out partnerships for the K2 event, or just fooled into thinking Spring was here as buds appear on bushes and willows.
Nearly 200 paddlers braved the icy cold gusty winds and chill water, most suitably dressed for the wet and windy, ploughed their way through the waves and rapids and rushed for comfort food at the finish to huddle around fires, eating curries and drinking cold Hansa. Gregory Smith and cousin Kyle Smith, who grew up as Southern boys, having attended school in the South where they live, are partnered up for this year’s Hansa Fish. The pair are doing extremely well, just nudging podium positions finishing in fourth and fifth at the river races, but working hard to tip the scales. They finished the 22km training race in the gusty, icy conditions as the fourth double, in a time of 1:26 minutes and are looking forward to the challenges of the Fish river.
