THE 58th edition of the Vaal River Canoe Marathon hosted by the Wemmer Pan based Johannesburg Canoe Club (JCC), the oldest canoe club in Johannesburg, ran on November 7 and 8.
With Creative Housewares on board sponsoring prize money and goodie bags, the race attracted numerous canoeists from as far afield as Western Province, Border, Natal, Central Free State and the Lowveld, as well as the usual regulars from Pretoria, Parys, Vanderbijlpark and Gauteng.
JCC members and experienced river paddling duo, Grant van der Merwe and Ryan Simonato, finished sixth in the senior category with a time of 5:50.
With dry drought conditions and low water levels it was arguably the most difficult marathon this year as boats got stuck on the large flat shelf rocks on the river between the Barrage and Smilin’ Thru, forcing paddlers to continuously get out of their boats and pull the boat over the rocks before continuing. Fortunately paddlers can always rely on Big Daddy and Gatsien to provide some excitement during the tough race.
With 35km covered on the first day, the second day covered a distance of 26km, from Smilin’ Thru resort, through into Parys where there were also a number of portages over the boulder scattered low water section of river into Parys where the real fun began with the white water rapids which become more treacherous in low conditions. The race finished at Hadeda Creek, a resort downriver from Parys.
The race has traditionally been a K2 event suitable to the long flat river sections of the Vaal which has always been sluggish and hard work, however it was the lighter boats, with lightweight paddlers and perhaps the K1’s that had the advantage in the low water conditions.
