Boksburg paddlers tackle the Dusi
Fortunately the level this year was most enjoyable for paddlers after recent drought-stricken years.
The 2020 Dusi river race once again proved to be a thrill a minute.
The race started over the last weekend of February in Pietermaritzburg and ended in Durban where the river meets the sea – a distance of some 120km, including anything from 10km to 18km of boat-carrying depending on water levels.
The Dusi alternates annually between singles championships and doubles championships – this year was a doubles championship.
Michael Stewart, a member of the ERK Kayak Club based at the Homestead Dam in Benoni, partnered up in a double kayak with Alex Roberts.
They finished the 120km, three-day endurance canoeing event in a time of nine hours, nine minutes and 49 seconds to claim a place on the podium for easily finishing within the top 50.
Kelvin Byres and Mark Garden from Boksburg finished in nine hours, 10 minutes and 46 seconds as the 27th doubles finishers.
Richard Tandy finished as the 19th single kayak to cross the finish line, in a time of 13 hours and 48 minutes while Leon Maritz, also from Boksburg, finished the race as a top 50 contender and as the 36th single kayak in 16 hours and 13 minutes.
The race has taken place annually since the early 1960s. In those days they had large wooden boats: heavy and sluggish, and with no dams for water releases, competitors had to carry their boats over long sections next to the river where it was unnavigable.
Hence, the portages on the river following tradition, making it one of the world’s toughest canoe endurance event.
