Great grandmaster canoeist John Rowan took his time to talk to the Advertiser about the sport.
Rowan, who has been kayaking for over 40 years, also touched on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, among other subjects.
When did you start canoeing?
It’s been a very long time. I started over 40 years ago around 1970.
How did everything start?
I played rugby at the time and a guy from Durban joined our rugby, Old Boys. With the sport being big in KwaZulu-Natal, he suggested that we train for the Dusi to stay fit for rugby and it never stopped from that point. And back in those days, we used to make our own boats and kayaking was much harder then because the sport hadn’t developed as well as it has today.
What are your greatest achievements in the sport?
To complete 25 Dusis and I reached that mark in 2010. .
What are the most challenging aspects of the sport?
Portaging – you need to have the skills to choose the right lines to counter the rapids.
What are your favourite moments as a canoeist?
Completing a K2 race with my son Jason, who was also a canoeist.
When it comes to K2 (doubles) races, who’s been your favourite partner over the years, and why?
It’s a tough one because I’ve had so many partners over the years but it has to be a guy called Dave Cooper. We completed about eight Dusis together and we still keep in touch.
What do you enjoy most about the sport?
It’s a wonderful sport because you’re outdoors all the time: you go through unspoilt parts of the country where you don’t see a single person sometimes.
If you could change one thing about the sport, what would it be?
Nothing, I think it’s a very well-run sport nationally and internationally. It’s also strong on the development side of things with youngsters always coming through. I really believe the people who run it run it very well. The sport has been very proactive through Covid-19. They’re very supportive.
Were you born and bred in Boksburg?
I was actually born in Springs, stayed in Boksburg and moved to Bedforview recently, so I’ve been a Gauteng boy all my life.
If you could have three people around for dinner, who would they be and why?
The president of the country, with so much happening and the country having so many problems at this stage, I’d love to hear what he has to say.
Siya Kolisi, I’m very big on rugby and he just captained the Springboks to World Cup victory in Japan: I’d love to sit down and interview him about the whole experience.
A gentleman named Paul Haye, who has unfortunately died. He was instrumental in the founding of the Ekurhuleni Kayak Club, which was known as the East Rand Kayak Club before.
Read: Local canoeists tackle the Union Marathon Championships
Read: Boksburg paddlers tackle the Dusi
