A number of paddlers from around Gauteng were able to finish the tough Johannesburg Canoe Club (JCC) two-day Vaal River Race – a Dusi seeding event which took place last month.
Chris Rowe, a kayaking veteran from Boksburg, partnered with a younger Johan Grabe.
Rowe provided the experience for the infamous race, while Grabe provided the power at the back of the K2 race.
They finished the 48-hour race as the third veteran age group (age group podiums work according to the younger paddler in the boat, not the older). Both members of the Ekurhuleni Kayak Club based at Homestead Dam, the duo completed the gruelling 70km race in a time of seven hours and 29 minutes.
With lockdown sporting restrictions, numerous canoe racing events were cancelled or postponed; however, with the upcoming Dusi scheduled for the end of February, training and race points will be vital to river canoeists.
The Dusi is the world’s toughest known canoe endurance marathon and races throughout the country are geared to providing the opportunity to prepare and build stamina and strength leading up to the event.
In Gauteng, the Liebensbergvlei Race at the end of November was followed by the two-day Vaal River Race.
The JCC, based at Wemmerpan, was the first canoe club to be registered and operational in Gauteng, hence it is the oldest canoe club on the highveld and on December 5 and 6, the club hosted its 71st Vaal River Canoe Marathon.
It is well advised for paddlers training for the Dusi – as the Vaal River is wide, shallow with sections that have very little ‘flow’ to push the canoes, unlike white water narrow rivers filled with rapids where the flow pushes them along.
They build fitness and stamina from completing the Vaal River two-day marathon of 63km.
The JCC race started at the Vaal Dam sluice gates, where there are 8km of rapids.
Day two started at Eden Manor (below the Barrage) and finished 34km later at Smiling Thru in Parys, completing the two-day event.
With the water levels and the Vaal Dam being just above 30 per cent, no water release was available to ease the journey and kayakers got stuck on sandbanks and rocky flat rocks frequently wading in ankle deep water, but since they are likely to be training for the Dusi, the portaging option of carrying the boat was a good training opportunity anyway.
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