FNB Dusi river race takes place in February
The tradition started in 1951 post-World War 2, organised by Dr Ian Player a highly respected conservationist and canoeist, and a brother of the famous golf legend, Gary Player.
THE toughest endurance canoe marathon event, the 120km FNB Dusi river race is scheduled to take place on February 14, 15 and 16, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
The tradition started in 1951 post-World War 2, organised by Dr Ian Player a highly respected conservationist and canoeist, and a brother of the famous golf legend, Gary Player. Sitting around a campfire in Italy, during a terrible war that was being waged, tired and homesick, he promised himself he would organise this event when he made it back home. And he did. The race is highly respected, with world-wide appeal and recognition.
During that time, there were no dams to provide water release, and the canoes used wood and canvas weighing 32 kilograms. The few participants who were actually able to transport their boats from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and finish the event some days later, had to get out and carry their boats on numerous occasions for long distances through the Valley of One Thousands Hills. The tradition has since been maintained.
The FNB Dusi River race still has compulsory portages for those sections although many of them are navigable today thanks to the water releases from dams.
The Ziervogel family from Alberton, have been keen river racing canoeists for many years with father, son and daughter involved from a very young age, and have achieved much recognition in the sport individually, in doubles and in sprints, marathons as well as river racing.
Ryan Ziervogel participated in the Dusi training race hosted by Florida lake canoe club, on December 9 to finish off the 2018 canoeing season finishing the race in 2:40minutes. As the second u-23 finisher, he covered a distance in the river of some 32kms, with a couple of sections where the participants had to take the boat out of the water and run (or walk) carrying it for a few kilometres, as part of the training.
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