Battling the Klip River
WALKERVILLE - Kevin Asman and Loveday Zondi win 34km Klip River canoe challenge in testing conditions.
The Johannesburg Canoe Club hosted a river race on a very tricky and technically challenging section of the Klip River.
The race started at Buksies Holiday Resort in Walkerville and finished 34km later in Daleside at Ixoxo Manzi.
With the bitter cold sweeping through the province and the highly technical and treacherous rapids on that section of the river, it was a very small field that started. And after some cold and exhausted paddlers withdrew, as well as a couple with boat damage, only 20 canoes finished the difficult race.
Kevin Asman who is a member of the Dabulamanzi Canoe Club through his school canoeing programme at St David’s Marist College Inanda, partnered with more experienced river paddler, Loveday Zondi to take on the most difficult stretch of the upper Klip River section. They finished the race as the first double in just over three hours.
Asman said the Klip River put up a massive fight. “This was my second river race since starting to canoe about five years ago,” he said.
“My first river race took place on the same river about six weeks ago and ended up with a broken boat and not being able to finish. River races are both physically and mentally demanding. It is all about respect for the river, give the respect it deserves and you will be fine.”
Asman added that Zondi helped him get back in the water after his first setback. “My trainer and canoeing mentor, Loveday encouraged me to go back and face the river again. The 34km of river and the sense of achievement when we crossed the finish line was enough to overcome the exhaustion. Loveday has been a guiding light in helping me to improve my technique and helped me to build my core strength, to be able to become a better paddler.”
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