Joburg paddlers master the rapids

Kevin Hunt of Fourways and Chris van der Merwe of Randburg took to the water in style in this year’s river race, a turbulent 18km dash along Trichardspruit between Trichardts dam and Tweedraai dam.

Gauteng and Mpumalanga paddlers flock to this stretch of the Trichardspruit every year, as a water release from one dam to the other turns the usually lazy trickle into a raging torrent. The spruit becomes a recognised B-grade river – fast-paced and tricky, with plenty of tight corners where quick reflexes are needed to prevent disaster.

After spending the winter months on the slower, simpler rapids of the Klip River in Meyerton, paddlers use the Dam2Dam hosted by the Sasol Canoe Club, to practise the skills required for a technical and fast-flowing river. Such preparation is necessary for the year’s next big event, the A-grade Fish River Canoe Marathon.

Hunt and Van der Merwe are experienced paddlers with a litany of successful A-grade river races to their names, including the Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon and the world-famous Dusi Canoe Marathon.

This year, Hunt and Van der Merwe braved the rapids in a new canoe, learning the vessel’s twitches and quirks while navigating the complexities of the spruit. Difficult rapids, turbulent drops, rocks and low bridges were no match for these seasoned paddlers however, and the pair finished with a race time of 2:2:00, proving themselves more than equal to the torrent’s challenge.