Dusi training in full swing for paddlers

The infamous FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon is scheduled to take place as usual in mid-February from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

The world’s toughest endurance canoe marathon race is 120km long and takes place over three days from February 14 to 16.

The tradition started in 1951 – post World War Two, and was organised by Dr Ian Player, a highly respected conservationist and canoeist (brother to Gary Player).

Sitting around a campfire in Italy in a terrible war, tired and homesick, he promised himself he would organise this event when he made it back home – and he did.

And the highly respected race, with worldwide recognition, still continues today.

During that time period, there were no dams to provide water release and the canoes used were made with wood and canvas, weighing 32kg.

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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 in the Valley of 1 000 Hills, and hence the tradition still exists – the race still has compulsory portages for those sections although many of them are navigable today thanks to the water releases from dams.

Katiso Hlahatsi, a member of Victoria Lake Canoe Club (VLC), based at Germiston Lake, since he was a youngster, has become an active river racing paddler, and assists with coaching at the club.

He participated in a recent FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon training race hosted by Florida Lake Canoe Club, to finish off the 2018 canoeing season.

Hlahatsi finished the race in two hours and 35 minutes as the 10th single (K1) finisher, completing a distance on the river of some 32km, 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 their training.