Paddling dream team take 2018 Dusi crown
Local sister paddling partners, Jordan and Cana Peek, nabbed the top women's position as well as the U23 title win.
A SPECTACULAR three days of paddling culminated in two dramatic final stage races as Andy Birkett and Hank McGregor and sisters Cana and Jordan Peek claimed the respective men’s and women’s FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon crowns.
“I haven’t quite registered that we won the Dusi!” said Cana at the finish line.
“Considering all of the sacrifices we made, and having our families so invested in the whole process, makes the victory that much sweeter.”
Older sister, Jordan, took the reins throughout their three day journey and, despite a swim at Ernie Pearce on day one, drove the pair with aplomb to the East Coast.
“I really enjoyed today’s conditions because I like picking my way down a river and trying to find sneaks here and there. It also suited us because we are light so it was a lot of fun,” Jordan said.
One of the stand-out achievements of the 2018 FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon was the achievement of the ever-green Lyle Wheeler. The veteran of the Dusi became the first person to complete 47 Dusi Canoe Marathon’s when he, and partner, Mark van Heerden, finished on Saturday.
Wheeler has taken the record off the Dusi King Graeme Pope-Ellis as the person with more Dusi finishes than any other.
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The outcome of the final day’s racing was far from certain with a tussle between four boats grouped together at the start. The four continued to jostle for position until Andy and Hank as well as Sbonelo Khwela and Siseko Ntondini opened up a slight gap before the Burma Road portage.
The iconic portage, which has made and broken many paddlers race’s in the past, proved to be a decisive part of the 2018 showdown.
PHOTO: Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media
In what proved to be a mistake, Sbonelo and Siseko unfastened their splash covers going into Mango Rapid and took on large quantities of water. This handed the advantage to Andy and Hank.
“I’m just so relieved that we pulled this one off,” said Hank, with his son Thorston lofted on his shoulders.
“That was the goal and we achieved it. When you know that it is in the bag it gets really hard because the adrenalin rush wears off, but then you get pumped up when you hear the crowd and I am really stoked to get here and pull this off with a close mate and a fantastic partner.
“To do it in front of my family and my boy and to see my dad, my mom and my wife along the way – I’m really stoked.”
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