Local paddlers take on grueling canoe race
Two local paddlers took on the long and dreaded canoe race.
The Berg River Marathon is the longest and most dreaded canoe race in South Africa and only the toughest canoeists pack their bags with their warmest clothing to head for the cold Western Cape in the July winter to take on the four-day 220km race.
Dreading freezing rainfalls, while hoping for good rains to ensure a good fast-flowing river, the paddlers can expect at least one of the days to be a five-to-seven-hour paddle, being 75km long – with an average paddling speed of 10km per hour on flat water, a fast flow will be a lifesaver.
Gale-force winds in the Western Cape, however, can force boats to paddle backwards.
The river winds through the vineyards with sharp corners and overhanging trees blocking view of the river. In a flood, paddlers have been known to paddle around barns and farms, asking where the river actually is.
The race starts at Paarl and heads towards the Atlantic Ocean to finish at Velddrif and has been held for more than 50 years, attracting only a small field of a few hundred paddlers with less than a dozen women.
Two Krugersdorp-based paddlers Daryn Koertzen, a member of the Crocodile Canoe Club based in the West Rand, as well as Wayne Taylor took on the endurance challenge that took place this year from 10 to 13 July.
