Stand up paddleboarders set to make Fish history
SUP paddlers, aim to cover the full course of the race to prove they can safely negotiate the rapids, weirs and, in particular, the willow trees on the Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon.
A HANDFUL of pioneering stand-up paddleboarders are planning to make history by taking on the legendary two-day 82km Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon from Grassridge Dam to Sports Ground in Cradock on 9 and 10 October. Spearheaded by Dean Bottcher, who is part of the group that first paddled the Dusi and Drak Challenge marathons on stand-up paddleboards (SUPs), the snowballing popularity of the sport could well see SUP paddlers converging on Cradock in substantial numbers for the popular race.
Bottcher and his SUP designer friend, Brendan Germaine, aim to cover the full course of the race to prove to the organiser that the SUP craft can safely negotiate the rapids, weirs and, in particular, the willow trees that lace the top section of the river.
At the same time, interest is being expressed by various SUP communities in Gauteng, the Western Cape and in KwaZulu-Natal to take on the 40km short course option that is aimed at more recreational paddlers.
“I am really looking forward to doing the Hansa Fish on a SUP because it is the kind of river that really lends itself to river SUPs,” said Bottcher. “There is a guaranteed water release and the river flows throughout, so there aren’t any flat sections, which is where we struggle. Unlike the Dusi, we don’t have to carry our SUPs over any hills, which is really good news,” he said.
Bottcher is planning to do the race on one of the new generation inflatable SUP boards that were first seen on the Dusi this year, where American, Slater Trout, and Corran Addison showed how well suited they are to river racing, with Trout winning the SUP class in a new record time.
“The inflatable SUPs are great. They are more durable, but they aren’t necessarily as fast as rigid boards, which we might still choose for a really competitive race.”
He predicted a turnout that may well set a new record for a SUP entry into a major river marathon.
“Andrew Kellet has a thriving SUP community going in the Cape and there are about five SUP paddlers from Gauteng talking about coming to do the Fish. I have a number of women from KwaZulu-Natal training to do the race as well, aiming at the short course, which is a manageable distance each day and more recreational in nature,” he said.
