Durban North paddler signs out on a high

LOCAL resident and paddler Arge Nienhuser has called time on his Non-Stop Dusi marathon races.

Last week, the 57-year-old, alongside K2 partner James Tutton, completed the Non-Stop Dusi, which sees paddlers tackle the Dusi Canoe Marathon route in a day.

Nienhuser now sits in the top five of most Non-Stop Dusi marathons with 20 completed while Tutton sits joint first with 23.

A veteran of 25 Dusi Canoe Marathons and 29 Comrades Marathons, Nienhuser said the Non-Stop Dusi holds a special place in his heart.

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“The Non-Stop Dusi is a special day of the year on my calendar. It’s the ultimate challenge; it is literally you against Mother Nature. Whereas with the Dusi, you navigate challenges over three days, in the Non-Stop, you could have a full river or an empty river, a hot day or rainy day. You have to be so much more alert because one small mistake could cost you the race.

“I’ve always been quite competitive, and the Non-Stop Dusi for me was the annual challenge as it’s quite demanding. I said to myself that after 20 races I would stop and that time has come. I feel, you don’t want to get too old and not finish, so I would rather leave on a high. Going forward, I will second and support others doing the race,” he said.

The Durban North resident, who runs the Durban North Gymnastics Club, also shared how he began his Dusi Canoe Marathon journey.

“I had a friend who was a canoeist who was paddling the Dusi, and it was because of him, I entered my first. I lived in Bloemfontein, a city not known for water sports, so I bought a canoe and taught myself how to paddle. Not knowing the river, in my first Dusi Canoe Marathon I think I swam more than any other person on the day. I like challenges so when the first race didn’t go so well, I said, let me go back and do better. That is a character trait of mine to always want to do better and improve,” he said.

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Over the last decade, Nienhuser has used his extensive knowledge of the uMngeni and Msunduzi rivers to help paddlers cross the finish line of the Dusi.

“I’ve always tried to be quite competitive but never got it 100% right. That took me in a new direction where I started paddling with friends and family and used my experience to guide people down the river. It’s something that I’ve enjoyed doing as I’ve taken about 14 novices down river which does have its challenges but is quite rewarding for those paddling the Dusi for the first time. It also keeps you as the lead paddler on your toes to get through the tricky patches on the river,” he said.

With both of the big paddling marathons completed in KZN, Nienhuser has now turned his attention to the Comrades Marathon.

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