Groblersdal farmers take up canoeing with gusto

LIMPOPO – A GROUP of local young men in Groblersdal, many from farming backgrounds, have started canoeing and achieved their river proficiency in order to compete in their first river race.

“River paddlers need to learn and master river skills by participating in a minimum number of six river races including white water rapids to qualify for A-grade status. Paddlers require A-grade status in order to take part in major national river races such as the Fish River Marathon, the Orange river Marathon and the Dusi Canoe Marathon – the toughest canoeing endurance race in the world,” said Jennie Dallas from Gauteng Canoe Union in a media statement.

Having achieved their proficiency, the young men entered their first race hosted by the Johannesburg Canoe Club, a short novice 15km race from Daleside to Henley-on-Klip and managed to finish against the odds and some very difficult rapids. The first major obstacle was the Daleside weir, which they managed to shoot successfully, although they had never seen it before and despite a very bouncy shaky slide down, they managed to recover and stay in their boat.

Unfortunately at the next rapid, known as the Mine Rapid 5km before the finish at Henley-on-Klip, the pair were out of their league, and the river won this round. They lost control of their boat and fell out at the top and swam over the bruising bumpy shallow rocks with their egos more bruised than their bodies and the boat damaged, They finished in a time of 2:23 minutes. However, they are not sure if their boat will be ready for the Gauteng Canoe Union race on July 12 also on the Klip River, Daleside to Meyerton.