Weltevreden Park resident finishes tough canoe river race
The race starts in Pietermaritzburg and ends in Durban where the river meets the sea. It covers a distance of some 120km including anything from 10 to 18km of carrying the boat – depending on water levels and dam levels which can allow water releases today, unless there are drought conditions.
Grant Thiel is a resident in Weltevreden Park with numerous years of river racing and familiarity on the challenging Msunduzi River between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
Grant partnered up with another canoeing friend, Uwe Schmidthaus, who lives in Henley on Klip where they regularly trip the local river as part of their training.
The Dusi River Race has taken place annually since the early 1960s. It started with a small group of locals led by environmentalist Ian Player (Gary Player’s brother).
In those days they had large wooden boats that were heavy and sluggish, and there were no dams for water releases. They had to carry their boats over long sections on the banks where the river was unnavigable – hence the portages on the river following tradition, making it the world’s toughest canoe endurance event.
The race starts in Pietermaritzburg and ends in Durban where the river meets the sea. It covers a distance of some 120km including anything from 10 to 18km of carrying the boat – depending on water levels and dam levels which can allow water releases today, unless there are drought conditions.
Gauteng Canoe Union PR/ Media Liaison, Jennie Dallas said, “The level this year was most enjoyable for white-water paddlers after recent drought-stricken years”.
Uwe and Grant finished the Dusi in 12 hours 35 minutes, over the three days of the race that took place on 27, 28 and 29 February.
