Florida Lake Canoe Club ready for 2014 Dusi
Excitement mounts for event in mid-February.
Florida Lake Canoe Club (FLCC) paddlers are psyched to take on this year’s Dusi.
The 2014 Unlimited Dusi Canoe Marathon is a three-day 120km event that is commencing on 13 February and is considered to be the world’s toughest endurance event.
“The club and Gauteng is ready,” Gauteng Canoe Union (GCU) and FLCC spokesperson, Jennie Dallas said.
“Paddlers got just the training they needed over the weekend of 25 to 26 January by participating in the Belloord Two-Day Klip River Race.
“While Dusi is a three-day and 120km event, the Belloord Race covers a distance on the river of 34km per day, which gave us excellent training of what to expect at Dusi.
“They also did so in true Dusi tradition,” Jennie added.
“Paddlers had to cover approximately 10km of portaging – climbing out the river with high banks, haul their boats out and run with it for distances of up to 5km at various stages before being able to put it back into the river to continue the race.
“Outstanding performances saw Serge van Hee and Jeromy Dacey win the Sub Veteran category in five hours and 23 minutes, finishing as the sixth double overall. Shaun Maphanga from FLCC was the first club member to finish the race, obtaining a third place podium position in just five hours and 10 minutes, while U/23 competitors Donald Moncho and Macdonald Nkosi placed second in their age category.
