Members of the Florida Lake Canoe Club Jason Brown and Monique Steven from Allen’s Nek successfully finished the 80km race in 06:06:00.
They were competing at the Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon in Cradock from 9 until 10 October.
While the long drive is part of the exhausting ordeal, the guaranteed water release of 26 cumecs provided for farmers along the river to the coast near Port Elizabeth provides excellent annual white water attraction for river canoeists.
Gauteng Canoe Union spokesperson Jennie Dallas explained the river water released from the Grassridge Dam on the edge of Karoo near Hofmeyr was pristinely clean and fast flowing with enormous wave trains.
Among the infamous obstacles was a double trouble shute, toast rack low-level bridge, and Keith’s Flyover which only 20 per cent of the race field will attempt to shoot – the rest would gladly climb out of the river with boat and run around it or walk gracefully around it.
Details: Gauteng Canoe Union 082 857 8571.
