Florida Lake Canoe Club’s Hardus Theunissen along with Gavin Myburgh tackled the wild white water’s of the 58th Vaal River Canoe Marathon this weekend.
The pair finished the two-day race 6.46 to claim the 2nd Sub Grand Master age category.
The race, hosted by the Johannesburg Canoe Club is the oldest canoe club in Johannesburg.
With dry drought conditions and low water levels, it was arguably the most difficult marathon for many years as boats got stuck on the large flat shelf rocks on the river between the Barrage and Smilin’ Thru.
This forced paddlers to continuously get out of their boats and pull the boat over the rocks before continuing.
With 35 kilometres covered on the first day, the second day covered a distance of 26 kilometres.
“There were also a number of portages over the boulder scattered low water section of river into Parys, where the real fun began with the white water rapids which become more treacherous in low conditions. The race finished at Hadeda Creek, a resort downriver from Parys,” said Gauteng Canoe Union’s Jennie Dallas.
The race has traditionally been a K2 event suitable to the long flat river sections of the Vaal.
This has always been sluggish and hard work; however it was the lighter boats, with lightweight paddlers and the K1’s that had the advantage in the low water conditions.
Nearly 20 boats withdrew after the first day, either as a result of boat damage or disappointment and exhaustion from the tough conditions.
The circumstances provided superb stamina development for those planning to take on the next year’s Dusi Canoe Marathon where the water levels are also likely to be very low.
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