From the banks of the lake the waters may seem placid but only a trained eye would appreciate the devilish conditions facing competitors.
Florida Lake was the venue for the Gauteng Canoe Union’s Marathon Championship race, hosted by Germiston-based Victoria Lake Canoe Club on 19 and 20 September. From juniors all the way through to the veterans, paddlers embraced the opportunity to attack the water after the lengthy forced break. “The strong winds blew huge waves over the K2 paddlers during Sunday’s race, with many boats sinking and a number withdrawing from the race,” stated Jennie Dallas, Gauteng Canoe Union Media Liaison.
Florida Lake Canoe Club had numerous paddlers on the water over the weekend with several stand-out results. In the girls U/10 section, Atle Maphanga and Chane Steyn bagged a first and second place finish, with Atle finishing 20 seconds ahead of Chane after the 3km course. Sisters Ameerah and Kamilah Hank picked up first and sixth place finishes in their girls U/14 and U/16 age groups respectively.
Davy Brown claimed sixth in his ultra competitive boys U/16 group, completing the 15,5km course in two hours and 17 minutes. In the K2 event, Douw Kruger and Shaun Maphanga completed the 21km course in two hours 10 minutes to finish as third Sub Veterans. Both clad in the club’s traditional turquoise blue, the pair fought tough winds and took several huge waves to their vessel.
The weekend’s championships were hosted in order to give selectors an opportunity to identify the talent that will represent the province at the upcoming South African Canoe Marathon Championships. October with see the canals of St Francis Bay flooded with canoes and paddlers on course for national glory.
