Florida Lake Canoe Club members building steam on Gauteng canoe tour

Gauteng Canoe Union has scheduled a series of flat water marathon races for local Gauteng canoe clubs.

This was to provide paddlers an opportunity to train for the upcoming Gauteng Provincial Championships where a team will be selected to represent the province at the South African Interprovincial Flat Water Marathon event later in the year. After a successful first outing at Florida Lake Canoe Club, the tour moved on to the Johannesburg Canoe Club at Wemmer Pan.

Also read: Florida Lake Canoe Club participate in 12th High Altitude Surfski competition

The races are for all ages and guppy paddlers from U8 through to 12 years participate, while the young paddlers in U14 to seniors also participate in a short portage. Here, the paddlers jump out of the water and run a short distance carrying their boat to prove their efficiency at the exit and re-entering the water smoothly.

Also read: Canoe club members and friends gather for a braai

Weltevreden Park’s Hardus Theunissen and Chantelle Fraser, members of Florida Lake Canoe Club enjoyed the 20km race at Wemmer Pan despite the portages which aggravated an injury to Chantelle’s leg which required stitches. They finished their 20km race in 2 hours and 2 minutes as the 3rd veteran age category and the first Mixed Double combination.

The next races on the calendar will take place at Centurion Canoe Club on May 6, at Victoria Lake Canoe Club at Germiston Lake on May 13, and at Dabulamanzi Canoe Club in Emmarentia Dam on May 20. The final championships team selection event will take place at the East Rand Kayak Club in Ekhurhuleni on June 3 and 4.
,