Paddlers prepare for Dusi race

With the 65th Dusi River race scheduled for mid-February next year, paddlers are using the full rivers after the rains to do some serious training for the world’s largest canoe marathon endurance event, from Pietmaritzburg to Durban.

Gauteng Canoe Union is proud of its integration programmes which have proved tremendously successful and the proof of the pudding is that

the top seven paddlers were young athletes who dominated the race, taking top three positions, top U/23 podium, U/18 and U/16 junior podium positions.

Justin de Ricquebourg partnered up with Killarney’s Stuart Hill to take on the Dusi training race, finishing successfully in 2 hours 54 minutes as the fifth double and is looking forward to the Dusi event in February. The inaugural winner of the race passed away at age 87 this past weekend. Dr Ian Player was one of the first adventurers to scout and complete this section of river, winning the race in 1964 racing with hand-made,

home-made boats fashioned from wood and canvas. With no dams or water releases in those days, paddlers had to carry them around many rapids, hence the endurance reputation.

Despite the fact that the current Dusi is still a serious endurance event where paddlers do have to carry their boats around specified rapids in the Dusi tradition, there is nevertheless more water available from dam water releases making the river race much more fun.