O’Connor wrestles Crocodile River
VETERAN canoeist Peter O’Connor from Sandton won the Crocodile River Race in Mpumalanga.
Jennie Dallas of Gauteng Canoe Union said, “He never misses the opportunity to take on this challenging river race, finishing inevitably as the top grand master this year in 31st position in a time of five hours and three minutes over two days.”
Dallas said the canoe marathon hosted by the local Nelspruit based canoe club was one of the most difficult and technical river races held in South Africa. She said, “The canoe race of 20km per day is growing in popularity as one of the most demanding and challenging races. The race is fast and furious and the boat breaks are quick, requiring superb river skills and fast reflexes.”
Dallas said one of the challenges of the race was to keep canoeists safe from hippos. “Scouts from the Loweld canoe club identified a hippo taking a dip in the section of the river where the race was to run,” she said. “This forced a compulsory portage where the paddlers had to get out of the water up the river from the hippo’s pool and run a detour around the bush and shrubbery.”
