DESPITE dire predictions of a freezing cold weekend and after the gale-force icy winds on Friday, Saturday August 30 turned out to be a really pleasant, warm, wind-free and enjoyable spring day as paddlers gathered at the Heidelberg bridge for the long 40km trek to Dick Fourie stadium in Three Rivers, finishing just before the Klip River runs into the Vaal River.
The race was hosted by the East Rand Kayak club, based at Homestead Dam in Ekurhuleni Municipality, Benoni.
With green new buds all over the willow tree fronds hanging over the river, swallows, avocets, kingfishers flitting all the way down the river, new green weaver nests and baby ducklings viewed from time to time – nature agrees that it is spring.
Other wildlife along the way included a troupe of young monkeys below the train bridge. By this time many paddlers were seriously tired and lacking in concentration so they may have missed the mischievous creatures swinging and bouncing around the tree branches, although otters and mongoose are still in hibernation.
There were a few real incidents or problems on the river, with the first one being a boat gashed by an old pipe and metal plate propped up in the river, resulting in some serious boat damage requiring the paddlers to withdraw from the race and only a few swimmers at the major rapids. There were a number of withdrawals once paddlers had done their quota of 20kms or so, and probably had no intention of pushing to finish double that distance although the first day Fish River stretch is 46km and with a second day of nearly 40km, it is an important part of preparation to increase mileage and build up stamina and endurance.
The Fish River has a guaranteed water release so the river flows much faster than the local Klip River at winter levels and the race provided good stamina training.
The Johannesburg Canoe Club, based at Wemmer Pan, is highly respected for their paddlers’ knowledge of the Klip River and its rapids, as they are frequently guides on the river, organise numerous races and are also involved regularly in river clean-ups and familiar with all nooks and crannies as the river levels rise and drop throughout the seasons.
The club is also well known for its K3 partnerships, and with the 2014 Hansa Fish marathon being the SA K3 Championships, numerous members are teaming up to take on the river race in the South African invention – the K3 boat.
The JCC trio of Mike Roy, Norman Andrews and Martin Sly were therefore quite disappointed when their boat sustained a gash just after halfway through the race, motoring through a tree branch which picked up leaks, resulting in them not being able to finish the race within the cut-off time, but they will definitely be back to defend their reputation and plan to take on the Hansa Fish K3 Championships.
