Fischer takes on Klip Race
After recovering from a tree clearing incident, Kensington resident Franz Fischer competed in the ERK Long Klip Race and finished in four hours and 25 minutes, winning the great grand master age category.
Jennie Dallas, from the Gauteng Canoe Union (GCU), said paddlers gathered at the Heidelberg bridge for the 40 kilometre trek to Dick Fourie Stadium in Three Rivers, finishing just before the Klip runs into the Vaal River on August 30.
The race was hosted by the East Rand Kayak Club, based at Homestead Dam in Benoni.
She said there were a few problems such as a boat being gashed by an old pipe and a metal plate propped up in the river. This resulted in boat damage requiring the paddlers to withdraw from the race and only a few swimmers at the major rapids. However, there were a number of withdrawals once paddlers had done their quota of about 20 kilometres.
Fischer was the 14th K1 finisher.
He is highly involved in environmental affairs around the rivers. He was a previous champion in underwater breath holding competitions.
“His fitness is still not disputed by the younger canoeists on the rivers – a number of whom withdrew when they became too tired to continue paddling the long slog Klip race,” said Dallas.
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