The well-known My Life Dusi annual canoe river race took place between March 18 and 20.
It featured some milestones from a Boksburg perspective.
The race runs from Pietermaritzburg on the Umsundusi River and finishes in Durban, 120km later over three days.
Local Richard Tandy, who completed the three-day event in 11 hours and 53 minutes, marked his 12th Dusi finish. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience with fellow Boksburg resident Leon Maritz, who has now completed the gruelling race a dozen times.
The race covers some major grade two rapids, as well as numerous portages, where the paddlers have to take their boats out of the river and run around the rapids carrying their boats. The portages, depending on the water level, can be up to 18km at a Dusi race.
The Dusi attracts many supporters who cheer the paddlers on as they run through rural villages, carrying their boat.
Also Read: Paddlers prepare for impending Dusi
The first Dusi event was a group of ex-army paddlers, led by Ian Player (Gary’s brother) in canvas/wooden boats. They were also required to carry their boats around certain rapids/gorges. Without dams in 1965, there were no water releases available to enable the boats’ passage, causing damage.
There are still numerous casualties where boats are broken against rocky rapids in fast waves and currents. Some boats limp across the finish line from leaking and sometimes dragged in pieces by their paddlers.
Other East Rand paddlers from the Ekurhuleni Kayak Club (ERK), which is based at Homestead Dam in Benoni, also took on the challenge, despite less training races being available due to Covid-19.
Many of them have also competed in the iconic Dusi regularly for numerous years.
The East Rand paddlers were led to the finish line by u-23 Benoni-based paddler Liam Stewart in nine hours and 39 minutes as the 37th K1 (single one man kayak) and as the 10th finisher in his age category.
His coach, who is also his father Michael, took 10 hours and 30 minutes to finish as the 96th K1 and second in the Master age category. Michael, who has frequently been a top Gauteng finisher at numerous river races, could’ve finished in higher positions had his boat not suffered damage.
Also Read: Paddlers finalise preparations ahead of Dusi
