VLC paddlers shine at river championships

Paddlers from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Cape took to the Liebensbergvlei River in the Free State for the South African K2 and K3 River Championships on September 12 to 13.

The national event saw competitors tackle challenging river conditions over a 32km route, with the water flowing from Lesotho into the Ash River before making its way through Bethlehem, Reitz and Tweeling.

Among the Gauteng participants were members of Victoria Lake Canoe Club (VLC), who joined paddlers from clubs across the country for what was described as an enjoyable weekend on the water.

“The river provided clean, unpolluted water and challenging conditions, with paddlers having to navigate weirs, waves and other obstacles along the route,” said Jennie Dallas from Paddlesport Gauteng.

KZN paddlers Hamish Lovemore and Keegan Vogt were the overall top finishers across the two days, completing the K2 race in 03:42:43.

A K3 crew also produced a strong performance, crossing the finish line in fourth place. The crew included Richard Cele from Victoria Lake Canoe Club.

The second K3 crew to finish included VLC’s Warren Stead, alongside Dabs members Lloyde Hanson and Peter O’Connor. They completed the race in 04:16:00, securing first place in the over-60 category, affectionately recognised as ‘Super Ballies’.

Father-and-son duo Uwe and Kelby Schmidthaus, both from VLC, also took on the K2 challenge on Saturday.

They completed the K2 race as the 29th boat across the finish line, recording a time of 02:21:00.

ALSO READ: Germiston Lake hosts thrilling canoe marathon as East Rand paddlers shine

Uwe returned to the river on Sunday to compete in the K1 category. Although the second day was officially a K3 race, paddlers in other types of kayaks were also permitted to participate. He finished third in the 55–59 age category, completing the course in 02:30:00.

Fellow VLC paddlers Georg and Hans Schwab also put in a solid performance. The pair finished 39th in the K2 race on Saturday before improving to 22nd K2 on Sunday.

ALSO READ: East Rand paddlers excel at Gauteng canoe championships

They placed fourth and sixth respectively in their age category. Beyond the results, the championships offered paddlers an opportunity to enjoy the river, compete against some of the country’s experienced river paddlers and learn more about navigating challenging water conditions.

For many competitors, tackling the weirs and waves was part of the attraction, with the weekend providing plenty of memorable moments both on and off the river.