Conquering the rapids
The Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon took place as the SA K2 River Championships
DEAN Conrad from Kempton Park and his partner, Craig Smith from Henley on Klip, enjoyed their white water experience during the Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon in Cradock on October 9 and 10.
They finished successfully in a time of seven hours and 24 minutes.
The Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon took place as the SA K2 River Championships. The guaranteed water release of 26 cumecs provided for farmers along the river to the coast near Port Elizabeth provided the excellent annual white water attraction for river canoeists.
The river water released from the Grass Ridge Dam on the edge of the Karoo near Hofmeyr was pristinely clean, fast-flowing with enormous wave trains, some tricky rocky rapids and while popular among South African canoeists, also attracted international competitors.
Gauteng paddlers train on the local Klip River to prepare for this event and the fast-flowing turbulent water release is a huge surprise to first timers on an A Grade River.
