WITH the world’s toughest endurance canoeing race scheduled for mid-February, Gauteng paddlers wasted no time kicking off their training for the new year with an 18km Dusi training race on Saturday at Homestead Dam in Benoni, hosted by Ekurhuleni Kayak Club.
The race was also a seeding opportunity for the upcoming event.
After the previous week’s heatwave with extreme temperatures draining everybody’s energy, the over 70 paddlers who participated in the race enjoyed the nippy chill in the early morning on the dam after the heavy violent electric storm the previous night.
The race included two 1km portage sections where paddlers practised getting out of their boats quickly and smoothly to run with their boats and ensure a smooth hiccup free re-entry to the water, as this is where they are likely to lose time and places on the Dusi where there are numerous places which are unpassable.
