Friends chase competition in tight river race
Paddlers watched with concern as the river water levels rose to more than two metres.
For months South African paddlers have been concerned and dubious about whether the Vaal Marathon would take place due to the drought and excessively low water level of the Vaal Dam.
The water level in the barrage section of the Vaal River, below the dam wall has however been relatively high during the past weeks with all the rain that fell below the Vaal Dam catchment area.
The SA K2 River Championships started 12 November at the Cote de Val resort, just below the barrage in good, fast and swift water flow, and after 37kms finished at Smilin’ Thru resort in Parys with the paddlers cheerful, despite the long, hard slog.
Things unfortunately changed dramatically overnight due to the deluge of water that arrived from the surrounding areas into the barrage catchment, forcing water management to open sluices and release 300 cubic metres per second. Paddlers watched with concern as the river water levels rose to more than two metres, sloshing over the banks in some areas, making the river in Parys a seriously and potentially dangerous stretch of wild water while massive trees and debris also washed downstream in the fast-flowing water.
The race organisers had no choice but to reroute the race to above Parys and avoid the white water section, where massive boulders were covered by layers of water and a swim would be potentially disastrous. The race therefore was shortened on day two, from 30km to a mere 10km stretch from Smilin’ Thru to the Likkewaan Kanoe Klub on the outskirts of Parys.
The top finishers clocked 43 minutes in a magnificently fast sprint time-trial format. Paddlers were forced to paddle upstream against the strong current for a couple of kilometres to spread the field. The strong and tough triumphed while other paddlers were quite exhausted until they could use the fast flow to their advantage on their way to Parys.
Shaun Maphanga was the top finishing paddler from Florida Lake Canoe Club (FLCC). Partnered with Neil Butcher, the pair finished the 47km race in 3:33 over the two days, earning the third podium position in the Sub Veteran age category.
Douw Kruger from Krugersdorp, and Melusi Nxumalo put up a good fight, finishing just five minutes behind them. After nearly 50km of racing, both were cheerful and in high spirits, having enjoyed the competitiveness and the hard workout.
Read more:
Friends take on Vaal Canoe Marathon
Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream
Paddlers on track during recent race
