Ten Lowveld teams brave rough waters
The Dusi Canoe Marathon seems to become longer, harder, steeper and hotter.
A total of 10 teams of the Lowveld Canoe Club (LCC) entered.
Anthony Baird and Roger Mortlock showed how it should be done, securing a brilliant 32nd position
overall. They completed day one in 38th position and day two in 29th and then lost three places on the last day.
Mark Smith and Tristan du Pisanie finished in 55th position. Wihan Venter and Craig Lewis had the most-consistent performance over the three days and came 119th on the final day.
Gustav Smook and Andreas van Tonder started very conservatively and completed day one in 159th position, but as Van Tonder remarked they just tripped and running was not too high on the agenda. But the pressure was on for the latter, as this was his third attempt to complete a Dusi.
The best performance of the race is doubtfully Stuart Butcher, the only K1 from LCC, also very consistent and finishing in 212th position overall. Although a K2 year, he was the eighth K1.
Mark Williams and Rudi Halbich were also very consistent. Eric Dixon and Dewiko Loots completed their first Dusi at the age of just 16. Richard Hay paired up with Dave White. The story goes that Hay’s mom Allison taught White to paddle when he was still a schoolboy, and his father Paul took him down for his first Dusi when he was still a youngster.
White is very good paddler today, also very competent in the white water and he did the honourable thing to take Hay for his first Dusi. This pair completed day one in 396th position and day two in 267, making
up 129 positions on day two.
The team that proved to have the most guts was doubtfully Ivan Doncaster and Wikus Loots. Day two kept them busy with a boat that broke at gauging weir.
Their boat had to be repaired, but they were back on the water for day three.
