This past weekend saw the VKB Liebenbergsvlei canoe race hosted by hosted by Dabulamanzi Canoe Club. It covered a distance of some 64 kilometres over the two days, with the first day enjoying white water wave trains and bumpy corners, as well as a few technical tackles.

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Day two saw large, flat waters – a hard tough slog to improve fitness and gain mileage as paddlers prepare for the A Grade Fish River Marathon at the end of September, leading up to the Dusi in February 2020.

Lowveld Canoe Club entered four boats consisting of one K3 with Gustav Smook, Wikus Loots and Andreas Van Tonder, two K2 boats with Eric Dixon and Allison Hay in the one boat and Stuart Butcher and Robert Butcher in the other, and Kyle Hay paddling in a K1.
With the cold and wind of the Free State this time of the year, it is always tough for the Lowvelders who are not used to these sort of chills.
Nonetheless they took home two podium positions.

Pumas behou plek in Curriebeker-premierliga
Gustav, Wikus and Andreas were the first K3 and 17th overall, in a time of 4:35:25, and Eric and Allison finished as third masters and sixth mixed doubles in a time of 5:16:30.

Stuart and his son Robert finished in a time of 5:21:57 and Kyle Hay came in with a time of 5:49:10.
According to the club’s JV Kriek, this was great preparation for the Fish River at the end of September, after the local Trac Lowveld Croc takes place on October 12, starting at Kwena Dam and running though the Schoemanskloof Valley.