Dolphin Coast paddlers tackle the mighty Dusi Canoe Marathon

Whether they were in it to win it, or simply wanted to enjoy the thrill and excitement of taking part, paddlers young and old braved yet another successful FNB Dusi Canoe marathon in Pietermaritzburg.

Hailed the biggest canoeing event on the African continent, hundreds of paddlers tackled 120 gruelling kilometres along the Msunduzi and Mgeni Rivers from 14 to 16 February, with a number of Dolphin Coasters with a passion for the sport, setting out to make their hometown proud.

Ballito’s Rob Levinson, a member of the Dolphin Coast Paddlers, took part in his 13th Dusi and said it was a uniquely South African challenge.

“I really just go for the fun of it, which highlights the social side of our paddling club, as we are open to beginners,” said Levinson, who has been paddling since 1996.

“We had a lot of rain leading up to the event so on day one and two we had a medium to full river. On day three they released water from Inanda dam, but since it was only a small release the river was very low which required very technical paddling.”

Levinson said river knowledge was key as the route could be quite dangerous.

But for Ballito’s Mark Perrow, who took part in his 32nd Dusi, river knowledge was no obstacle as he was extremely familiar with the route – a given after claiming four Dusi titles.

Since taking the win in 1992, 96, 97 and in 2000, Perrow has competed alongside his father-in-law, his wife, his eldest daughter, two of his best men and now his youngest daughter, Kate, who competed with him this year.

“We had decided not to do it, but the Sunday before the race she changed her mind and suddenly there was a mad scramble to get ready,” said Perrow, who has been paddling for 37 years and is also a member of the Dolphin Coast Paddlers.

Also read: North Coast swimmers trek up the hill for a mile to remember

“We went in very green but I know where I am going on the river. We paced ourselves properly, walked all the portages and shot all the rapids. On the first two days we had a trouble-free run, but on the last day we had someone paddle through the back of our boat which was the first of our swims, and another swim when we broke the nose and I broke a paddle. We had to stop and lost about an hour – but our goal was to finish, which we did.”

“It really is a fantastic bonding experience. I have even committed to doing one in four years’ time when my father-in-law turns 80.”

If you would like to get involved with the Dolphin Coast Paddlers, visit their Facebook page facebook.com/dolphincoastpaddlers for details.

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