River race season begins
JOBURG - First river race of season accommodates novice paddlers.
Florida Lake Canoe Club hosted its first river race of the new canoeing season on 18 May from Meyerton Sports Grounds to Three Rivers, a distance of some 18km.
Designed to exclude the more technically difficult rapids, the route ensured that new river paddlers would be able to cope with their newly acquired river paddling skills.
The river race season begins after the rains have subsided, and the rivers are more manageable with gentler currents and builds up until the next rainy season, when it peaks at high flood water and exciting river races.
Fallen trees can be a serious problem for river canoeists as they can get snagged in the branches and trapped. Tree clearing crews work regularly on the rivers to keep them flowing freely and not blocked by numerous non-indigenous fallen trees, and safety marshalls are positions to direct paddlers away from the tree branches.
Austin Gibbs has paddled rivers for many years – a member of the Dabulamanzi Canoe Club based at Emmarentia Dam, the highly experienced canoeist finished the 18km race in 1 hour 36 minutes as the 19th K1 single canoe.
