The Likkewaan Canoe Club in Parys started paddling races a while ago and has hosted three such events so far.
Paddling racing is excellent family fun – almost like a parkrun for paddlers. Participants from Parys, Potchefstroom, Vanderbijlpark, Johannesburg and Pretoria have joined in the fun.
Everybody is welcome – parents with children, couples and friends and even inexperienced or novice paddlers. Bring your own kayaks and paddle along. Be sure to be one of the 30 to 40 participants per event. Events carry on throughout the winter and summertime.
The club also encourages other clubs to follow this example, and is looking forward to the launch of paddle races in the Hartebeespoort area in August or September. The organisers really do regard this fun as a parkrun for paddling.

The paddling race is a 5 km route (they also have a 2 km for children). It takes the fastest paddlers around 35 minutes, and the slowest just over an hour. Participants are encouraged to enjoy a brunch picnic afterwards.
The next paddling race is this Sunday, 2 June 2019 (the first Sunday of every month) at the Likkewaan Canoe Club on the R59, just outside Parys. The race starts at 09:30 and entry is R50 for adults and children.
If you don’t have your own kayak, there are kayaks for hire (R150 single or R200 for a double).Visit www.vagabondkayaks.com/paddling-race/ or www.facebook.com/thepaddlingrace for more information.