PREPARATION paid off for the 1^st Umbogintwini Scouts after they raced their way to victory at the Raft Enduro Race at Baynesfield Dam on March 1, competing against 16 other rafts piloted by over 120 scouts from across KZN.

Also read: Umbogintwini scouts craft a raft [Pics]

The rafters competed across four categories, including junior tubes, senior tubes, junior barrels and senior barrels.

Adele Wilson, of 1^st Umbogintwini Scouts, said that the race marked the first of its kind since 2019, making it an exciting and significant revival for KZN.

“Scout groups were challenged to design and construct their own rafts using drums, tubes, bamboo or gum poles and ropes to pioneer the main structure. Before qualifying to race on Sunday, each raft had to successfully float for four hours on Saturday for a true test of design, durability, and teamwork,” said Wilson.

Ahead of the scouts lies an even tougher challenge next year, with the regional vision being to grow the event into an experience similar to those hosted by scouts in Gauteng and the Western Cape. The Gauteng Kon-Tiki competition, named after a 1947 expedition from Peru to Tuamotu Islands, tasks scouts to stay on the raft for 24 hours, completing various challenges while other scouts who assisted in raft construction take part in events on the shore.

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