Non-stop action for Dusi-doers
They managed to recover and made the cut-off by two minutes at the Inanda dam wall.
TOTI Canoe Club had five canoeists taking part in the Non-Stop Dusi.
They were Gavin Smith and Dylan Van Rensburg, Lyall Whitehead and Gary Albers and Quinton Rutherford and Brian Taylor.
It was a 5.30am start at Camps Drift with cool conditions for the first two hours, before the sun came through the cloud cover and warmed the valley. Thankfully it was not as hot as the three day Dusi.
This race has two check points that you must pass and choosing to stay in the river or run, is your choice. This year the water level was lower than the Dusi level which made some of the rapids very technical and you had to be on the look-out constantly for those little hippos (rocks just under the water), which have the ability to steer you off course and sometimes even take a swim.
However at the start Gavin Smith was looking bleak and pale as a result of an angry stomach. Nevertheless an ex-parabat, Kid Colt type of man that he is, he set off from the start already feeling weak. A long day it was going to be.
Just after Ernie Peirce weir which is a kilometre from the start, his partner Dylan was complaining how he could already smell the notorious sewage farm, which is about 12kms downstream. Well, we all know it was Gavin who just could not help himself – apparently he was desperate to seal the leak as the duct tape he used never worked. One seconder said he was standing next to the river and this boat pulled up and Gavin shouted from the cockpit: “If anyone has Imodium, could I have some.” Fortunately there was a seconder who had a pack in his car and gave them to Gavin. Gavin’s response was “my name is Solly and I am very grateful and hopefully I can pay you back some time”. Off they went, Gavin feeling a little lethargic and with a settling feeling in his stomach. They managed to recover and made the cut-off by two minutes at the Inanda dam wall.
The other doubles of Toti being Lyall Whitehead (first) non stop Dusi and Gary Albers had a good race and finished in 10 hours 57 minutes. The next boat home was Quinton Rutherford with Durbanite Brian Taylor in 11 hours 16 minutes. Gavin and Dylan arrived in 12.36.
Final results of the Dusi: 36 Matt Collins and Michael Hay Western Province partner 9:15; 37 Brett Binnekade and Brent Chiazzari 9:18; 74 Jenna Ward (Varsity) and Kerry Segal (UKZN) on loan from Toti 10:00; Joseph Evered Hall (Durban) and Jason Ward 10:18; Tyron Pontes and Keegan Kruger 10:46; Marcell Gerhard and Gary O’Connor 10:56; 168 Ross Fountain and Brett Hadiaris 11:08; 169 Gary Albers and Rory Taylor 11:08; 218 Ashley Espitalier and Bevan Carr 11:34; Quinton Rutherford and Simon Ross (Durban) 12:46; Ryann Hamilton and Dillon Van Rensburg 13:05; Jeremy Cliff and Gavin Ductape Smith 13:10; Michael Cousins and Shane Farrimond 13:47; Hannes van Heerden and Joubert van Tonder (31st Dusi) 14:02; Gordon Bateman and Nic Waterson 15:37.
