JCC members hold their own

THE annual Gauteng Canoe Union K2 (Doubles) River Championship race took place on the weekend of November 1 and 2, hosted by Johannesburg Canoe Club.

The race took place from the Vaal Dam wall near Deneysville, 32km on day one to finish in Three Rivers, a long shallow slog with a number of tired paddlers arriving at the finish.

Day two started below the Barrage with both days more pleasant than usual. Some 30km later paddlers straggled into the finish at the Smiling Thru’ Holiday Resort upriver from Parys.

With 8km of enjoyable and challenging rapids at the start of the race and plenty of flat water afterwards, making up good resistance training, paddlers built up their stamina and endurance as they prepare for the major river race, the 120 km Dusi, in February 2015.

Greg Smith from Glenvista partnered with Brandon Collyer from the Peninsula, to finish as the second Sub Veterans, after losing their first place position when stuck on some rocks at Benoude Boude on Day two, finishing in 5:3min as the eighth boat.