There will be many war stories to be shared over a cold beverage or two after this year’s gruelling and exciting FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon from February 15 to 17.
A contingent of 18 paddlers from the Homestead Dam-based Ekurhuleni Kayak Club (ERK) headed to Pietermaritzburg for the three-day, 120km test on the Msunduzi and Mgeni rivers.
Some made it to the finish at Blue Lagoon in Durban while others succumbed to the strenuous demands of the biggest canoeing event on the African continent.
“It was a good race with some super challenging conditions,” said ERK’s chairman Richard Tandy who completed his ninth Dusi.
It was not easy going for Tandy and K2 (doubles) partner Jarryd Breeds who broke their boat on the journey.
They managed to fix it and find their way to the finish.
Others, however, weren’t so fortunate to see the end.
Father and son duo Michael and Liam Stewart, who the City Times has been keeping a close eye on in recent times, did not get to the “promised land”.
“We both got very sick on day two,” said Michael, who did not finish for the first time in 23 Dusis.
“We tried to start day three despite feeling terrible, but then we had a mix up in communication with our seconder.
“In the end, we were going to have to paddle down behind the rest of the field with no support.
“It was too risky in our state and we made the call to bail.
“It’s a tough one to stomach, but then the Dusi needs to be respected.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Tandy who said that plenty of training and effort goes into preparing for the Dusi, so not finishing the race is a sad pill to swallow.
The ERK duo of Allan and Clinton Munro also didn’t finish the endurance event.
There was joy, however, for the following ERK K2 paddlers: Tommy Booth and Pieter Engelbrecht (80th position), Gavin Payne and Douglas Jewson (96th position), Jarryd Breeds and Richard Tandy (227th position), Peter Dunnett and partner (242th position), Vallon Kupferberg and Miguel Simoes (283rd position), Leon Maritz and Bob Harvey (362nd position).
The following K1 (single) paddlers finished the Dusi:
Chris de Bree (33rd K1), Terrence Galloway (46th K1), Raymond Davidson (68th K1).
Follow us on these platforms:
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp: 079 431 1217
Instagram: benonicitytimes.co.za
