SCARC paddlers took on the toughest FNB Dusi Race in a decade. Due to the drought this year’s Dusi, which took place from the 16-18 February 2017, was tougher than previous years.

But even the extreme conditions this year did not deter the guys who had put in an enormous amount of training. Their training certainly seemed to pay off as the guys successfully completed the 2017 FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon with pride.

This year we had one lady, Sneziwe Gxobole tackling the challenge in a K1. She raced through the first day with a smashed boat. However all the repairs came undone on the rocky day two, so she was unable to finish. Frustratingly her boat sank on Inanda Dam and she was then forced to withdraw the race. We certainly admire her courage and hope she competes again next year.

An outstanding performance as put in by our K2 U18 boys, Sinenhlanhla Ludidi and Bangamin Mntonitshi a they won their age group and finished in an outstanding position of 176. These guys are certainly going to be the ones to watch in the coming years.

This is a truly remarkable feat considering the majority of these paddlers below are first timers on such a big event. We commend them for their dedication and effort which really did pay off as they were able to overcome the given circumstances.

From the clubs point of view this is a such a huge achievement as hundreds of paddlers set off from Camps drift on Thursday, not entirely sure what the three days of paddling would have in store, with uncertain water levels and difficult environmental issues to take in mind. It has however, now became the tradition to embrace the spirit of the FNB Dusi and view the experience in a positive way.

Submitted by Andile Nyanga