On Thursday we had our 44th AGM, with the chair reporting 2023 as a year of growth; in all aspects. Growth in membership, our coaches, our professional athletes, our international representation, our juniors, our Dabs Darlings, and in our Scarcies. The type of growth where we all became one, one club, one family; a year where we all had each other’s backs on and off the water, and where the comradeship was and still remains stronger than ever. All thanks to Elandrie and her team, for what is so often a thankless and undesirable task. We salute you.
This was another busy paddling weekend, with the Local Marathons and International Sprint and River races. Saturday was a K2 race at ERK, on yet another warm and windless, summer like day in May. Well done to the Boys from Benoni who put on a fantastic event. The portage was right in-front of the club house and the vibe was great with music and live commentary to keep to supporters and parents involved and entertained. In the Guppies we once again had Ruoxi winning the Boys and Cassandra winning the girls sections. Ruoxi just beat Phamna Mpambini while Cayden Wilson was third. Cassandra was well ahead of Amile Mzolo, but Amile is still U10, so well done Amile. And well done also Aayan, the only U8 to compete. We also had an U10 swimmer who got back in his boat and stoically finished his race, making coach Daniel McLachlan very proud. In the short course race the U14’s Kyle and David won again, just ahead of Joseph and Gunter who just beat Gabbi and Michelle who took the Ladies win. They paid tribute to Gunter’s coaching and training paying off. They beat the VLC U18’s Simelokuhle and Prince who just squeezed Pippa and Renschi into third place, while Karen was the first K1 home. Go Dabs! In the main race, Helen Jansen Van Vuuren and Caitlyn Odell beat Jess and Elandrie by 40 seconds, but our girls were going the long and wrong way around a buoy after the portage which added about 40 seconds to their race, so the GCU Champs race between these two crews should be good. In the men’s event Brad and Wayne just beat Benjamin and Wongama (U23’s) in the end sprint with MJ and Rob taking 3rd place. Bruno and Luke were 4th – but they paddled with a big fat bungee, and simply couldn’t challenge the end sprint; so our U23’s are looking good for both GCU and SA Champs.
On the International front, CSA sent 7 athletes and a manager to the ICF Sprint World Cup in Szeged, Hungary including our 4 Olympians; Andy & Hamish, Esti & Tiffany along with 3 other guys: Sam Butcher, Callam Davis and Kyle Friedenstein. The ‘main’ events were the Olympic distance 500m and 1000m races in K1 and K2 where there were typically 4 to 5 heats and 40 boats; but there were also 200m and 5000m events. Andy & Hamish focused and paddled only the K2 500m event, while the others each took on 2 or 3 races. Fantastic experiences for all involved, but unfortunately, no one was anywhere near the medals table; nor even near making the A or B finals in the ‘pure’ sprint (200m, 500m and 1000m) races; with the 5000m being longer than the short course marathon (3600m) and also with marathon-like portages, but without heats or the same numbers contending; where our guys and girls did fare better.
When it comes to International paddling, our elite South Africans typically dominate in Marathon, Surfski and River Races, but the harsh reality is that (with the exception of Bridgitte Hartley) we are not, and have never really been, competitive in the same way when it comes to Sprints. Bridgitte won 3 bronze medals at the ICF Champs in 2009 (1000m), 2014 (500m) and 2018 (1000m), along with her K1 500m Bronze at the London Olympics in 2012, making her SA’s best sprinter ever and showing what is possible; but sadly our current sprinters are not making the top 20 in the ‘pure’ sprint events; so in Hungary our elite athletes were really just journeymen or participants as opposed to contenders.
Talking international competition, contenders and medals, we had Clint Cook and Josh Simpkins flying the South African flag as the K2 winners of the famous Liffey Descent. They won comfortably with over 4minutes to spare. Well done guys! There were remarks on how they took the ‘safe’ (sensible?) option on some weirs and on the level of competition, but hey; they won. As did Hamish last year, along with a long list of other Saffas including the Bruss brothers, the Louw brothers, Len Jenkins and two guys who did their training at Emmarentia back in 2001; Nic Oldert and Josh’s dad Copper Simpkins; who were then the first Veteran (and Dabs) crew to win the race outright. The Simpkins may well be the first father and son to have won the Liffey, as was the case with the Chalupskys at the Sella when Oscar and Herman won that iconic race in 1986 after their dad Paul won in 1969. Here’s to all SA’s racing snakes who dominate at an international level.
In other not so elite news, Stanley (The Water Buffalo) Frieman, was seen in a Nelo this weekend, has fallen in love, and is apparently now going to buy one. Stanley paddles an old under-stern that leaks; he bought it with his 21st birthday money, some 40years ago. Go Stan!
Next up, it’s the short course races at Dabs on Friday afternoon to celebrate the completion of the new portage. Entries are open; enter now! Please bring friends and family; this promises great spectator value (and the prospect of sundowners) from our clubhouse. Please also buy some entries to the raffle to support the cause. Then the marathon series continues:
⦁ 25 May. K1 at FLCC
⦁ 26 May. K1 Bonus Race at Dabs
⦁ 1-2 June. K1 & K2 GCU Champs at Roodeplaat
⦁ 14-16 June. K1 & K2 SA Champs at Roodeplaat
With 4 races down and only 3 remaining in the GCU Series (where only the top 5 races count) the paddlers to beat are Brad B and Jess Lee in the Long Course, Kyle and Pippa in the Dash and Ruoxi and Amile in the Guppies. Go Dabs!