If at first you don’t succeed…
There’s a popular proverb that encourages persistence and determination in the face of failure, and this idea of ‘try and try again’ is what Chad Andrews and his team did really well in staging the race – and it’s also what some other guys did not so well in trying to do the race.
Ironically, the Vaal River Marathon was postponed twice at the tail end of 2025 because the river was too high, and then although the dam was at 101%, there was no extra release when it was staged last weekend. This meant it was a normal Vaal – low. Low and long, hot and hard – a proper endurance test – of bodies and boats. Grabbing the boat headlines were Dabs lads who made the poor boy / school boy error (although neither are hard off or young) of taking a 20 year old carbon marathon boat to a low Vaal; which folded in half in the Chute, and that was the end of their day 1. They then arrived for the second day with an old Kevlar river boat and holed it badly in Benoude Bode, and that the was the end of their day 2. Sorry boys, but well done for trying. Sadly, only about 70 people tried, most doing both days, some doing just one, but those who went were well and truly tested and got in some proper training.
In the racing headlines – well done to N & M, Siseko Ntondini & Benjie Mntonintshi who won ahead of Rob Crichton & Marco Magni, while Mark Garden & Sibusiso Chwayi were third. Fourth and first U23’s were Ethan Cockram & Sikhanyisele Dekeda. Fifth and first U18’s were Nhlamulo Mahwayi & Sbusiso Tyiki. In the Mixed Doubles Matt Ballenden & Renschi Van Zyl easily beat Ryno Armdorf & Gillian Jones while in the ladies Shannon Parker-Dennison & Caitlyn Odell easily beat Astrid Bredenkamp & Anya de Beer.
Even though the river was low and there are only a couple of fun rapids, as Grant Theil likes to say ‘a morning on a river is better than a day on a dam’.
Well done to the extended GCU team who tried and tried again (and might have scored 10 out of 10 had they secured a water release). Whether there are 30 or 300 boats, putting a race together is a lot of work. So thank you to all – to the time keepers, the marshals out on the river, the photographers, the braai master’s and the food and drinks people. Thanks to the hosts Rapids Paradise, Eden Manor and Umfula Resort and thank you to the race sponsor; Cloete’s Sand and Stone who gave the paddlers very cool shirts. Thanks Wesley and good luck for your first Dusi – indeed good luck to all the Dusi contestants; it looks like we have 15 Dabs and 5 SCARC paddlers going down to KZN, and before that there a few highly tuned athletes (and 2 guys who just do stuff to earn their beers) off Midmar and then the Pirates 21km – go boys!
Talking Dusi, on Thursday the movie crew from Megapro will be at the club filming our Time Trial. Lining up are the newly crowned Vaal champions Siseko & Benji, taking on the KZN pairing of Msawekosi Mtolo & Sbonelo Kwela, as well as the Eastern Cape duo Andy Birkett & Matt Fenn for a special Dusi TT showdown. So ask your partners, your people, your pets, whoever; if you can be there, and bring them all too, to paddle or just to make some noise, for a TV show about the 75th Dusi, featuring The Finest Canoe Club In The Whole Dam Universe – and You. Put it in you diary now.
Till next time – Go Dabs!