King takes victory by one second on Berg

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Monday, 28 June 2010 10:29

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King takes victory by one second on Berg

The Hermon Bridge to Gouda Bridge race took place on Saturday in perfect weather conditions and low water levels. Covering a 32km section of the Berg River, it is one of several day races that lead up to the Berg River Canoe Marathon itself.

The low water level meant that several of the tree blocks that canoeists had managed to paddle over during Swartland either had to be portaged, ramped, or struggled through, thus slowing down the overall pace of the race. The winners came home in just under 2 hours 30 minutes. Racing on such levels also requires clever tactics - knowing where the blocks are so as to get to them first to help with the getaway break whilst those behind are struggling through. This can also work against paddlers, as the canoeists behind, seeing someone up front struggling, may look for and find simpler ways through. And further back in the field, those paddlers with less experience and skill and who don't know the river and its obstacles as well often cause bottlenecks which frustrates and slows down the field behind them - often with colourful language!

With the field of over 90 canoeists lining up in typical Berg River starting conditions, fairly thick mist, the paddlers got away when Scott Baker fired the gun, sprinting away down a narrow, slowly flowing river until reaching the first tree block. This is where the leading bunch of some 10 paddlers was whittled down to six, Lance King (Milnerton) Pierre-Andre Rabie (Maties), Graeme Solomon (Peninsula), Sean Rice (Pen), Alasdair Glass (Pen) and Greg van Heerden (Mil), as just a narrow gap allowed paddlers through virtually one at a time.

Back in the field, in about positions 15 to 20, two canoes jammed the gap and turned broadside after being rammed from behind and then from the side, which created general chaos and led those paddlers behind this snarl to portage or some, to find a sneak through the block by ducking and pulling through branches.

King, back on the Berg after campaigning in Plettenberg Bay at the SA Canoe Marathon Championships, where he sustained a strained achilles tendon, cracked on the pace and soon, with Rabie and Solomon established a leading group of three paddlers, paddling away from the rest of the field.

Some 6km from Zonqwasdrift and at the same tree block that gave Solomon trouble in the Swartland canoe marathon, fate stepped in again and whilst Solomon struggled to get through it (after going in first), King and Rabie took a better, clearer route to paddle away from him to go under the Zonqwasdrift bridge a good minute and a half in the lead.  

For the remainder of the race, King and Rabie swopped the lead until over the final few hundred metres, the cat 'n mouse game turned into a serious sprint for the line with King taking the race by one second from Rabie. Solomon was third, over five minutes off the pace.

In the women's race, Jemma Hofmeyer (Peninsula) had an easy cruise to victory over Milnerton's young U18 paddler, Marisa Pretorius and her clubmate, women's vet. paddler, Lisa Scott. This despite an early hiccup at the first tree block, where she was forced to portage because of the chaos in it. Thereafter, in her own words, it was 'smooth sailing to the end - a very enjoyable race'.

The Paarl Juniors continue to show their talents and in particular the two U16 paddlers, Luke Stowman and Michael Farringer, who were first and second in the Junior category (excellent 11th and 14th overall placings respectively), whilst their clubmate, Joseph Williams, an U18 paddler (17th overall) was third. The depth in the Junior sections, in particular at the Paarl and Milnerton Clubs is really showing through with these first class results and are good news for the W.C.C.U. in general. Now the other clubs need to step up to the mark - which they are doing at Peninsula and Maties, where junior programmes have also been established.

The prize giving was held at the Gouda Hotel, reminding older paddlers of those halcyon days when after virtually every Berg River day race (and in particular the Gouda - Bridgetown and Hermon Gouda races) were celebrated at the wonderful 'watering hole' and the legendary 'Green Parrot Pub', the decorations of which have to be seen to believed.

Next weeks Berg River day race, the 28km section from Wellington (Lady Loch Bridge) to Hermon, will also double as the W.C.C.U. K1 River L/D championships, so a good turnout is expected and as rain is expected during the week, will help, as this section is notorious for its tree blocks.