Virtual paddlers battle it out
As part of the 2020 Virtual Knysna Oyster Festival, the Knysna Canoe Club decided to organise and put together its annual paddling event in the same way many other events have – virtually.
Traditionally, paddlers battle it out in a race along the traditional Harbour to Heads route that takes them from the Knysna Yacht Club to the Heads and back.
However, as was the case with so many other events, the race was prohibited as a result of Covid-19 regulations, and organisers provided a platform where paddlers could take to water anywhere they wished, and then submit their entries to the club.
They were unable to make it a formal race with prizes and positions as participants paddled in variable conditions around the country. Even though they couldn’t put together an actual race per se, organiser Darren Berry pointed out that they still wanted to give paddlers an incentive to get back out and paddling again. “It’s basically been about getting the word out there, as well as giving people a reason to get up, get busy, and back out on the water,” Berry said.
Photo gallery: Virtual Harbour to Heads race
The virtual event started on Saturday 27 June and ran until 4 July, affording paddlers a week to get down to the business at hand. “We had great local support from club members – we probably had 20 boats on the water last weekend,” Berry said. “We also had paddlers taking part from as far away as KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.”
He further noted that two of the club’s junior paddlers showed they could do it just as well as anyone else during this year’s event. “We should make special mention of Carla Collins and Jade Das Fontes, who are both junior girls who completed the full 21km distance in K1 [single-seat] canoes.”
Paul Dugmore on his way to the water. Photo: Blake Linder
Barry Hayward, Paul Dugmore (back boat, red cap), David Gorven, Radie Dippenaar and Chloe Bunnett paddle along.
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Source: Knysna Plett Herald News