The W.C.C.U. K2 (doubles) canoe season got off to a good, if not low-key start, on Saturday 19th July on Zandvlei/Marina da Gama, when some 40 canoes took part in the first K2 event of the 2nd half of the local canoe season.

The 15 km course, paddled in perfect weather, did not attract as many paddlers as was expected, but coming a week after the Isuzu Berg River marathon, and on the same day as the Memorial surf ski race in honour of popular paddling legend, Keith Anderson, it was not surprising. But the 63 paddlers who did compete (there were several K1's as well), could hardly have wished for better conditions, as there was just the lightest of NW winds and the event started in the coolness on an early morning, yet thinning mist which burnt off by the start of the 2nd of the 3 lap event.

From the starters command, a leading bunch consisting of Stellenbosch's experienced K2 partnership from previous years, Heinrich Schloms and Ernest van Riet, the new combination of Milnerton's Gavin White and Marius Harmsen and Peninsula's Graeme Solomon and Dale Gurney, set the pace with Lance King in a K1 and that is how it ended, the 3 abovementioned crews in 1st, 2nd and 3rd places, with King being the first K1 home and in 4th place overall.

Solomon and King, chosen to represent South Africa at the World Canoe Marathon championships in mid September, did not paddle together yesterday, but will form a formidable combination once the K2 river season begins in 2 weekends time. They are also waiting to hear from Canoe South Africa if they will be allowed to paddle this years Breede River K2 (2 day) marathon on the 6th and 7th September, it being 3 weeks before the World's. As it is also this years S.A. K2 river championships, it would be a great pity not to have S.A.'s  2nd rated K2 crew (and locals to boot) in that 'home' race for them. Certainly, once they are back on the water together, Schlomns and van Riet, White and Harmsen and other crews will have to be at their best to show Solomon and King their backs.

The ladies section of yesterdays Marina mini marathon saw the Junior (U16) combination of Melanie van Niekerk and Marisa Pretorius (both Milnerton) easily take 1st place and will be interesting to see how they progress this season. After W.C.C.U. lady paddlers having dominated races all over the country for the past several years, there is now a dearth of them - Abbey Miedema (fresh from her hat trick of titles on the Berg) will be in Canada until just before the Breede K2 marathon, Alexa Cole, after a number of years of serious paddling has eased off canoeing so far this year and has also put her hand up as the top lady surf ski paddler in S.A. (if not internationally) and Nikki Mocke and Michelle Eray have been preparing for and are now in the final days of training for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing that begins on 18th August. Except for the news that Miedema and Eray will be paddling this years Fish River canoe marathon, it is not certain if we will see the others back in action in the local events, but watch this space!

In the junior division yesterday, the interesting partnership of Milnerton's Ivan Kruger and Bianca Beavitt saw them win not only the Junior division (the aforementioned van Niekerk and Pretorius in 2nd spot), but also the mixed doubles.

Results - top 10.

1. Heinrich Schloms/Ernest van Riet  - University of Stellenbosch Canoe Club - 1 hour 03 minutes 09 seconds

2. Gavin White/Marius Harmsen - Milnerton CC - 1:03:54

3. Graeme Solomon/Dale Gurney - Peninsula CC - 1:03:57

4. Lance King - Mil - 1:05:06

5. Sean Rice - Pen - 1:10:36

6. Rory van Zyl - Pen - 1:10:43

7. Ivan Kruger/Bianca Beavitt - Mil - 1:10:42

8. Rob MacLean/Anton Cartwright - Pen - 1:10:56

9. Cornelius Human/Jemma Hofmeyer - US/Pen - 1:13:24

10. Nick Rockey/Graham Rowe - Pen - 1:13:26

Ladies.

1. Melanie van Niekerk/Marissa Pretorius - Mil

2. Romy Findley/Samantha Bacon - Pen/UCT

Juniors

1.Ivan Kruger/Bianca Beavitt - Mil.

2. Melanie van Niekerk.Marissa Pretorius - Mil.

Sub Veterans

1. Graeme Solomon/Dale Gurney - Pen

2. Rob MacLean/Anton Cartwright - Pen.

3. Rusty Mills/Caron Planting - Pen.

Veterans

1. Christo Smit/Ross Meyer - Mil

2. Rob Hart/Lis Hart - Pen

3. Gavin Finch/Angus Lawrie - Cen

Sub Masters

1. Nick Rockey/Graham Rowe - Pen

2. Daantjie Malan/Clifford Benedell - US

3. Nick Baikoff/Rich Freeman - Pen

Grandmasters.

1. Roy Linley/Sandy Allen - Pen/Mil

2. Angus Hemp/Charles Melck - Pen/Mil

Mixed Doubles

1. Ivan Kruger/Bianca Beavitt - Mil.

2. Corneluis Human/Jemma Hofmeyer - US/Pen

3. Rusty Mills/Caron Planting - Pen

K1 - Men

1. Lance King - Mil

2. Sean Rice - Pen

3. Rory van Zyl - Pen

K1 Ladies

1. Angie Gaffney - Pen

2, Lisa Ronquest - Mil

3. Fiona Ross - Pen.

Rob MacLean

Media Liaison - W.C.C.U.