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This weekend’s W.C.C.U. K1 canoe race, will take place on the Berg River and on the 28km section between Gouda Bridge and Bridgetown. For many Cape paddlers, this is arguably the ‘best’ of the one-day Berg River races, as it is on a section that is clear of pollution and of extensive tree blocks that are the sad facts about the river higher upstream. However, it does not come without its obstacles and with minimal rain having fallen of late in the catchment area of the Gouda-Bridgetown section, it will not be plain sailing (paddling!) to race upon. Depending upon what the narrowing of the river is like just 200 m down from the Gouda Bridge, the start may have to be moved 300m downstream of the bridge as it makes no sense to have 100 – 150 paddlers charging into restricted waters (gaps for just one canoe at a time), so early in the race, as over the years and unless on very high waters, when the overgrowth here can be paddled around, a formidable obstacle in the river has been formed by the proliferation of Palmiet, shrubs – even trees – not to mention the cut, broken and dead trees and logs that have formed a virtual barrier across the width of the river.
Beyond this ‘barrier’, the river widens to allow for slip-riding all the way (30 minutes or so) to Black Rock and the inevitable question of whether or not to shoot or portage it? The likes of Graeme ‘Solly’ Solomon, will tell one that he can portage this obstacle as fast as many (who stay upright in it) shoot it – but then he is a master at portaging; others will never miss the chance of some action, but be warned as going into the Black Rock Rapid, means going in blind (as one cannot see what is ahead of you as the view is restricted by high Palmiet walls) and if a paddler ahead of you (and out of sight) has blown it, be prepared for some nifty evasive action, which in a fast flowing channel with a drop and a very sharp left-hand turn in it, is often beyond the skills of many paddlers – so, your choice! Approaching the mid-way mark of the race – the Train Bridge – paddlers will again be faced with a fast-flowing channel – this time though a lot wider than that at Black Rock – but nevertheless with some very sharp turns in it and if the water rises at all, upwelling and ‘swirlies ‘ can be upsetting. Beyond Train Bridge, paddlers will enter the Gum tree forests that lead up to and are below the Heuning Berg and here there is also at least one major tree block which either entails paddlers climbing over it or taking to the banks on either side to get by, before the river widens again. But wider or not, is not without its nuances, as interesting looking channels open up right and left, which if the incorrect one(s) are taken, will seriously affect a paddlers time for the race. In the region of Yysterpen Rapid, there are again a number of options to be taken, although at this level, perhaps the best suggestion is to keep to those channels that take paddlers towards river left. Beyond Ysterpen Rapid, paddlers will close in on the Drie Heuwels Weir, which is shoot-able, but will have a small drop to it, before heading into the final (for some), 30 – 40 minutes of this race. ‘For some’, as there are a number of channels between the weir and the final, long grind in to Bridgetown here paddlers can horribly wrong if the incorrect channel(s) are taken. When in doubt, look for what appears to be the strongest flow and follow it – this doesn’t always work of course! A mantra in previous seasons on this section of the race has been the following….”after Drie Heuwels, go left, left and left again”……will that work this coming Saturday? Time will tell. Lance King (Milnerton Canoe Club) remains the favourite for this race, he having won all the recent K1 events in the Cape this season, but Graeme Solomon (Peninsula CC) is an old campaigner on the Berg, whilst the likes of Matie Pierre-Andre Rabie, Paarl’s Heinrich Schloms, Ivan Kruger (Milnerton’s fast improving U21 paddler) and Ian Trautmann (Peninsula) are all potential podium placings, because it takes just one mistake, when racing against paddlers of this class, to see a podium finish vanish. Matie Robyn Kime remains supreme amongst the Senior Women paddlers, but Jackie Barnes (UCT), if she races this weekend, has the ablility to push the Matie, although with Kime’s background in river racing (Dusi, Drak, Fish, Berg 1st positions in recent years), there probably isn’t a female paddler anywhere to match her on any river. The race starts at 10h00 at the Gouda Bridge (or a short way downstream) and the registration tables will be open from 08h30. PFD’s (life jackets in the ‘old’ days) are compulsory as are River Proficiency certificates. Without these, please do not even consider putting your canoe on the water – you will be immediately disqualified and asked to remove it! |
Race Info 
