Thursday

Preview of Global Trader Drak Challenge

Underberg - As storm clouds gather over the Southern Drakensberg there is an air of nervous anticipation ahead of this weekend’s Global Trader Drakensberg Challenge canoe marathon that is hosting the SA K1 River Championships.

The big field of paddlers that has been tripping the river in preparation for the two day 70km marathon on the Umzimkulu river has been met with a low river during the hot dry spell that has gripped the province this month. However, weather forecasts point to a massive frontal system arriving on Thursday and Friday, bring with it plenty of rain.

Should that rain fall in a very small, specific catchment area high in the foothills of the Garden Castle mountain range, then the level of the river can rise fast and dramatically, converting the technical rock-gardens into a relentless rollercoaster of standing waves.

In the first year that this marathon was staged the Umzimkulu came down in spate, resulting in 75% of the field failing to finish the race, and millions of rands of equipment being trashed in the mayhem on the river.

“It is really a bit of a lottery,” said race committee chair Paul Cartwright. “It’s one of the attractions of this race that we are completely in the hands of the weather conditions the days before the race because there are no dams that can offer water releases. This makes the GT Drak a truly natural experience, racing on the river as you find it on raceday.”

With a big field of elite paddlers assembling in the Southern Berg town of Underberg for the hugely popular two day race which is doubling as the national K1 river title decider this year, all eyes will be on what is set up to be a riveting tussle for the overall line honours.

Six times winner and defending champion Ant Stott is chomping at the bit and has spent a significant part of the month preparing on the river, learning it’s intricacies at various water levels.

He is also eager to use the race, which he unashamedly describes as his favourite race of the year, to erase any lingering disappointment from his dramatic Dusi campaign in which he and Michael Mbanjwa saw their perfectly timed charge for the title sink in the waters of the Umgeni after a catastrophic swim on the final stage.

He will however be very hard pressed by a quality men’s field that will include Under 23 marathon world champ Grant van der Walt, Gauteng contenders Michael Mbanjwa, Piers Cruikshanks, Jacques Theron and the tenacious Durbanite Hank McGregor.

The GT Drak represents unfinished business for McGregor, as it is the only major event on the national calendar that he has never won. With a string of Drak second and third places behind him, McGregor wants to shed the bridesmaid’s mantle once and for all this year, and will be hoping that heavy rains result in a full river to suit his preferences.

Also in the field is visiting British wild water international Ben Oakley, who has been training with Ant Stott on the Umzimkulu last week. While he thrived on the river, he did fall victim to Glenhaven rapid while tripping, and wrapped his kayak around a rock at the bottom of the channel.

Glenhaven adds a distinct air of uncertainty to the race, as it was boldly reshaped during the dry winter months, closing the tricky right hand channel and replacing it with a straight line down the centre of the rapid. However, since the excavations, heavy river flows have moved a number of big rocks down into the centre of the river, some in dangerous positions.

The women’s race promises to be equally interesting, with defending champion Michéle Eray on the startline to defend the title she won last year. The 30 year old professional coach is rested and wiser about the demands of the river than she was on her debut, and raring to go.

She will be under pressure from the gun from the new Dusi champion Robyn Kime, who is flying in from her varsity base in Stellenbosch for the event, and the class of Abbey Adie, and the veteran river racer Antje Manfroni.

The event attracts thousands of people to Underberg for the weekend, where the attraction of the Berg activities and hospitality ensures a big turnout of friends, families and seconders.

The weekend includes the annual inter-club nine-hole golf competition at the Underberg country club, the source of ferocious cross-Drakensberg rivalry, with Gauteng teams having snatched the famous “Beast” trophy from under the noses of the local players for the last few years.

The Global Trader Drakensberg Challenge takes place in Underberg on 27 and 28 February. More information can be found at www.drak.co.za
ENDS