23 January 2003

Two brand new national championships have been unveiled by Canoeing South Africa, to accommodate the mushrooming interest in paddlesports. The first ever Long Distance Double Ski Championships will take place in Cape Town in March, with the inaugural national Mixed Doubles Championships being hosted in the Eastern Cape in April.

Confirming the two new events, new Canoeing South Africa president Alick Rennie said the additions to the calendar were a reflection of growth areas in paddlesports in South Africa. “The ski paddling community is growing fast, and many of the paddlers that are active on the domestic canoeing calendar as well. The extension to a national ski championship was logical, and has been met with real enthusiasm and optimism by the key players in the ski paddling community”, he added.

“Similarly, the increasing numbers of girls and women taking an active part in river canoeing races has prompted the installation of the first ever national mixed doubles championships. The Eastern Province Canoe Union have found a wonderful new stretch of the Fish River close to Port Elizabeth that will be a good test of the mixed doubles crews' abilities”, said Rennie.

The double ski championship race will cover 50km of ocean over two days, from Scarborough to Granger Bay, with the overnight stop at Hout Bay. The event promises to attract the country's best doubles paddling combinations, and to introduce a needle provincial competition to the already highly competitive ski racing calendar.

The mixed doubles event on the Fish river near Hofmeyer will test the male/female crews' abilities with a series of rolling rapids, a few interesting weirs, and some flatwater, over the two-day, 48km course.

Any ski paddlers interested in the SA LD double ski champs can contact Alastair Fraser on 083 7878654, and mixed doubles crews can contact Anton Erasmus about the SA Mixed Doubles Champs on 082 940 2329. Details can also be found on the Ski and marathon pages of Canoeing South Africa

(Source: Canoeing South Africa)

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