Ja Boet
Die Castle Lager Liebenbergsvlei Rivierwedvaart 35 km op yskoue Maluti Berg
water het Saterdag 15 Augustus plaasgevind ek se’. Die wedvaart was in die
Vrystaat 200km van die Oos Rand af. Die wegspring was by die Reitz
waterwerke (mooi woord vir riool). So there we are at the start, right by a
high weir where the water is pumping, this river has got flow, baie van die
poepalle het styf getrek, amper nog riool my broer. The race briefing was
by Meyer backed up by organizer Chad, told us about the portages, some
stuff you shoot left, other stuff you shoot centre, the last stuff jy
donder net deur. Motivated by this information, we started the race, nogal
three batches, ek se’. Daar gat ons, the river looks flat but its flowing,
the whirlies push you, if you relax and loose focus, jou gat sal binne ‘n
sekonde in daai koue water wees. Wave train rapids, not one stopper, a
series of waves, and flow that can push you from the side. Mooi man, it
reminded me of Fish day 2, same distance, flow then a rapid that curves,
negotiate the wave train but watch out for being pushed into the reeds on
the bank. Maar ja boet, dit het my ook herinner aan die Vaal Marathon met
daai lang flats waar ‘n ou moet grind en die wind waai van vooraf. Maar
daar by die einde, waar die brief meester gese’ het jy moet net deur
donner, ‘n ander East Rand Accord crew, Rodney and partner, staan bekend by
ons as Rodzilla, hulle was voor ons, toe gaan hulle in daai rapid, die Deur
Donder Rapid net voor die brug, toe swem hulle van bo, en ons kom daar
deur, ons ramp daai groot klip in die middel, ons sit oombliklik vas op die
rots, die boot kreun, my partner skreeu oo fok, ons gly van die rots af, en
ons is daar deur. Ons roei verby Rodzilla terwyl hy aan sy boot vasklou wat
weggespoel word, en ons smile vir hom, the expression on his face was
priceless. The finish was on a local boertjies farm, the boerewors rolls he
made for us were so lekker, definitely from a local plaas slaghuis. So ja
Boet, as die race verby is, is dit alles klaar ? Nee ou swaer, jy moet weer
dink. Ons ry huis toe, maar my partner en my second hulle is rokers, ons
het drie keer lanks die pad gestop vir ‘n pis en rook breek. Die twee manne
het gedrink, hulle brandewyn gegooi en bier gedrink in die kar terwyl ek
bestuur het, dis mooi ons het die race klaar gemaak, ons kan party hou, ek
het net een bier gehad vir elke twee wat hulle gedrink het. Toe daar op die
Heidelberg pad blaas my Corolla se engine, jy sien net rook en stoom, head
gasket in sy moer in. Ek bel toe my assuransie en hulle stuur ‘n flatbed
recovery truck om ons te kom haal. In the meantime my mates get properly
stukkend, they are wasted ek se’, but me I must keep a pose, I must deal
with the insurance company (that stayed in touch til we were recovered,
only 40 minutes), then the recovery driver. So there we go back to East
Rand Kayak, my car on the flatbed, my canoe on the car, four of us squeezed
into the cab and my mates still gooi-ing brandy and drinking beer. The
recovery truck driver, he must have thought, nooit these canoeists are mal.
Well ja swaer, thanks to the race organizer Chad for a lekker race. Boet I
dont know which club you belong to – is it Canoe Concepts or Dabs ?