Rubber duck races are back for Easter weekend

Date:

WITH only a few weeks to go, organisers of the upcoming Amazing Events sport extravaganza set for Easter weekend are in full drive and set to kick off with a tsunami of a splash for Port Alfred.

Clear your weekend schedule for April 14-17, as Port Alfred will be in full on take-over mode with land, sea, river and beach events taking place.

Amazing Events’ main sponsor is Royal St Andrews Hotel, and is marketed under the banner of Uncinqa Enetrprises. Zwelinzima “Sxeaks” Nkwinti and Dave Lawson formed the company as a venture to boost sport and recreational activities in Port Alfred.

Royal St Andrews Hotel has been involved with sponsorship since the inception of the event and is also accredited with naming rights.

Amazing Events will host numerous fun and exciting beach, river and adventure-focused events like beach soccer, surfing, body boarding, a Marina Mile swim sponsored by the Royal Alfred Marina, a kiddies tube race, rubber duck races, and beach volley ball.

[pullquote] “The idea is to promote Port Alfred – people here own the town. What we try and say to people is, this is your town and you must be positive of your town and invest in your town,” said Nkwinti. [/pullquote]

For the first time in at least ten years, Port Alfred and the Kowie River will host a thrilling two day rubber duck race event.

From April 15-16, rubber duck teams from all over the country will compete in a two leg race with two classes on the Saturday, a surf race with a pro-stock class and a modified class, ultimately resulting in eight races for the day. On the Sunday the rubber ducks will compete in a race dubbed the “Old Barnacle Challenge” which will see rubber ducks take off from near the Ski-boat Club and race through the river mouth, around Fountain Rocks and back. This course will see the boats rear off with top speeds for five laps before the last sprint to the finish line.

“The idea is to promote Port Alfred – people here own the town. What we try and say to people is, this is your town and you must be positive of your town and invest in your town,” said Nkwinti.

On Saturday, swimmers will take to the water for the Marina Mile, a swimming race that will start at The Halyards Hotel and take swimmers through a course in the Marina.

West Beach, famous for being one of the best body boarding breaks in the country, will host a body boarding contest from Saturday to Sunday, with a contest briefing on April 14 at 6pm at West Beach. Simultaneously East Beach will be the venue for a surfing competition on Saturday and Sunday.

Not all the fun will be for adults with a kiddies event scheduled for April 15 seeing the little ones compete in a tube race at Kiddies Beach. Eastern Cape Volleyball will host an informal youth competition and coaching at West Beach on Saturday and Sunday while beach soccer will take place throughout the weekend at West Beach.

Throughout and during the many sport activities and events, West Beach parking lot will be the hub for Amazing Events with on-going entertainment and refreshment as well as SAB tents set-up for more fun.

Sunshine Coast Tourism manager Sandy Birch said: “This has the making to be the premiere event in town and one of the biggest in the country. We don’t really have a Port Alfred event and it’s a great way to get the town known for adventure and sporting activities”.

“We want it to be a legacy, Port Alfred must be known for its sport. We want it to be a family weekend that promotes sport, and our town,” said Nkwinti.

Talk of the Town are media sponsors for the event and will be posting coverage weekly as well as full coverage daily during the event on talkofthetown.co.za. Keep an eye out for more details and as well as the full programme which will be published nearer to the time.

Leave a Reply

More like this
Related

Excitement all round as new Port Alfred Easter Festival launches

“We’re not just presenting the Port Alfred Easter Festival...

Easter weekend water safety alert

NSRI, lifeguards and the emergency services are appealing to...

Stop/Go on N2 between Makhanda and Fish River Pass

The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL)...