The NFB Kowie Challenge last Saturday saw more than 100 canoeists take to the water in singles, doubles and three-man surfskis, tackling either the 7km short course or 21km long course in circuits along the Kowie River and through the canals of the Royal Alfred Marina.
The annual event is organised by the Border Canoe Club and hosted by the Port Alfred River and Ski-boat Club.
It was perfect weather for the event, which also made it pleasant for the spectators cheering on the participants as they passed the Ski-boat Club on their circuits. Paddlers who finished the short course joined spectators to watch competitors in it for the long haul.
In first place in the 21km race was Greg Louw of Cradock in a time of 1:34:05. Just two seconds behind him and the first double home was Bevan Manson and Matthew Tebbutt of East London. In third place was the double of Joseph Williams and Phillip Smith in 1:34:09.
Speaking at the finish, Louw said the race was “awesome – nice and flat for a change. Usually there’s tons of wind.”
Louw, a longtime competitor in the annual race, said the challenge this year was “too many strong boats. But it’s nice to have a strong bunch in front the whole time.”
Like many other participants, he uses the Kowie Challenge as training for the Fish River Canoe Marathon which takes place in October.
Doubles winner Manson said he has done the race about six or seven times and won it before.
“It was a very good race this year. Very tidal, with sandbanks at the finish a bit of a challenge,” he said. “It was nice to have a few boats close together the whole time.”
Race convenor Dave Puttergill said the Kowie Challenge had traditionally been an intercity challenge between East London and Port Elizabeth, but last year saw the introduction of a “country districts” team comprising all the other clubs outside of Port Elizabeth and East London, like St Francis, Fish, Rhodes and Kowie.
“The total entrants were 121 plus 16 guppies, which is 20 more than last year. This is thanks to the appeal of the race as a central venue in a wonderful setting, the hospitality of the Port Alfred Ski-boat Club and the good natured rivalry that exists between the Eastern Cape paddling clubs,” Puttergill said.
After dominance in recent years, Border Canoe Club had to relinquish the intercity trophy to Blue Water Canoe Club of Port Elizabeth after a strong showing through all categories saw them edge out Border in the final points tally.
A curious sight among all the surfskis and canoes at the NFB Kowie Challenge on Saturday, 22-year-old Candice Murray from East London was the only prone board paddler competing. Murray did the 7km short course which still seemed like a Herculean task, but she kept pace with many of the canoeists. In fact she’s so good at it she is representing South Africa at the World SUP (StandUp Paddle) and Paddleboard Championship in Denmark next month.
A member of the Border Canoe Club, Murray said her first experience of “proning” was when she started Nippers life-saving when she was eight years old. “I did that for 12 years, then really got into it the last two years.”
There are not many races for prone boarders to compete in in South Africa and Murray said she was “not technically in” Saturday’s Kowie Challenge, but joined the canoeists for the social sport experience.
“I do time trials with the surfski racers,” she said. Originally from Cape Town, she also competes in lifesaving races in Fish Hoek in the summer.
She first represented South Africa in prone boarding at the World SUP and Paddleboard Championship in Fiji last year, where she came eighth in the 8km technical race.
This year she will compete in the technical and the 20km long distance race through the canals of Copenhagen. The races are about three to four days apart. She is aiming for a top ten finish.
A qualified physiotherapist, Murray is doing her year of community service in East London.
