Hansa Powerade Fish River Canoe Marathon

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Name: Dave Kneebone
Comment: Another fantastic race (my 18th), so well organised. Thank you. Bad behaviour; this is a regular complaint. The solution lies in your hands. Take severe action when the bad behaviour occurs, then in your newsletter boast about what you did, instead of complaining about what others did. You will have the support of 99% of the canoeists, seconds and the general public. Chute over Collett Weir; great idea. Marlow Causeway; we used to shoot it without any problems. Could you not place steel plates to prevent the water flowing under the causeway, then we could eliminate the portage. Compulsory helmets; NO NO NO!!! The covering that was spread on the road at the finish of day 1, to prevent dust, was a great idea, much appreciated. Thanks again, see you next year.

Name: Rob
Comment: This is definitely one if the best organised races around. Just a few comments, my partner lost a paddle at Keith's, when we went to look for the Tripper guys to borrow a "green" paddle they were nowhere in sight, it did say in your final e-mail before the race that they would be at Keith's. Agree with James' comments about Keith's rapid, become a lot more difficult! That road from Keith's, much as we appreciate it, was a real shocker, I have a bakkie and I only just made it thru there on the Thursday, can't imagine how bad it must have been by Friday. Great idea about a chute at Collet's and I don't think that anything should be done regarding rapids below Cradock Weir.

Also agree that something needs to be done about mainly the students behaviour at Cradock Spa, I stayed there with my family and as soon as their busses started arriving I became very concerned about their behaviour especially in front of kids, can't they be sent somewhere else (back to Marlowe School?). Thanks 4 awesome race!!

Name: Jennie Dallas
Comment: Fish is awesome - the highlight of our canoe year for more than 50% of our clubmembers - we simply can't get this much enthusiasm going for any other event as it is suitable for lesser experienced, relatively novice paddlers as well as the older tired ones just wanting to have easy fun.

We acknowledge the effort and hardwork put in by the FISH committee with the roads, farmers, access, shutes etc and EVERYTHING IS GREAT - i feel almost GUILTY asking for one more thing.....

Please can we have access to the top section of the river on Weds as well as Thurs? We are not meaning to be greedy but travel a LONG way to do Fish and want to enjoy the river as much as possible while we are there -

we also find that since there is ONLY access on Thursday for trippers, the section/Keiths etc is very crowded and the whole trip takes so long with congestion - many of us could do the top section trip on Weds which would relieve some congestion on Thurs....

ALSO those of us from Gauteng would prefer (as we have done before) to trip the top section ON THE WAY DOWN from Jhb - arriving midday at the dam and tripping to Heuningkrantz for example - then Thurs we can play at Marlowe and Cradock (which has lifeguards) instead of spending most of the day driving and being tired out from dust sand and crowds......

Keep up the good work - it is an absolutely exceptionally well organised race that is enormous fun!

Name: Lawrence Blackbeard
Comment: Thank you for a very well organised race again. We will never miss a Fish and love every aspect. One comment which we talk about every year-is the prizegiving location and length! We all know its hot as hell on that bank and this year was no exception! Why not rather move it to under that huge marquee that we could easily fit under and those that want the sun can hang outside? Imagine the bar sales before the start? Also 2hrs for a prize giving is rather long for tired paddlers and with no lucky draws- no incentive to stay-did you notice how many people left before the finale?

Name: Ali Maynard
Comment: Thank you for your chairmans message. I did not get to race this year but as a canoeist who first registered in 1968 and has done 14 ( i think Fishes )i fully endorse your stand on unacceptable behaviour. Why because i am now in y 60s?. No! just because that's not the kind of behaviour i want our sport to be associated with. Take a strong stand in the knowledge that you are on firm ground with the paddlers behind you.

Name: Anton
Comment: It was my 3rd Fish and I am now convinced that you and your team should take a bow for organising what is, for me, the best canoe race in the world....and I have done the Sella and the Dusi! Don't change too much. Yes, more shoots would make for more fun, but the Fish is already the complete canoeing experience: rapids, honest flats, trees, rocks, weirs, portages, good viewing and sunshine.....but not too much of any of those to make it inaccessible to the pack. And it is wonderfully organised. Thanks to you people.

Name: Jennie Dallas - Ducker in training.
Comment: As one of the most recent new members to the TOASTRACK DUCK CLUB – I heartily agree and wholeheartedly recommend the use of helmets on Day 1 – as I have encouraged my own club novice paddlers to do with much success.
Thank goodness I WAS wearing MINE this year as after 4 successful years of cruising through toastrack – I have NO idea why this year my duck was not low enough! I suspect it is possible that the water surges at certain moments because both my partner AND myself apparently did not quite duck low enough this year fortunately with nothing more than a scraped head or helmet and some mild disorientation (not even a swim).

Our club very strongly advises all paddlers – experienced or not, to wear helmet that day IN CASE and stories around the fire after Fish seem to reaffirm the value of this excellent advice.

Name: James Lind-Holmes
Comment: The thought that we chatted about on the water of making the 2 days more equidistant appeals to me and would too to the market.
In the light of the aspirations of the riparian landowner at current day 1 finish, just below Glen Alpha rapids sounds perfect if access and space is feasible.
Mr Collett's road building between Keiths and Saltpans has been a massive investment on his part, and he must be really celebrated and congratulated for this indulgence. Enormous committment!

Keiths has become wicked. It's meant to be a race-changer. But not this wicked. It seems to have some low-down hydraulics that is/are doing funny stuff. I say that after some 25 years canoeing. Previously I would always have said that Keiths is no more technical than any other named rapid on Umko. And Umko is A+ rated. Now Keiths is to be paddled only by the desperate or foolhardy, and that's not what you want.
The current success rate seema below 3 out of 10 who attempt it and of those 3, one boat is unusable afterwards.
My humble suggestion now is to look at opening a 1 metre wide channel river-right of the willow tree, or removal of the tree altogether.
Intervention is a funny thing. Once one starts, one should manage it onwards. Construction of the bridge was the first, and proliferation of the willows as an invader species is the second! We have to keep on at it.
75% of the field should have a happy go at Keiths with a high likelihood of survival.(Currently below 30% are even having a crack at it.)

Name: Fish Fanatic
Comment: I think you guys have done an awesome job with your web-site, it really is an amazing improvement. Your hard work is appreciated, keep it up! Looking forward to the race!

Name: Warick
Comment: Thank you to the committee for the forward thinking. The new Keith's Rd will certainly make life a lot easier for both paddlers and seconds, and will maintain the excitement to view Keith's in full flow on both the race day and the day prior to racing.

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