Maties Canoe Club is leading the pack for the 63rd Berg River Marathon.
The Stellenbosch-based club is clearly dominating the scene in terms of the largest club entry countrywide this year, with at least 17 paddlers committed to starting the 63rd Berg River Marathon in Paarl next week.
Charged mainly by the “Turbo Toppies”, as all 50-year-old plus paddlers at the club are known, the group will start the gruelling four-day event at the Market Street Bridge in Paarl on Wednesday, 2 July, and end four days and 240 km later in Velddrif along the West Coast on Saturday 5 July.
This Stellenbosch contingent includes, inter alia, 76-year-old Johan van Rooyen with 15 Bergs under his paddle, Gerhard Beukes with 41, Francois Loedolff with 38, and Johan “Mossie” Serdyn with 34 Bergs, listed behind their names, respectively.
The entire group of Maties Canoe Club paddlers, who have committed themselves to this year’s Berg is Francois Loedolff (38 Bergs completed), Francois Meyer (9), Johan van Rooyen (15), David Malherbe (8), Daantjie Malan (13), Adie de Kock (26), Andries JP Smit (27), Barry Muller (6), Gerhard Beukes (41), Johan (Mossie) Serdyn (34), Schalk Smit (13), Conrad Kriel (3), Carel Botha (1), and Tanya Isaac (1). The paddlers taking on the epic event for the first time is Ethan Muller, Stefan Erlank, James Sharpe, and Rachel van Deventer.
The entire 240 km Berg River Marathon course spans four days. Day 1 will see the paddlers take off from Paarl to Zonquasdrif (62 km); day 2 from Zonquasdrif to Bridgetown (46 km); day 3 from Bridgetown to Zoutkloof (75 km); and day 4 from Zoutkloof to the finish line in Velddrif (57 km).
Some 100 paddlers have already entered, with 85-year-old Jannie making his 52nd attempt, a record. “Oom Jannie,” as he is affectionately known, paddled his first Berg in 1962, finishing fourth, and then won the next three years.
