Paddling Race

This event is a race in that you start at the start, follow a course and finish at the finish. But it isn’t as much a ‘race’ as an opportunity for you to dust off your kayak (any type of kayak!) and to come and paddle it.

Paddling Race is for everyone – young, old, fit, unfit, beginner and experienced kayaker. There are two course distances to choose from and marshals on the water to guide you.

You need little more than a kayak, paddle and PFD (and we do have some rental kayaks available too). It doesn’t matter whether your kayak is old or new, short or long, sleek or squat, plastic or fibreglass. Come and experience paddling.

There are now two Paddling Race venues – Parys and Hartbeespoort Dam.

Dates, Times & Fees
Venue – Parys
Venue – Hartbeespoort Dam
Courses & Categories
Equipment: what to bring
Kayak & Equipment Rental
Event Rules
FAQs
Gallery

DATES, TIMES & FEES

	PARYS	HARTBEESPOORT DAM
Where	Likkewaan Canoe Club, Parys	Kommandonek Resort, Hartbeespoort Dam
When	First Sunday of each month	Last Sunday of each month
Dates	4 August 1 September 6 October 3 November 1 December	25 August 2019 29 September 2019 27 October 2019 24 November 2019
Registration	08h15 – 08h45	08h15 – 08h45
Briefing	08h45	08h45
Start	09h00	09h00
	NOTE: Times may be adjusted in summer to beat the heat.
Venue admission	Free	R30pp
Event entry fee	R50pp	R50pp
Entry Form	Parys Entry Form
Contact	Paddle With Us Mobile: 082 936 2509 (Lisa) Email: iwant2paddle@paddlewithus.co.za Website: paddlewithus.co.za	Impact Adventure Africa Mobile: 083 431 4793 (Rene) Email: rene@impactadventure-africa.co.za Website: impactadventure-africa.co.za
Follow us	Facebook (@thepaddlingrace)

Pre-entry deadline is 12h00 on the Friday before the event. We ask you to please pre-enter (by entry form, email or phone) as this gives us an idea of numbers for catering and other logistics.

Please arrive in good time to check in at our registration desk. Also keep in mind that you need to offload your kayak, apply sunblock, get your paddling clothing and PFD on and get your boat on the water in time for the 09h30 start.

You are welcome to bring along a picnic basket and your picnic blanket to enjoy a post-paddle brunch.

VENUE – PARYS

Likkewaan Canoe Club, Parys
Located just off the R59 as you enter Parys from the North, the Likkewaan Canoe Club (LKK) is a beautiful venue with its open lawns and large trees. With thanks to a weir a distance downstream of the club, paddlers enjoy kilometres of flatwater dotted with vegetated islands that create a variety of interesting and scenic routes. Goliath herons, grey herons and fish eagles are a treat to spot. You’ll certainly see many other waterbirds like darters, comorants, herons, krakes, lapwings and kingfishers.

Parys is an easy 60 – 90 minute drive from Johannesburg.

DIRECTIONS

From Johannesburg / Pretoria (N1)
Take the N1 South.
Pass through the Grasmere Toll Plaza (R19.00) and keep going.
Cross the Vaal River and keep going.
Take the Parys offramp. If you get to the big expensive toll plaza (not more than 1km from the offramp), you’ve gone too far.
After 15km you’ll pass the Parys airfield on your left. Then the Parys Golf Estate on your right. Cross the bridge and very shortly after the bridge there is a dirt road on your right. Take it.
At the end of this short road (about 200m) you’ll find the Likkewaan Canoe Club.

From Johannesburg / Pretoria (R59)

The N12 in Alberton gets you on to the R59.
Head south past Meyerton, Vereeniging, Vanderbijl and Sasolburg towards Parys.
The R59 goes over the N1 highway.
After 15km you’ll pass the Parys airfield on your left. Then the Parys Golf Estate on your right. Cross the bridge and very shortly after the bridge there is a dirt road on your right. Take it.
At the end of this short road (about 200m) you’ll find the Likkewaan Canoe Club.

THINGS TO DO IN PARYS

Parys is an accessible Gauteng getaway and as such it offers an abundance of accommodation options, restaurants, decor shops and emporiums, second-hand furniture stores, knickknack stores, galleries, and an array of activities available.

Image by Saskia Gill from Vaal Explorer magazine.

Image from vaalexplorer.co.za

Come for the weekend!

Use any of the many accommodation sites to book accommodation; you really can’t go wrong in this town.

We have a Parys parkrun that starts at 08h00 on Saturday mornings from Mimosa Gardens (cnr Father Balink and Boom Streets).

We also have a Parys myrun on Sunday mornings at 08h00 at the Parys Golf Estate. If you’re fast, you can do myrun and then come paddle.

Walk the main street, stopping in at the stores that catch your interest.

We have timed Paddle Race so that you can make a weekend of it. On the first Saturday of every month is the Hartelus Mark. Located next to the river, this lovely market is a monthly treat. There are dozens of interesting stalls, delicious food, craft beer from The Dog & Fig Brewery and live music.

Pack a picnic basket to bring with you to Paddling Race. Our super venue, the Likkewaan Canoe Club, is a great place to picnic with its large trees and lush lawns that overlook the Vaal River.

An arty town, Parys’ galleries showcase both local artists and others from around the country.

Book a massage, facial and other beauty treatments at a spa.

Use Saturday afternoon and Sunday for other activities – from parachuting at the airfield to rafting down the rapids of the Vaal River, enjoying a geological walk or a mountain bike ride. Go bird watching, hiking and fishing, or paint a picture in a two-hour class.

See the ‘hang bridge’ with its love locks, visit the Parys Museum and pose for a photo by one of the Eiffel Towers in town.

Say cheers to the day with sundowners overlooking the river.

Enjoy delicious meals at the town’s coffee shops and restaurants.

We welcome you to our town.

Read this article about Parys on the Vaal Explorer magazine website.

VENUE – HARTBEESPOORT DAM

This large dam offers a wide open space with coves and interesting views of water-side homes and the high ridge that overlooks the dam. Kommandonek Resort, where we start and finish, is a lovely location to picnic after your paddle.

DIRECTIONS

Head for the Kosmos side of the dam on the R512 (faster from the Pecanwood side taking the bridge over the dam). Take the Kosmos turn off on to Simon Bekker Avenue. About 500m down this road, turn right for the Kommandonek Resort. It is sign posted. Let the guard at the gate know you are here for Paddling Race. The venue access fee is R30 per person.

WHAT TO DO AT HARTBEESPOORT DAM

Starting and finishing at the Kommandonek Resort, you are invited to take along a brunch to picnic next to the dam after your paddle.

Next to our starting point is the Harties Boat Company. They serve a delicious lunch on board their boat. Booking is essential.

See the dam wall and then visit the Snake & Animal Park. This is a popular stop, especially for those with children.

The Upperdeck is a bustling spot for drinks, lunch and live music.

There is the Elephant Sanctuary and The Aloe Farm (must-see in season) on the R104.

COURSE DISTANCES

Short: 2 – 2.5km
Long: 5km

Courses are clearly marked using flags, buoys or safety marshals.

RACE DIVISONS

AGE CATEGORIES

SINGLES
Kayaks <3m
Kayaks 3.1 – 4.0m
Kayaks 4.1 – 5.0m
Kayaks >5.1m (long course only). This category includes surfskis, touring kayaks and K1s.

DOUBLES (long course only)
Under 5.0m
Over 5.1m
This category includes surfskis, touring kayaks and K2s.

SUP
Stand-up Paddleboards are welcome.

Kids: 9-13 (short course only)
Junior: 14-17
Senior: 18-34
Veteran: 35-44
Master: 45-54
Grand Master: >55

WHAT TO BRING

COMPULSORY ITEMS	RECOMMENDED ITEMS
BYOB – BRING YOUR OWN BOAT. Any kayak or SUP can participate in this event. Paddle Personal Flotation Device (PFD, aka lifejacket). You will not be allowed to participate if you are not wearing a PFD. Kayak Rentals include a PFD and paddle.	sunblock hat shades waterbottle towel change of dry clothing some cash for wors rolls and ice creams

KAYAK & EQUIPMENT RENTAL

Rental from Vagabond Kayaks

Single-seater kayak: R150
Double-seater kayak: R200

For this event, we do not charge a rental fee for our children’s kayak, the Kwando. But, note that an adult must accompany the child on the 2km course. Kwandos must be reserved.

These rates include a paddle and PFD per person. Rental kayaks must be booked in advance.
Contact Lisa directly: iwant2paddle@paddlewithus.co.za.

Rental from others
Canoe Concepts in Albertskroon, JHB (near Emmarentia) – 011 477 0784 canoeconcepts.co.za
Canoe & Kayak World in Northriding, JHB – 011 807 8111, canoekayak.co.za

EVENT RULES

We don’t have many rules but we do expect them to be followed.

Wearing a Personal Flotation Device (PFD, lifejacket) in and on the water is compulsory. No negotiation on this.
Follow the marshal’s instructions at all time.
Follow the course. Please do not go off paddling on your own.
Check-in at registration.
Check-out at the finish table when you get off the water.
Even if you do not complete the full course distance, please check in at the finish table so that we know you are off the water. It saves us from sending out a search party for someone who isn’t even on the water.
No littering. Secure wrappers and packaging in your clothing or PFD on the water to discard in bins at the venue.
Young children must not be left unattended.
No swimming. Do not push anyone into the water (it isn’t funny).

FAQs

Q: Are children allowed to participate?
A: Yes. BUT…
We allow for children from the age of 9 to 13 to paddle the short course on their own. BUT, if your child has never before paddled on their own, don’t throw them in the deep end. Paddle with your child.
If you have children of 8yrs or younger and you would like to take them out on your kayak either paddling with you on a double or catching a ride, that’s fine. We won’t charge you an entry fee for them.

My kayak is covered in a thick layer of dust and I haven’t paddled it in 10 years. Can I come?
A: Yes! This event is for you. Dust off your old and faithful kayak, dig that paddle and PFD out of the garage and bring it to this event. While this is a race, it isn’t a ‘race’. The longest course is 5km, which you can do at an easy pace. Afterall, you’re not coming here to win, you’re coming here to enjoy paddling.

Q: I’ve only ever paddled a kayak a little bit while on holiday. Is this for me?
A: Yes, yes, yes! Kayaks are not just for holidays, they are for everydays. Where you can run and bike on roads and tracks everywhere, kayaking is a little more challenging because you need a body of water on which to paddle. This event is an opportunity for you to use that holiday kayak more often for fun and fitness.

Q: Are there rapids?
No. In Parys, just downstream of the Likkewaan Canoe Club is a weir. This means that we have kilometres of flatwater to play on. The routes are upstream of the club and they weave between the islands. Hartbeespoort Dam is… a dam.

Q: You mentioned a weir downstream of the club in Parys. What stops me from going over it?
A: The weir is a few hundred metres downstream of the club and the courses do not go anywhere near it. The water here is not pushy and to get over the weir you actually have to aim for it and paddle hard, which the whitewater kayakers do when they trip the section below the weir. You won’t even get to see it.

Q: I don’t have my own kayak, can I rent one?
A: Yes, we do have a limited number of kayaks available to rent for the event. See the Kayak & Equipment Rental tab on the left.

Q: Do you plan to present more events in other locations?
A: We look forward to seeing more events just like Paddling Race organised by other people throughout South Africa. We won’t be directly involved but we will, of course, offer our support and assist in publicising these for-everyone paddling events.

Q: Why don’t you have prizes?
A: Category winners get free entry to next events. If you have ever organised an event, you will know how much time and money goes into getting sponsored prizes or buying prizes, medals and trophies. When you consider the many race divisions and age groups that we acknowledge, you suddenly end up with a load of winners. And, category winners constitute only a small number of the actual participants. For this reason we prefer to eliminate prizes and trinkets, to spend our time on making this event happen and to keep the entry fee low.

We do acknowledge those who place in their category by offering free entry to other events. These are the people with a target on their backs at the next race.

Our focus for these events is:

To create an event that paddlers with any type of kayak (and SUP) can participate in.

To provide an opportunity for recreational paddlers to get out more often and to be on the water in a safe environment.
To allow you to discover accessible waterways where you can paddle for sport, fitness and recreation.

PADDLING RACE