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Hi ,
More cross border raids are scheduled for this long weekend. Just that the length and conditions will be significantly different.
While hundreds of paddlers will be converging on Shongweni dam for the SA Schools and the SA Sprint championships, hundreds more will be converging on the mother city to have a quick jaunt around Robben Island.
For some, the pain will be short and intense, for others the pain will last much longer.
200m, 500m and 1000m vrs 27kms.
One on a calm beautiful dam with warm water, the other in colder conditions on the open ocean, with even better scenery.
With the severe difficulties facing slalom paddlers, in the form of facilities, sprinting is pretty much the only paddling avenue open to any aspiring Olympians.
It is also considered to be the purist of the disciplines, and provides a cross over that many of the top international paddlers, from other disciplines, utilise.
Elements of sprint training are used in almost all disciplines. There is no world marathon champion who has not been able to sprint.
This weekend, the cream of the country's sprinters, coupled with many aspiring younger champions, will be churning up the water at Shongweni dam.
The long weekend of racing will be divided into two competitions. Firstly, the SA Schools Championships, which will also double as the selection event to choose a team to represent the country at the Junior and U23 World Championships, which will be held in Portugal in July, as well as the Olympic Hopes regatta in September. Secondly, the SA Sprint Championships where national titles will be up for grabs throughout the age groups.
If you find yourself at a loose end over the weekend, and live in the Durban area, do yourself a favour and load up a deck chair and an ice cream, and head up the hill for a great days entertainment.
The other major event that is taking place over the long weekend is the Freedom Paddle, which, as its name suggests, will be held on Freedom Day (Tuesday the 27th).
After much abuse for my KZN partisan reporting, I have solicited the services of a foreign correspondent from South of the Hottentots Holland, in order to get an unbiased opinion of activities in the area.
We will keep him/her anonymous for the time being, until I get a gauge of reader reaction.
The first contribution is reflected below:
"The Transvaal Navy and squads of Banana Boys from KZN, in Cape Town for the Freedom Paddle on 27 April, will be warmly welcomed by the Fish Hoek Beach Sports Club at the Wreck 'n Back race, the second of the popular Friday Night winter series. The forecast says it's going to be a calm evening with a gentle offshore breeze. The course is an out and back from Fish Hoek Beach to the Clan Stuart wreck off Glen Cairn and back. Participants relish the after-race boerie roll & bonfire at the club! Don't forget to bring a light to wear on your PFD...
Freedom Day, 27 April, sees the 4th edition of the Freedom Paddle in Cape Town. The 27km course from the Oceana Power Boat Club around Robben Island and back offers some of the most spectacular views you'll find of the iconic Table Mountain. The race is designed for doubles paddlers, but a fair contingent of hardy souls participate in singles too. For the not-quite-so-hardy, 8km and 15km courses are on offer too. The forecast at the moment looks nearly ideal with a gentle SE blowing that will kick up small bumps on the way out and provide a solid grind back again. The favourites? The team that won the South African doubles champs a couple of weeks ago, Hank McGregor and Josh Fenn will definitely be up there - but watch out for some strong combinations in the form of the brothers Mocke, the brothers Notten, Davey Brand and Andy Birkett. Among the women, Bianca Beavitt and Angie Austin, Jenna Ward and Saskia Hockley, Candice Murray and Kira Bester will be some of the crews dicing at the front of the pack".
A few weeks ago we (CSA) conducted a survey, giving our members an opportunity to express their views and opinions on the structure and performance of the federation.
I provided you with the results.
All in all, the federation emerged without a bloody nose.
There were, however, many comments and proposals that suggest that many of our members are blissfully unaware of the structure of the organisation or its mandate.
There also appears to be a level of expectation reserved for large corporates.
I have been threatening to reply to some of these comments and to provide some clarity for a number of weeks.
I will address a different aspect each week, just to avoid boring you to tears.
Those of you who don't have a large cup of coffee or a large gin, or don't like housekeeping, just skip to the lame joke at the end.
Here goes:
STRUCTURE
CSA is a paddler and club based federation.
The real action happens at club level.
It is at this level where paddlers are introduced to the sport, where races are organised, where time trials are held, etc.
The real heroes of our sport are found at this level. The people who organise races being the king hero's.
The unions are merely an expression of the will of the member clubs.
The federation is merely a reflection of the will of the unions.
The mandate of the federation is to provide structure and support to the unions and their clubs.
The paid staff compliment of CSA is one, and two halves.
Besides the odd provincial administrator who receives a stipend, all the rest of our administrators, chairmen, secretaries, committee members, etc. are volunteers.
Almost none of our races are run on a professional basis where a profit is being generated for an individual. Almost all of them are run by clubs.
Here is a picture of what we look like:
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