KZN#29

Health Sports
Giel van Deventer set to extend
his own Berg record
Paarl - The evergreen
Giel van Deventer will
be lining up for his
48th Berg River Canoe Marathon
when the four day race
gets under way in Paarl on 12
July, extending his own record
for the most finishes in the
iconic four day odyssey to the
West Coast.
“When I was younger I never
had a specific goal in terms of
number of Bergs to complete,”
says the popular Great Grand
Master paddler. “If asked when
are you going to stop my normal
answer was as long as I enjoy the
Berg I will be back next year.”
“The year when I completed
my 46th Berg we had a terrible
windy and cold third day. It took
me 8½ hours on the day. I was
finished and nearly out on my
feet. My wife gave me one look
and she said she think it is time
for me to quit my yearly Berg
outing.
“I said I will give it a thought
which I did ...and my decision
was I will try to get to at least 50
Bergs and thereafter I will consider
stopping if I feel that the
old body is taking too much punishment,”
explains Van Deventer.
“But 50 Bergs will allow me
to rest in peace!”
The 67 year old, who farms
outside Paarl, set an example
to the paddling community by
lodging the third entry for this
year’s race, despite the reluctance
by many paddlers to commit
to the tough race given the
drought conditions gripping the
region.
The allure of the race is simple
for Van Deventer. It is tough,
and widely regarded as the
toughest race of its kind in the
world.
“There are not many rapids,
the water in July is icy cold, but
the Berg as a race has something
special which no other race in
South Africa has: it always was
and still is a real challenge. And
I love challenges,” he adds with
conviction.
He has scoffed at paddlers
being slow to enter the race,
fearing it will be extremely low.
The master statistician says the
Cape winter always bails the
race out of trouble.
“I have rainfall records and
river flow records on my computer
for the last sixty years.
There were several serious
drought years in those sixty
years but there was not a single
year where there was not enough
water to paddle in the middle of
July,” says Van Deventer.
“A few years ago we struck a
very low level but even at two
cumec flow you can still paddle
without portaging. In spite of the
present drought my river flow
statistics gave me 100% trust
that there will be enough water
for a race.
“The Berg both water level
and weather wise has always
been unpredictable,” says Van
Deventer.
“For example in 1973 which
also was one of the driest winters
we ever had in Western
Cape the river flow was at one
cumec two days before the race.
"But it started raining nonstop
on the Monday morning
and two days later on the
Wednesday we started the race
on 330 cumec flow!”
“Weather wise we had several
Bergs in the past where all four
days were fantastic windless
sunny days but we also had horrendous
wind storm days. Just
be prepared for anything Mother
Nature can present to us.
The race has often been a Van
Deventer family affair, and his
son Gert has also entered, which
Giel believes will be a tough
assignment for his son.
a reasonable endurance fitness.
But we will have to see if he can
keep up with the old man!”
"The Berg River Canoe mar-
athon starts in Paarl on 12 July
“Gert and his wife and children
are on a two month tour
through the USA. They return
to South Africa the week before
Berg.
There is no chance that he will
be canoeing fit although they are
doing a lot of mountain biking
and hiking which will give him
Grysbaard. The evergreen Giel van Deventer will be lining up his 48 Berg
in a months time. "50 Bergs will allow me to rest in peace," said Van Deventer.
John Hishin/ Gameplan Media
and ends at Velddrif on 15 July.
More information can be found
at www.berg.org.za
“To
be honest if you evaluate
Berg River as a good river
for canoeing it will surely not
be rated as one of the best
rivers from a fun viewpoint,”
says Van Deventer.
"
Kzn Lifestyle Magazine • Issue 29
43