Adie Wins Third Drak Challenge Title

An action packed weekend on the mighty Umzimkulu River for the 20th edition of the N3TC Drak Challenge was dominated by Team Best 4 Kayak Centre teammates Abby Adie and Robyn Kime with Adie coming out trumps for the third time in four years.

In the process, Adie smashed the women’s second stage and overall records by seventeen and thirty seven minutes respectively and also claimed a hugely impressive top twenty finish overall.

Kime erased Adie’s overnight lead of thirty three seconds by halfway through the 38km second stage and the pair continued side by side until shortly before Heaven and Hell Rapid which saw Kime have a contest ending swim and handed Adie the title.

“Robs and I had a brilliant race and I’m obviously very happy to have won,” said Adie. “The fact that we were together for much of the race and that I could stay with her when she tried to get away was also a big confidence booster ahead of Dusi.”

“It was a shame Robs swam towards the end there because she was probably the stronger of the two of us on the day but I guess, like I said yesterday, it came down to making the least mistakes and fortunately that’s what I was able to do.”

“It’s also great to have won after yesterday was pretty stressful with all the changes and the really big water but the delay was actually probably a good thing because it just prepared us a bit for the changed starting sequence on day three of Dusi and the big water also probably played into my hands quite nicely because Robs is probably stronger on the flats than I am but, especially having learned quite a bit from Hilary (Pitchford), I’m probably a bit stronger in big water,” she added.

After Michelle Eder and Jen Theron spent much of the second stage together both paddlers swam at the same rapid however Theron was able to re-gather herself and cross the line in third position whilst Burn was forced to withdraw from the race.

Under-23 paddlers Brittany Petersen and Jenna ward rounded out the women’s top five.

Having been disallowed to paddle on Saturday’s heaving river the junior members of the field welcomed the return action on Sunday’s second stage with Epworth’s Bianca Haw walking away with the junior girls’ spoils.

More information can be found at www.drak.co.za