Birkett: You have to try and be prepared for any outcome when the Drak starts

SOUTH AFRICAN paddling has, over the last few years, been dominated by two names in particular. There is Hank McGregor, the 40-year-old veteran who boasts 10 World Marathon Champs as well as medals for practically every prestigious canoe race in the country. And then there is Andy Birkett.

Birkett, slightly younger than McGregor, is certainly on his tail in terms of earning legendary status, but it just so happens that these giants of paddling have overlapped and brought out a fierce, but respectful, rivalry.

Birkett has cemented his name in recent Dusi successes, but he has also captured the last five Drak Challenges, using them as an opportunity to showcase his early season form.

Birkett will be hunting for title No6 when the race begins tomorrow in Underberg, but he will know that McGregor is determined to stop him – yet again.

“I told Andy that he was welcome to go and win the Dusi or the world champs or anything like that, but the Drak is mine!” said McGregor in the lead-up to the two-day race. McGregor last won the Drak in 2012, his third consecutive win before Grant van der Walt took the 2013 event before the Birkett era of Drak domination.

Their past duels, in races like the Drak and the Dusi, have always been hotly contested, but Birkett has usually come out on top. Last year, in the Dusi, McGregor teamed up with Birkett and they took the Dusi title in a K2.

The race will no doubt be a closerun thing between these two great paddlers, with the Drak a technical and unforgiving race that favours the lucky, according to Birkett.

“It is almost a race of luck, especially when you are paddling on a low river. If you make a mistake it can be incredibly difficult to make up that lost time, so you need to concentrate all the time. You also never know about the rain, so you have to try and be prepared for any outcome when the race starts,” said Birkett.

In the women’s race, there was a break with tradition last year as Abby Solm, who had won the title seven years in a row between 2010 and 2017, sat out, which saw Jenna Ward win it for the first time.

However, Ward will have competition from some powerful paddlers as Christie McKenzie has already been winning races in the lead-up to the Drak. Then there is the ever-present threat of Olympic medallist Bridgitte Hartley, who is itching to win this title.