With a new crew set to be etched onto the champions trophy at this weekend’s Breed River Canoe Marathon, the Western Cape entry of Uli Hart and Kenny Rice has changed the complexion of the overall title race.
Defending champions Andy Birkett and Nicky Notten confirmed on the weekend that they will not be back to defend their title as Birkett has been ill and is prioritizing getting well before the marathon world championships in Portugal that starts at the end of the month.
That means that a new crew will be crowned the 2022 champions, and the entry of Hart and Rice has triggered a lot of interest in the paddling community.
With world champs-bound Hank McGregor and Jasper Mocké already confirmed for the Breede, any crew harbouring serious aspirations of downing them in what they are unashamedly billing as a world champs dress rehearsal will be to bring their A game.
This past weekend Rice and Hart fired a warning shot over the former world champs bows by winning the pre-Breede marathon race that covers the first stage of the Breede Marathon.
“This weekend was the first time that we have managed to get into a river boat, so we are winging it,” said Rice.
“The Breede will be a great race and also provides two very good days of race training,” said Rice, who finished second to his brother Sean in the 2019 surfski world championships in France, and partners the reigning U23 world champion Uli Hart.
“I don’t think there will be much water but that does keep it exciting,” he added.
“I am really excited for the Breede, and with Uli going really well at the moment, it makes it even more exciting,” said Rice.
“I am merely going to be a passenger in the back of the boat, hoping to get some fitness in before the surfski and marathon world champs,” he said.
