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It all started with one conversation in 1997…
Mark Perrow, multiple Dusi winner, was chatting to me about the Dusi and how some of the top paddlers would do it in a day when the water was high. I found this unbelievable
and suggested we start an event and officially hold the "the Dusi in a Day".
I approached chairman of the Dusi Nigel Tatham and longstanding Dusi committee member Derek Howe – they both loved the idea. We put some funding in and the first "Non Stop Dusi - Champion of Champions" took place on 14 March 1997.
Fourteen boats started the race at first light at Camps Drift in PMB. Would these boats make it to the finish in Durban by sunset. We were nervous, the paddlers were nervous, their seconders were nervous…it was to be a long day…by Ray de Vries
There is only one STIHL NON STOP DUSI
Deep in the Valley of a thousand hills, where the Dusi meets the Umgeni River, water is compressed into a churning mass of rapids, whirlpools and boils... this is but one of the many challenges that face the competitors in the STIHL Non Stop Dusi.
Billed as one of the world's toughest endurance events, the STIHL Non Stop Dusi starts in the city of Pietermaritzburg and finishes in Durban on the East Coast of South Africa.
The race is approximately 120 kilometers long. The 1997 inaugural event was won in a time of 8 hours 42 minutes by John and Andrew Edmonds who both described this as "one tough race!" The last boat to arrive in Durban made it just in time for the sunset cut off.
The field attracts top canoeists who have proved their skills in top races. One of the qualifying events is the Dusi Canoe marathon which takes place over the same route as the STIHL Non Stop Dusi, but is held over 3 days.
The format of the challenge is to start the race in Pietermaritzburg and race in one day, non stop, to Durban. The race starts at sunrise and the cut off is at sunset. One of the features of this classic is that competitors are required to have their own support teams for everything and anything that they need.
Paddlers have to meet two checkpoints within a time limit, but otherwise the only rule is that there are no rules.
The challenge to get to Durban in one day was started by Dr. Ian Player in 1951 and after that unofficially by a few hardy canoeists ready to take on this incredible challenge.
This event is a specialty event which provides an incredible spectacle that is very exciting for spectators and TV viewers.
From those small beginnings with just 12 boats, the STIHL Non Stop Dusi attracts an entry of nearly 100 boats and accepts entries from K1's as well as K2's. The 2006 event saw Hank McGregor win the race in a K1 - arguably the finest canoeing performance yet seen in SA.
The race had a huge boost when STIHL became the title sponsor. With tremendous support both financially and on the ground from a dedicated support staff, STIHL have lifted the profile of the race dramatically.
Uniquely, the STIHL Non Stop Dusi is a true partnership between race organizers and sponsors STIHL.
The race now boasts a great winner's purse as well thanks to STIHL. The top K2 paddlers stand to win R30 000.00 and the top K1 R10 000.00 |
