The tradition of getting yourself and you canoe the huge distance from PMB to Durban is not for the faint hearted, a challenge of body and mind I respect. It is was got me start in the awesome sport and weather I paddle or second being on the banks and in the river is a jol not to be missed.

This year I had the privilege of seconding my good mate Ant Stott who I have seconded on and off for many years. It was awesome to see so many younger paddlers...

I had so much fun with my GoPro at the Hansa Fish this weekend. The day before the race is spent tripping with some mates. Click on the link below to check out the full album:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barry-Lewin-Athlete/125125714292548#!/media/set/?set=a.161034987368287.36214.125125714292548&type=1 ...

The life lessons learn from the ups and downs of sports are priceless. The hard pill of disappointment is sometimes hard to swallow yet becomes the fuel to motivations to succeed.

The disappointment of breaking a peddle of my K1 on the first day of Fish this year didn’t last long. There is just too much fun to be had on a cracker river, to many laughs to be had with good friends from all over the country and all over the world.

Rat...

There is just so much paddling around the country and to choose which race to go to and which parts of SA to see is not easy. This last weekend was no different with the Croc and Pre Fish on the same date.

In true procrastination style left it to the last week to decide. Luckily some mates were keen for a boy’s weekend road trip to the Pre Fish and so glad I took them up on the offer to head down to the Eastern Cape. Shared many laughs and had...

I have been going up t Richards Bay since I was a kid. The place has always been a water sports dream with every which way you look there is water. The connection of the harbour and canal systems there is space to paddle surfski and K1 in deep clean water. What more can you ask for?

The people are down to earth, the beer cold and the war story after every paddle as large as the many wild animals that call the bay home.

The paddling eve...

With the national K4 champs back in its rightful place at Shongeni Dam we scrambled a team together to take part of one of my favourite races of the year.

I convinced Brandon Van Der Walt, Warren Valentine and Mark Mulder to jump in a boat with me for the race. We had 2 great days on the water picking up a nice win. There certainly wasn’t the competition of years gone by with a number of paddlers away doing international racing as well as the moving of the event ...

The clean, cold water that comes out of Inanda Dam and lights up the Emgeni River with white capped waves is a paddling dream.

It really is a pity there is little water in this section of water now days as it really is one of the most amazing sections of river in the country and make my heart warm just thinking about getting in at tops. What a privilege.

Back to the start we headed of in A batch, sat skew in the boat and batt...

Top of Thombi via the GoPro - Hit the line right on the rock to avoid the funky stopper. Win!

Had another great day on the river. The effects of day 1 were certainly there with some stiff muscles in the first 20min and some tired body's across the dam. My partner, Warrick was a star. Dragged the boat like a legend making up time with his strong running. The pleasure of paddling the last 10km on the flat on Inanda in a bunch is a rare gift we were blessed with....

With very little prep day one of the 2012 Dusi went really well. My partner (Warrick McNicol) and I paced out the day and finished strong in 3h20min for 71st place. With more paddling on day 2 and 3, I hope to get up into the top 50. Something I have never done before.

Garmin Connect Data from Day 1 - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/150023240 

Photo above of us at Ernie Pierce Weir via ...

I have been involved with Varsity College's Sports Life program recently and caught up with their canoeing team at the national intervarsity competition at the Fish.

Our first full day at the fish was spent the way it should be, on the river. The top section of the river was closed due to some work being done on the dam so we hit saltpans and then gauging weir to the finish. Check out this video of me shooting saltpans at quite a lot level.

Really looking forward to some bigger stuff like double trubble, keiths and cradock tomorrow!

Sitting on the banks of the fish, listening to nothing but the masses of water gushing down this amazing river and I realise why I love this place/race so much. It is truly South African in every way.

From the people to the vibe to the river, everything about the fish represents a piece of our awesome country. It has got to be my favourite event of the year and undoubtedly the best canoe race of in ...

The rumble in the river as this iconic race is nick named. Not after the boxing that clouded the race but rather the scary sound of the stopper waves as you enter the rivers many notorious rapids. 

Although I am not current training for canoeing races the temptation of heading down to Cradock for the Fish couldn’t be avoided. I really believe this is the best race in the world and to miss it would be stupid. 

The most fun event of the year for me has to be SA K4 champs at Shongweni Dam. The family vibe and the awesome location give it something special, not to mention how much fun racing K4 really is.

This year was a little disjointed with just getting back from Spain and a number of my club mates at Kingfisher just having got home from the Avon Decent (Ausi). We have quite a strong club and have 3 teams so picking the A, B and C boat would be hard with s...

Crashing through the two foot chop in the K4 with teams swimming in the backround!

The Hungerian K4 sinking!

Photos thanks to Oscar Chalupsky

300 m after the start exiting the harbour in about 6th

First lap, getting a gap

Lap 2, starting to open up, really helped having two really light paddlers up front so w...

Was a little disappointing sitting on the bank yesterday. I couldn’t find a partner for the K2 race at Busto’s club. Trekking over the mountain to take photos is not my style.

The trek today was with more purpose to race the Candas International K4. The K4 race is traditionally in Ribadesella but this year it was the 50th anniversary of the local club in Candas so they moved it there.

The trick with this all is there is no fresh water in Candas. There is a small craft harbour and the sea. Well we race sprint K4’s in the sea today. Haha. It m...

I was told that the start would be crazy. I believed them after watching you-tube clips of the race. The masses of competitor and spectators is something I have been to see and be a part of for some time.

Well every story can’t live up to being there in real life.

The morning started with a very quiet and nervous breakfast in the hotel. We could hear the people in the streets going mad. They hadn’t stopped since the night before w...

Anthony Grote (www.anthonygrote.com) kindly send me these photo's of Justin and I in what little water there was. Dont let these photos fool you, it was super low.

We bumped and bashed rocks down the Omko over the weekend. What a nightmare compared to the raging rapids everyone is used to. My fat wide boat even moved some rocks in that river. There were some high's though. The overnight camp was cool and shooting 5-6 rapids a...

I popped a seat pin 20m into the race and had to stop on the first bend to sort the problem out and only really got going some 15min later. So frustrating. I haven’t been able to race any of the Marine Series race being the organiser so this is the first time I have had a chance to race and see how the training is going. Not to be, that’s river racing for you. 

Water Water Water is the talk of the twitter and facebook this Friday morning.

This weekend is the SA K1 champs on the Drak Challenege. A race I haven's done in years but think I picked the year to do it again. The Drak is a moody river. The level can change within hours and be a very different animal at high and low levels.

At a low level it is a rock field. Very technical lines and a small mans paradise where the big boys get killed in scraping over rocks. When it's full it is a roller coaster ride of white water. Quite a contrast. If there is rain the river can come up wi...

I have done many races all over the world but one seems to stand out every year. The Fish River Canoe Marathon just cannot be missed. With a little shoulder admin I haven’t been able to train properly the last couple weeks so elected not to race. I took on the new K3 category socially with two mates from Cape Town in Justin Swart and Marcel Bosson.

In Novermber last year I spent a couple weeks training with the national sprint squad on training camp. Was a treat leaning from them and hanging out with some amazing people. Well the sprinters have been dominating the World Cup's this year. I just got this story from their latest success. Well done!

Press Release - Written by Marc Cloete (SA Pa...

Saw an amazing physical feet today. Ant Stott lived up to his nick name of Superman today in the second leg of the Duzi canoe marathon paddling his way from 4 min down to a massive 13min lead. Hectic! 

Housemate Ant Stott on Pinetree portage running like a machine!

Day 1 

On out tripping session yesterday we stopped and took some photo's of each other with my little waterproof camera shooting Carisbrooke Rapid. Great fun!

Some classic shots Ant took of me!

Ant dominating ...

Picture by Anthony Grote (http://www.anthonygrote.com/). Anthony has been a great supporter of my site sending me photo's and some great feedback. Thanks!

Pic from fish 2 years ago with Jeff Smith!

The weekend was packed with some cool racing. The last couple years I haven’t done much on the local calendar over this period of the yea so have missed out on some cool races. The y have been especially fun the K2 with certainly hasn’t come out the racks in some time. 

With the banks of the flooded Avon River packed to the brim with 900 boats of all shapes and sizes. I get a tap on my shoulder and a warm, ‘How ya mate’ from one of the local lads I had met the day before at the press briefing. ‘You Saffa’s here to mild again are ya?’ He bellows! After a week of hearing the Ausi’s speak I replied ‘ya bet ya mate!’ without even realising what I had said. Hehe 

Too much to blog in to little time on tour. Just finished the Avon Decent in Perth. Had a great time on a flooding river. Race report, photos and video on its way! 

 Day 3 was a bit of a mess up, we missed our change over points and I didn’t get a paddle in. Did 2 sections the day before so not a train smash and the team would certainly have me doing the longest section of the last day. Not complaining to much after some awesome red wine with out hosts the previous night.

Driving to the start this morning for our second day on the Berg the distance mountain caps were solidly covered in snow and thermometer in the car measured a massive 3 degrees. One would normally be scared of climbing on the water in conditions like this but (always has to be a decent but in every story) the mood was upbeat as the sun was starting to come out. It had rained non stop the last two days here in Paarl so some sun was a massive improvement. <...

I have heard war stories around the fire about Berg for many years and it was great standing at the start and truly grasp what people were saying. The races is steeped in tradition with only the most hard core paddlers taking on this amazing challenge. 

I am in Cape Town for the Isuzu Berg River Canoe Marathon in a relay team for Rudy Project. Flew into a freezing Cape Town this morning to a bumpy landing and rainy weather. Nice by chance meeting some mates on the plain for a Charlie chat on the way down.