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DO IT NOW Team
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Alan Hobson Fly Fishing
Claire King Skydiving
Deon Breytenbach Paddling
Francois Steyn Vehicle Reviews
Matthew Holt Hiking
Jacques Marais Photography
Amy Shaw BASE Jumping
Dirk van den Berg Various
Steven Yates Travel
Zygmund Brodalka Motocross
Hannele Steyn MTB | Nutrition
Kobus Bresler Mountaineering
Ugene Nel Trail Running
Neil Ross Recipes
Peter Fairbanks Insurance
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DO IT NOW (ISSN 2074-6117) is published monthly. While every effort is made by the DIN Team to ensure that the content of the DO IT NOW Magazine is accurate at the time of going to press, DO IT NOW MAGAZINE (Pty) Ltd cannot accept responsibility for any errors that may appear, or for any consequence of utilising the information contained herein. Statements by contributors are not always representative of DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd opinion. Copyright 2009 DO IT NOW MAGAZINE (Pty) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or stored on a retrieval system without the prior permission of DO IT NOW MAGAZINE (Pty) Ltd. DO IT NOW MAGAZINE (Pty) Ltd supports and encourages responsible practices with regards to all Adventure, Sport and Lifestyle activities. We also believe in the conservation and protection of our environment.
6 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
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inTRO
FOUNDER’S LETTER
I'd like to wish all our readers a very happy Easter, and I hope you all had a good April Fool’s Day and were the prankster as opposed to the recipient ;-). I’m pleased to announce that our team is growing and it gives me great pleasure to welcome Nick Makhubelu, who is responsible for our distribution and operations; Sarah Kobal, who joins the design team; and Liezel de Lange, our new administrator. The team has produced another fantastic issue thanks to all the articles we received from our regular and new contributors. It's becoming harder and harder to choose which articles will be published in the magazine that many are also published on our website as digital articles. I would also like to thank you, our valued readers, for your support and belief in our publication; without you all of this will not be possible!
The year is now in full swing with regards to the various events that are taking place around the country this month, such as the legendary IRONMAN South Africa, the newly introduced Top Cop Challenge and the high-octane GOC offroad race in Bronkhorstspruit - best of luck to all the competitors. Remember, the dates for these and other awesome events are published on the calendar below or you can find more information on www.doitnow.co.za. Until next month ... DON'T HESITATE, DON'T PROCRASTINATE, DO IT NOW!
So what can you look forward to in this issue? Well, there's a fascinating review on parkour (p. 12), a movement culture that has found new life in natural and modern urban environments. For our trail runners, don't miss the article on the Lourensford Traverse (p. 46), a 10 km or 21 km trail run; and a write up on the numerous Mountain Runner events (p. 48) that are taking place all around the country this year. The gals are also making big waves in this issue as we take a look at female surfing (p. 70) and the challenges of taking part in the PinkDrive 8 Mile Club (p. 66) where participants are not only required to swim every event at the Midmar Mile - a total of 8 miles - but also raise funds for charities. I haven’t even started to mention articles on mountain biking, off-road rally, wingsuit skydiving, travelling to Thailand, vehicle reviews and the list goes on. So don't miss these great reads plus many more!
dinLIST S 7
CALENDAR
APRIL 2013
Here are some fantastic activities and events to look out for this month:
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F
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1
2
3
4
5
6
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10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Paddling // Blyde Adventure Camp (Limpopo) Skydiving // Pretoria (JHB) Hiking // Drakensberg (KZN) Trail Running // Constantia Valley (WC) Music Festival // Cape Town International Jazz Festival - Cape Town: 5-6 Apr Festival // PnP Taste of Cape Town - Green Point: 11-14 Apr Triathlon // IRONMAN - East London (EC): 14 Apr MTB // Induna Cross Country - Hazyview (Mpumalanga): 20 Apr Food & Wine // Barrels & Beards Harvest Celebration - Bot River (WC): 20 Apr Tactical // TOP COP - Kyalami (JHB): 24-25 Apr
SCAN US
Festival // SA Cheese Festival - Sandringham (CT): 26-28 Apr Off-road // GOC - Bronkhorstspruit (JHB): 27 Apr For a more comprehensive list of events and activities taking place throughout the year, check out the dinLIST Calendar on www.doitnow.co.za/calendar.
www.doitnow.co.za • 7
inDEX
Vol. 5 • 4 • 2013 #24 | www.doitnow.co.za
Base
// Team & Contributors: p. 6 DO IT NOW Magazine’s team and regular contributors. // inTRO: p. 7 Letter from DO IT NOW Magazine's founder. // dinLIST Calendar: p. 7 Calendar featuring Adventure-Sport-Lifestyle activities. // Subscriptions: p. 9 Subscription form and New Subscriber competition. // inFOCUS Quarterly Reader Competition: p. 92 Stand a chance to WIN R500 by entering the quarterly reader photo competition. // inCLOSING: p. 98 A sneak preview of upcoming articles.
Articles inACTION
12 Masters of Chase or Escape - The Art of Parkour 18 The Top Cop Challenge
inALTITUDE
22 Between a Rock and a Hard Place 28 Flying Dreams
84
inTRAIL 32 38 42 46 48
In Search of the Fabled Otter An Arabian Desert Adventure Conquer Your City Lourensford Traverse - Come Flirt with Nature Become a Mountain Runner
inGEAR 52 56 60 63
Adventures Await in Lesotho Thumbs UP to the TransHajar MTB Race Lines in the Sand Enter the World of Off-road Racing
12
inH2O
66 Taking on the Midmar 8 Mile - PinkDrive Style 70 Women Making Waves 76 Basics, Acing Loops and Braces
inTRANSIT
80 The Other Side of the World
inNATURE
84 Treading Lightly at Rocktail Beach Camp
inFOCUS
88 SHOOT! An Adventure Hike
inREVIEW
94 In the Spotlight: Sushi vs. Sausage and Sauerkraut Key:
Adventure
Sport
Lifestyle
8 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
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56 www.doitnow.co.za • 9
DEFINE YOUR PRIORITIES. BECOME A RIDER.
TR650 STRADA Give your heart to something you can rely on. German engineering meets Italian Style. TR650 Strada and Terra: single-cylinder engine, 652cc, 58hp.
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inTRODUCING:
Words: Shawn van Zyl | Photos: Peter Hudson | Video: Concrete Foundation Crew
Masters of Chase or Escape
The Art of Parkour
If you've watched the filmS Dredd, Taxi 2, Dhoom 3 or Casino Royale and were impressed with the characters’ daredevil antics of nimbly climbing buildings, running over rooftops and vaulting effortlessly from ledges and protruding objects, what you saw was a demonstration of elements of parkour and free running.
12 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Q: DO IT NOW caught up with Shawn van Zyl, a practitioner of the Concrete Foundation Crew, to find out more about parkour, a movement culture that has found new life in natural and modern urban environments, and the sport that developed from it, free running.
Q:
What is parkour and free running? Parkour is a non-competitive art form that involves using your body to move efficiently and swiftly through any natural environment. A male practitioner of parkour is generally called a 'traceur' and a female a 'traceuse'. The goal of a practitioner is to develop his/her body while perfecting a vocabulary of techniques to achieve a certain level of mastery over the natural environment that we live in. Effective parkour techniques depend on fast redistribution of body weight and the use of momentum to perform seemingly difficult or impossible body manoeuvres at great speed. Absorption and redistribution of energy is also an important factor, such as body rolls when landing, which reduce impact forces on the legs and spine and allows a traceur to jump from greater heights than those often considered sensible in other forms of acrobatics and gymnastics. According to David Belle, who is considered to be the founder of parkour, the practice is to move in such a way that will help you gain the most ground as if escaping or chasing something. Traceurs learn to take the fastest route from point A to point B and overcome any obstacle in their way in an instant. They are masters of chase or escape. Free running (FR) is an extension of parkour and includes combinations of gymnastics or acrobatics moves. It is much more expressive than parkour and practitioners of free running are known as free runners. Like parkour, there is a heavy emphasis on efficient and silent movement, but free runners do not move with any specific direction or destination in mind. Instead, they see the landscape as their canvas and potential motion as the art that fills it. Free runners will run up walls and do back flips, twists and spin all over the place with graceful, flowing movements that are inspired by many other art forms. Sébastien Foucan, who is believed to be the founder of free running, said, "Free running is the art of expressing yourself in your environment without limitations: it is the art of movement and action." He says free running developed from parkour when he started making it more personal to the individual, adapting it to each person's strengths and weaknesses.
When was it invented?
Martial artists and people in general have been practicing and mastering the principles of parkour and free running for thousands of years. Having said that, it was only really developed into a curriculum with specific names used to describe specific moves in the last 17 years. As teenagers, David Belle (parkour) and Sébastien Foucan (free running) used to play in their neighbourhood pretending to be super heroes. In time and with practise, they began to master their skills, and with the use of YouTube and social media the world began to watch. David and Sébastien were part of the very first parkour team or group, called the Yamakasi, which included Châu Belle Dinh, Williams Belle, Yann Hnautra, Laurent Pietmontesi, Guylain N'Guba Boyeke, Malik Diouf and Charles Perriére. This team of individuals began to popularise and define these two disciplines throughout the 1990s and into 2000.
Q:
Who can join and what do they need to do?
Parkour and free running is like a coin with two faces. On the one side, the emphasis is on returning full strength, flexibility and balance to the body. This is the most important aspect of these art forms as it will ensure a solid foundation from which to start your journey. The other side of the coin is the actual playtime of parkour and free running. This is called jamming and involves putting your new-found strength and techniques to use in the real world. These disciplines can be practiced by people of all age groups, fitness levels and gender. Practitioners start off slowly, first building up their strength and flexibility bit by bit, and then move at their own safe pace thereafter. There are even parents in the US aged between 30 and 50 doing parkour.
Q:
When was the Concrete Foundation Crew formed? The Concrete Foundation Crew was formed back in 2009 by a group of six practitioners. Our goal back then was to help educate and grow parkour and free running in South Africa by holding workshops and building public training spots for local communities. Most of the original members are now professional athletes, working as full-time performers or stuntmen on feature films, such as the 2012 Dredd and the soon to be released Mad Max 4.
Q:
Where are sessions held and at what time? Training and conditioning takes place in Johannesburg: • Every Monday to Thursday at the Sandton George Lea Sports Park from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Here, all the techniques are practised, as well as conditioning designed to build the explosive strength, balance and flexibility that's needed in parkour and free running. • Every Friday night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday afternoons from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the JGC Women's Gymnasium in Newlands. This is where the more tricky and risky movements are mastered. • Every Saturday from 9 a.m. at Wits, and this is the most popular meet.
www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 13
&
Misconceptions misinformation
Parkour and free running - These are not the same thing and quite different from each other in their purpose and goals. Parkour shows - There is no such thing as performing a parkour show. If you see any presentations of parkour purely for the sake of entertainment it cannot be defined as parkour, simply because you are not following the principles of what parkour is. You can take the movement from parkour and use it to entertain, but the end result cannot ethically be called parkour as it doesn’t follow the principles of the discipline. Flips - Many people get confused when they see someone who calls themselves a traceur doing flips and spins. Just because someone does these things does not mean the actions constitute parkour, it just means that the traceur trains in other aspects of movement as well as parkour. If you are unsure simply ask yourself, if you were running for your life what would you do? Parkour is an urban sport Parkour was developed and practiced in the trees and forests of France just as much as in the cities. It is practised to great effect in natural environments that have been shaped by time and the elements, and can be rough and jagged as opposed to the smoothed and usually symmetrical man-made urban environment. source: http://parkourpedia.com
dinFO box
i
To get involved or find out more information, email info@cfgymnat.com or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/ concretefoundationcrew. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.cfgymnat.com. For more information for training sessions in other areas see below: Durban: • Jam sessions: Westville Campus (www.facebook.com/ DurbanParkourNews?fref=ts) Cape Town: • Gymnastic sessions: UCT gymnastics (Tuesday and Thursday evenings) • Jam sessions: PKCT/ Western Cape (www.facebook.com/pages/ PKCT/125822855666)
14 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
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GPS Watch & Heart Rate Strap The runtastic GPS Watch records all important workout parameters including altitude (to 9000m) and targeted heart rate zones. With the runtastic Connect software it is extremely easy to upload all tracked activities to the runtastic fitness website. You can then access all your important fitness statistics and graphs online and edit details as desired.
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Are there any competitions for the sport regionally, nationally and internationally?
Q:
Q:
If my interest was piqued by the sport, what would the benefits be if I started participating? What would I enjoy about it?
The physical benefits would be an increase in cardiovascular fitness and explosive strength, more muscle mass and less body fat, better flexibility and a much more functional and capable body. Mentally, you will develop more discipline, body awareness and a greater sense of self-confidence. You will learn to play and find enjoyment in the simplest environments. Practitioners also learn life skills, such as learning to exercise no matter where you are or what the weather is like outside.
16 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
The parkour and free running philosophy embodies a very non-competitive element. The emphasis is that no practitioner competes against any other person but themselves. In this way, a safe and steady progression rate can be achieved in a fun and stress-free environment. Having said this, there are individuals who do compete and in South Africa there is at least one national free running competition held every year. So if this sounds like something you might enjoy, why not try it! •
èRelated articles: • Mister Mo (Issue 18, p. 60) • Let Capoeira be Part of Your Life (Issue 13, p. 49) • An Interview with Femme Fatale Fleur (Issue 13, p. 44) Watch the video on the DO IT NOW Magazine app.
TRY THIS...
inACTION:
Words: Courtesy of Shift Sport and Marketing | Photos: RSS Security
Top Cop
The
Challenge The ultimate challenge for South Africa’s security service providers
The South African security industry is booming; a short drive through any residential area or business district will paint a picture of security paraphernalia on every street post or building. Often, one small suburb can have up to six different security providers.
While crime statistics are announced week in and week out through the press, little praise goes to the hard-working individuals who fight the good fight and keep our suburbs and business districts safe. On 25 and 26 April 2013, at Kyalami Race Track and Leeukop Prison, the inaugural Top Cop Challenge will set out to put the skills of South Africa’s top security providers to the test using real-world simulations over two gruelling days of competition. Furthermore, the competition aims to spotlight the brave men and woman who put themselves on the line every day for us. This new, annual concept is proudly brought to you by the crew at Shift Sport and Marketing, which specialises in out-of-the-ordinary themed events such as this. Event Director, Gavin Kearns, says that he was inspired to do what he can to contribute to the safety of the South African public and this was the best way he knew. As surreal as it sounds, this concept is based on an idea from the movie Battleship, only this has been scaled down and tailored for the industry.
18 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
The right men for the job
Security teams consisting of five members will take to the field in specially-designed simulations that are set at the highest standard. The simulations emulate day-today activities encountered by the security industry and will test the following:
• Physical capabilities of the team • Camaraderie between team members • Communication skills under pressure • Driving skills • First aid capabilities • General weapons readiness
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A unique opportunity
This is South Africa’s only tournament and gathering of forces in practice, and is dedicated to growing this sector. Participants are given the opportunity to learn, demonstrate and innovate in a field of their peers. The security industry has welcomed this idea having seen the success of similar events abroad, such as the SWAT roundup in Orlando Florida. The challenge will provide a platform where new methods and innovations can be explored, key technologies can be evaluated and operators can gain valuable insights into implementing successful field strategies. The Top Cop Challenge seeks to develop, motivate and inspire the South African security industry by bringing together security service providers from across the country to compete.
Putting them to the test
Participant’s skills are tested both on and off the field over the two days. Bodies and minds will be put to the test in: Ranger Challenge Working in the security industry is physically demanding and participants will need to be tough enough to endure the physical challenges that they may encounter in the service on a daily basis. An 8 km obstacle course is designed to push the participants to the limit and add to the enormity of the challenge. Teams will need to wear full tactical gear.
Top Shot Challenge In the heat of the moment a lot can go wrong! This simulation is structured to test participants skills with a firearm while actively in the field because, sometimes, the difference between a hit and miss is the difference between life and death.
Who is this for?
The organiser’s top priority in this competition is the safety of all participants and officials. With this in mind, there are very strict qualifying criteria placed on this event. However, it is open to teams from: • • • • • • •
Armed response Event security SAPS Metro police departments Reservists Medics / paramedics Game wardens and marshals
Due to the extreme and dangerous nature of this event, we do not allow for public viewing. But thanks to an innovative partnership with Amecor, the entire event will be recorded and footage will be available for live streaming along with highlights across various social media platforms.
Giving back & Looking forward
Hot Pursuit Getting from point A to point B in an emergency is an essential element for any reaction unit. This leg is a double header as it contains to two stages; a debussing leg and the tactical driving leg.
The public can rest easy knowing that while we sleep at night, there are teams out there with our best interest at heart, with the means, skills and technologies to keep us safe. Such an event would not be possible without the industry know how, skills and the technology of our partners; Amecor, FSK, Secequip Group, PDS and Nissan.
Within the debussing leg, teams will need to pursue a vehicle on the track and once caught, the occupants of the vehicle will need to be secured. The organisers will enforce the industry’s most stringent standards to this critical procedure.
This is only the beginning and already the organisers are starting to chew through ideas to make this event bigger and better for 2014. Perhaps in the near future you may even see this as a TV show … •
The tactical driving leg takes place on a skit pan and dry pan, and will test how quickly drivers can adjust to change, take direction and cope with the stresses of the road.
èRelated articles: • Bully Proof Your Child (Digital article, Sept ’12) • A Survival Guide to Life in South Africa The Tough Guy’s Hierarchy of Needs (Issue 16, p. 144) • A Survival Guide to Life in South Africa (Issue 15, p. 127)
Mastermind Challenge The question here is: How do you cope mentally with the challenges that you face? This plays to the power of reasoning and deduction. The simulation will test memories and stress levels of units. Top Doc Challenge When a life hangs in the balance, more often than not the first person on the scene is from the security industry. This requires them to go above and beyond their daily tasks. This simulation is designed to see how they cope in a situation and whether or not they have what it takes to bring somebody back from the edge.
20 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
dinFO box
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To enter a team, go to www.shiftsm.co.za. Only teams that fit the relevant safety criteria will be accepted to compete for the honour of the Top Cop Challenge Champions. The event is capped to 25 teams. If you would like more information, please contact Gavin Kearns via email: gavin@shiftsm.co.za.
inALTITUDE:
Words: Kobus Bresler | Photos: MCSA Search and Rescue
A SAAF Agusta 109 hovers above a rescuer in a training scenario.
“It’s 3:05 PM on Sunday, April 27, 2003.
This marks my twenty-fourhour mark of being stuck in Blue John Canyon. My name is Aron Ralston. My parents are Donna and Larry Ralston, of Eaglewood, Colorado. Whoever finds this, please make an attempt to get this to them. Be sure of it. I would appreciate it.”
Between
a Rock &
a Hard
Place
By now, the story of Aron Ralston has become well-known internationally following the release of his book in 2004 and a Hollywood movie a few years later based on his experience. Aron made the decision to cut off his arm after getting stuck in a canyon by a falling rock. Despite being a frequent user of the outdoors, he still found himself in trouble on an outing alone in the great outdoors. At the time, I am sure he wished he wasn’t alone. Imagine what a difference it would have made if he had at least told someone where he was going and when they could expect him back, so that they could contact rescue services to initiate a search after this time had passed. I bet Aron would have preferred to become famous for some other reason than cutting off one of his own limbs.
www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 23
As an outdoor enthusiast myself, I am relieved to know that in South Africa our Mountain Club of SA Search and Rescue (MSAR) operations are alive and well, and simply a phone call away. I am even more relieved that I’ve never needed their assistance, but their emergency contact numbers are always in my backpack. Every responsible outdoor user must have the emergency contact details with them at all times! Even more important is to inform someone where you are going and when they can expect you back. A critical aspect that often gets overlooked is your medical history, so be sure to inform your fellow hikers or climbers about any medical issues and allow them access to your medical aid information. There is nothing worse than ending up in a dubious clinic when you can afford a proper private hospital. By doing this, you will ensure that a safety net is in place when you really need it. The first recorded mountain rescue in South Africa was in 1881 on Table Mountain, but the Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA) was only founded in 1891. One of the key events that led to its formation was an incident during September 1889, where a party of ladies and gentlemen was caught by the infamous ‘table cloth’ on Table Mountain and forced to spend a bitterly cold night on the mountain. This incident set the ball rolling and in 1891 the MCSA was formed. From the onset, one of its main objectives has been the organising of search and rescue parties to provide assistance to fellow mountaineers and general members of the public. And the first officially recorded MCSA rescue was during 1893, on Table Mountain. To this day, Table Mountain and its surrounds remain the area that is responsible for the most mountain rescue operations in South Africa.
The MCSA is currently one of only two mountain clubs in Africa affiliated to the world mountaineering body, the UIAA.
It consists of 14 Sections that are geographically distributed around the country and Namibia. 24 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. A n Oryx hoists a rescuer and patient out from a kloof. 2. A rescue volunteer in a rescue practice involving the hoist of a stretcher into an awaiting SAAF Oryx. 3. R escuers receive a stretcher that is being lowered from a helicopter.
BREATHABLE FABRIC WITH LITTLE SILVER DOTS THAT REFLECT BODY HEAT. KEEP YOUR WARMTH, NOT YOUR SWEAT • COLUMBIA.COM/SILVERDOTS
Search and Rescue forms part of the Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA),
but contrary to popular belief you do not need to be a member of the MCSA to have access to rescue services.
A rescuer is hoisted into an SAAF Oryx during the Limpopo floods in January 2013.
MSAR has been involved in more than 3,000 rescues since its inception and today responds on a weekly basis to various incidents, with the Western Cape being the most active region. MSAR has come a long way since the early days and over the past hundred years MSAR has continued to develop its skills and training, and possesses a significant amount of specialised technical equipment. It works closely with other state and volunteer emergency agencies, such as the South African Air Force, Wilderness Search and Rescue (Western Cape), OffRoad Rescue Unit, South African Police Service and the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre. It currently comprises six permanent teams in various parts of the country. The MCSA Search and Rescue teams are run entirely on a volunteer basis and do not charge for rescue services. The volunteers are not paid or compensated for their time, expertise, personal equipment or even direct costs such as fuel. Funding for team equipment comes primarily from the MCSA members and public donations. Unlike Search and Rescue in Europe, for example, helicopters are not indoctrinated into the local MSAR approach yet even though a significant number of rescues require helicopter support. Most rescues still involve driving to the scene and doing the grunt- or search-work manually and on foot. Volunteers forming part of the call-out teams are required to remain fit and active, and they are constantly refreshing their skills. To assist with this, regular training exercises are conducted to keep rescuers fresh and up to date.
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The first mountain rescue operation that involved a SAAF helicopter was on 12 October 1957, on Crown Peak near Swellendam. The search was for two missing schoolboys, but unfortunately the boys were not found alive. In July 1963, the MCSA assisted in the recovery of a SAAF pilot who crashed on the Saronsberg. This led to the formalisation of a programme of cooperation after an exchange of letters between the MCSA and SAAF. The first regular and official training between the SAAF and MCSA took place in May 1980 in Cape Town. Today, regular and formalised training is scheduled with SAAF Squadrons from Pretoria, Hoedspruit, Durban, Bloemfontein and Cape Town. I can continue mentioning facts, dates and specifics, but the bottom line is simple. The Mountain Club of SA Search and Rescue is a well organised and structured team of volunteers. MSAR is always on standby and ready for call out to any destination within South Africa. If you find yourself in serious trouble out in the hills, these are the guys you want to get in touch with. MSAR has often been asked to work outside their original mandate and have assisted with swift water rescue, flood rescue and air crash clean-up and recovery. The teams have also worked outside South African borders assisting with search operations in neighbouring countries during disaster periods. So, before you head out into the great outdoors on your next adventure, ensure that you have their contact numbers with you. It's peace of mind well worth the small effort! •
èRelated articles:
• Getting Ready for Your Everest Base Camp Trek (Issue 22, p. 24) • 9 Provinces, 9 Peaks and 9 Packs in 9 Days (Issue 11, p. 51)
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If you would like to get involved by donating to the operational fund or even becoming a volunteer rescuer, get in touch with your regional contact person for more information by visiting http://cen.mcsa.org.za. They will also be able to assist you with any other aspects involving Mountain Search and Rescue. Please refer to www.doitnow.co.za/mountain_rescue for these details.
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Words: Collaboration by Amy Shaw & Taya Weiss | Photos: Various Contributors | Video edit: Amy Shaw
Brave! Awesome! Free spirit! These are
words adventure sports athletes hear a lot. But there’s another one that slips in there. One that is traditionally less positive: selfish. How can you put your loved ones through that? I am a skydiver, pilot and BASE jumper. Being involved in the world of hyper extreme sports, where people tend to turn the status quo on its head has made me wonder why society has decided that a little bit of ‘selfish’ is such a bad thing. Part of what I love about jumping from a cliff is the intimacy; no one can tell you why you should jump and, in the end, no matter how many people surround you, you will always jump alone. The result of this highly personal experience is somewhat counterintuitive, as it draws us together. I have yet to encounter a more tight knit, generous community than that of skydiving and BASE jumping. I believe the secret lies in unashamed individuality. Rather than instilling a sense of helpless dependency on one another, they inspire one another to empower themselves as individuals. Our connection to our comrade has nothing to do with what he has to offer us, other than the pure fulfilment experienced in witnessing a fellow member of the human race ensure his own happiness. Perhaps a small measure of ‘selfish’ is required to be truly selfless? Meet Taya Weiss, a multiple world record holding wingsuit skydiver, BASE jumper and pioneer in our sport. She originated the discipline of ‘XRW’, which stands for ‘Extreme Relative Work’; a new discipline in which a wingsuit flyer in freefall and a canopy pilot under an open parachute meet in the sky and link up for extended contact.
28 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Taya recognised the skydiving community’s empathetic understanding of the importance of one another’s dreams and in 2009 was inspired, along with several friends, to channel this unique quality to make a difference beyond our sport. The result was Raise the Sky, a notfor-profit organisation that connects skydivers to charitable and humanitarian outreach opportunities. Raise the Sky’s flagship programme, Flying Dreams, brings skydivers into schools to talk to kids of all ages about finding, pursuing and achieving big dreams, all in the context of human flight. “We use our achievement of seemingly impossible goals,” she says, “to ignite kids’ imaginations about what is possible for them with a good education and grounding in the same math and science we use to fly. Our Flying Dreams motto is, ‘If we can fly, you can graduate!’ Although from the USA, Taya has spent some time living in South Africa. “I was inspired by the energy, buzz and vitality of Jo’burg - the burgeoning community of social entrepreneurs, research organisations and not-for-profits striving to solve the important human problems of our time. I was ready to do whatever it took to become part of that movement.” Flying Dreams works extensively with the Pastoral Centre Preschool and Creche in Kliptown, Soweto, and after Taya’s most recent visit in December 2012, I decided to catch up with her and hear a little bit more.
Q:
Taya, you’ve achieved an extraordinary amount both within skydiving and out, what are your proudest achievements?
“In skydiving, I’m especially proud of pioneering a new discipline, XRW (Extreme Relative Work). My first time flying a wingsuit in freefall docked with Performance Designs Factory Team canopy pilot Jessica Edgeington under her Velocity parachute was amazing. It marked a moment when two women in heavily male-dominated areas of our sport stepped beyond expectations and literally joined up to show that with imagination, dedication and practice, anything is possible. I’m also very proud of the 100-person Wingsuit World Record formation I organised with my team last year. We brought together wingsuit skydivers from 21 countries on 6 continents to build the largest wingsuit formation in the world, and the results were spectacular. “Beyond the aerial achievements, I most value the opportunities I’ve had to better the lives of children in Kliptown through my work with the Pastoral Centre Preschool and Crèche and also the Silindile Trust, which sponsors a deaf girl who started out at the crèche in Kliptown and is now a student at the St. Vincent’s School in Rosebank.”
Flying Dreams
www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 29
Q:
What are your goals and objectives for Raise the Sky and Flying Dreams?
“Raise the Sky aims to use the promotional and inspirational power of skydiving to responsibly raise funds and awareness for worthy causes. Our objective is to reach as many children as we can, support them to succeed in getting an education and contribute mentorship and funds to build leadership and creative skills.”
Q:
Most of the kids you meet, at least in Africa, have probably never been on an airplane, let alone conceived the idea of jumping out of one! What is their reaction when they see what you do?
“It’s funny. You might think that those technical details would get in the way of a child’s understanding of skydiving. But you’d be wrong. Every human being carries within them the dream of flight. Children just haven’t given up on it yet, putting them in a perfect position to suspend disbelief and judgment and experience the simple joy and excitement that we feel when we fly. There are a lot of ooohs and aaaahs!”
Q:
What is the strangest/funniest question a child has ever asked you in an encounter?
“What do clouds taste like?”
Q:
Not everyone necessarily feels up to jumping out of a plane. How do you think the average man can strive to inspire those around him as you do? What does it take to do something that scares you?
“Skydiving gives me a sense of perspective on the world. Every time I jump, I face a choice between life and death. If I do nothing, I die. If I deploy a parachute, I live. This is the physical embodiment of ‘choosing life’. While I enjoy the intensity of skydiving as a meditative experience, I think there are many ways to choose life every day. One of those ways is to reach out and help where we’re needed. Seeing someone else’s vulnerability opens us up to our own humanity and potential. The key is to not to try to do everything at once. You can’t solve world hunger in a day or overcome a fear of heights in a week. I’m still scared of heights! That doesn’t mean you should sit on the couch and throw up your hands. Never let the perfect become the enemy of the good. Life is a series of smaller choices and every single one counts.”
30 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Q:
What is the scariest thing you ever had to overcome?
“In 2007 I lost my life partner and best friend (Eric ‘Tonto’ Stephenson) in a skydiving accident. It’s one thing to talk about accepting risk and quite another to experience the consequences. Before Eric died, I associated risk with a personal choice, where the ultimate consequence would be my own death. But losing the person who anchored my day-today life and dismantling our shared dreams for the future was much harder. I became afraid to build something new because it too could be swept away in an unexpected instant. When I tried jumping again several months later, I was moved by the power of physically choosing to live, of consciously accepting life every time I opened my parachute. That, along with the love and support of my community, kept me going and reignited my sense of purpose. It still does.”
Q:
In a world that is advancing so fast technologically, it can throw the life of an underprivileged child living in Soweto into strong contrast. Within the skydiving world, one could view XRW as the poster child for technological and human advancement. Do you find the children in Soweto can relate to what you do?
“Project XRW is all about teamwork, trust and exploring the unknown. We take very calculated risks and support each other in trying new things. The result is some of the most beautiful and daring gravity-powered flight imagination can conjure. Kids who face real risk every day in the form of hunger, violence and poverty understand better than anyone that progress requires courage and a measure of faith - the daring of the soul to go further than it can see. They brave impossible odds every day just to get to school. They are my heroes. If we do nothing else, we try to let these smallest of Sowetan adventurers know they are not alone, that we fly for them and that someday whatever they dream of can come true, too.” So how can you help Raise the Sky and Flying Dreams? Volunteer or make a contribution today! The Pastoral Centre Preschool and Creche in Soweto always accepts nonperishable food items and toys directly, or you can make a donation at www.raisethesky.org. •
èRelated articles: • Of Sand and Fire - BASE Jumping in America's Adventure Sports Capital (Issue 23, p. 22) • Magnificence on the Far Side of Fear (Issue 17, p. 48) • Wingsuit Meets Parachute: Team XRW Takes Off and Gives Back (Issue 14, p. 44)
inTRAIL:
Words & Video: Dirk van den Berg | Photos: Werner Janse van Rensburg
In search of the
fabled Otter
The Otter Hiking Trail is a celebrity among hiking trails, with a staggeringly long list of people who have walked its winding footpaths that is only trumped by the long list of people who still wish to do so. Its famed scenery is quite literally indescribable,
and you can rest assured that your experience will be truly unforgettable. But don’t be fooled by the romance surrounding the Otter; it is, after all, a 42 km hike spanning five days and littered with hellish hills and river crossings. Make no mistake; this is no mere walk in the Tsitsikamma National Park.
32 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 33
So what is all the fuss about you may ask? Well, for starters, it boasts really astonishing vistas; just have a look at the photos. Normally on an adventure you can expect
to see two or three truly beautiful sights a day. The Otter, on the other hand, is more like an Italian Mama; she just keeps dishing up the most incredible landscapes and just when you think you have seen it all, she serves up another helping. But then again, it’s also much, much more than just the scenery! It’s an opportunity to break away from the rat race, gather your thoughts, isolate yourself and experience nature in all its glory, thoroughly challenge yourself both mentally and physically, have a laugh and meet interesting people. The best part is that you get to do this five days in a row.
What to expect
Here's a brief summary of the general information normally covered in Otter reviews. The trail is five days and four nights, and is broken up into the following sections: Day 1 = 4.8 km (± 2 hours) Day 2 = 7.9 km (± 4 hours) Day 3 = 7.7 km (± 4 hours) Day 4 = 13.8 km (± 6 hours) Day 5 = 6.8 km (± 3 hours) Total distance = 42.5 km The route starts at the Storms River Mouth and ends at Nature’s Valley. En route, you will encounter roughly 11 water obstacles, most of which are easily manageable, with the Elandsbos River and Bloukrans River crossings offering a more adventurous challenge. You need to have a tide table with you so that you can plan your crossings during low tide.
If your timing is incorrect, you might be facing a terrifying crossing. Note that there are emergency exit routes that lead you back to the N2 if worse comes to worst. Lucky for us though, our timing was perfect and we effortlessly crossed these two main sections by floating our hiking packs across the rivers using emergency bags. Make sure you have tough, waterproof emergency bags that are large enough to cover your entire hiking pack. The water in all the streams that you will cross is 100% drinkable and quite refreshing. It is perhaps a good idea to add water purifying drops to the water before drinking it. It would also be advisable to top up your water supply at every given opportunity as you'll be drinking a lot of water on the tougher sections of the hike and the water points are not evenly spaced apart. Running water is also available at the huts, but use it sparingly as there is only a finite amount of water in the tanks at the camps. The camp facilities were definitely a pleasant surprise. At every camp there are two 6-sleeper huts with mattresses, a covered braai area, flushing toilets, running water and various benches to sit on outside and enjoy the magnificent views. Fire wood is dropped off at central points and hikers are expected to carry their share of wood to the camp site, but if you’re lucky there might be some dry wood already at your campsite. All the campsites are close to the sea and spectacular vistas come as a standard feature.
In search of the
fabled Otter
34 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Winding along the coastline, missing a bit of shade.
Cell phone reception is scarce, but then again why would you want to play around on your cell when you are surrounded by all this beauty. This is the perfect opportunity to disconnect from the chaotic world you've come from and I strongly recommend making the most of it. It is, however, a good idea to save the local emergency numbers on your phone; just in case. It's no secret that the waiting list for the Otter can be anything from six to fourteen months, depending on the number of people in your group and time of year that you want to go. So, the first step would be to make a booking and secure your spot, as you will have more than enough time to plan the trip while you wait your turn. The Otter is pretty reasonably priced and will set you back roughly R860 once off, plus daily park fees of R32 per person. There are various sites that tell you what to pack for the hike, just Google 'the Otter Hiking Trail'. My advice would be to read a few different opinions before you start planning and packing for your hike.
One of the many lookout points.
Memories being made.
What the other sites don’t always tell you Here’s the fun part of the article and where I get to convey my personal list of tips and essentials for the trip: • Use common sense when packing; less is more. If you're uncertain whether to pack an item, then leave it. • Make sure your valuables are waterproofed or they might just lose their value. • Do a bit of research before you start the hike, as you will be more attentive to the fauna and flora and also better equipped to judge your progress on the route. • Stay at the Storms River Mouth camping facilities the night before you start the Otter. The campsites have beautiful views and will enable you to start the trail in a relaxed fashion. • Tackle the hike with a fun crowd and ensure that you take your best sense of humour along with you. • Use bladders (camelbacks) instead of water bottles, because it makes it so much easier to take a sip of water without having to take out your water bottle each and every time. • Stay hydrated! Don’t wait, hydrate. • If you are taking some alcohol to drink in the evening, then choose a concentrated liquor that can be enjoyed with water; whiskey is a good option. decant it into a separate bladder to save weight. package it in a spill-proof manner. • Keep your eyes open and try to spot whales, dolphins and sharks. There is so much to see! • Don’t rush; a slow and steady pace will get you through the race. • If you have a 'runner' in your group who sets a pace that's a bit faster than the group average, contemplate adding a big rock to his hiking pack when he's not looking; this might just slow him down J.
The end of a long day.
Excitement as the huts come into sight.
Hoping that the campsite is just around the following bend.
www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 35
What the other sites don’t always tell you (Continued)
• Enjoy all that the campsites have to offer and make the most of your free time at the end of each day by doing the following: having sundowners on the rocks at the shore line. having a bonfire on the beach (illegal I know, but oh so worth it). Just use common sense and be safe. swimming in the bay, snorkelling or taking a bouncing water ball to play with. • Buy a proper poncho or rain jacket and ensure that your backpack has a waterproof cover, as it does tend to rain on this trail. • Ensure that you leave the campsites in a clean and neat condition for the next group to enjoy. • DON’T LITTER. • Don’t skip the beers and burgers at Nature's Valley when you finish because, by that time, you have more than earned them! • Remember to plan your transportation from/back to your car. You don’t want to get ripped off by an opportunistic taxi driver. • Bring multiple cameras and take as many photos as possible so that you can capture your amazing memories on film. Better yet, take a champion photographer with you. Thanks Werner! In conclusion, the Otter is a truly amazing hiking trail with its fair share of ups and downs. I remember one of my fellow hikers telling me that when I write the article, I should not neglect to warn the people about the steep inclines on the route. Granted, his comment came just as we finished a steep climb. And to think that there are people who run the Otter in one day. Respect! Nonetheless, as with so many things in life, we tend to forget the tough times and only remember the good ones. My hike was filled with unforgettable memories, practical jokes, laughter and a strong sense of camaraderie. Thank you to my group (Johan, Dirk, Jaco, Werner, Wietsche, Chane, Divan, Riette and Garren) for making this trip so unforgettable.
If you are still undecided about hiking the Otter after reading this, then just follow the website link in the dinFO box and DO IT NOW. • èRelated articles: • Olifants River Backpacking Trail a Hiker's Journal (Issue 15, p. 106) • The Otter - African Trail Run and Southern Storm Duathlon (Issue 3, p. 64) • The Enchantment of the Otter (Issue 1, p. 68)
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For Otter Trail reservations email Bridgetb@sanparks.org or visit www.sanparks.org for more information.
The very last downhill with Nature’s Valley Beach streaching out in front of us.
Reaching the Bloukrans River at low tide, perfect timing.
Celebrating the end of the last hill, musketeer style.
One very happy hiker.
36 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
The fastest member of the group stops to observe a snail!
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inTRAIL:
Words: Sandy Montanana | Photos: Wouter Kingma
Arabian An
D e s e rt Adv e n t u r e
The Empty Quarter is the world’s largest sand desert and renowned for being one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. So what prompted one British adventurer and two Emiratis to trek through this vast Arabian desert by foot and camel, covering 1,600 kilometres in 44 days?
Adrian Hayes, author of Footsteps of Thesiger.
First though, something needs to be said about the expedition leader, Adrian Hayes, British world-record-breaking adventurer who now resides in the UAE. He is an adventurer, speaker and business coach. He is passionate about what he does and also happens to be very good at it! He currently holds two Guinness World Records; the first one was set in 2007 for reaching the Earth’s ‘three Poles’ - walking to the North and South Pole and summiting Mt Everest - in the shortest period of time in history. The second record was set in 2009 for the longest unsupported kite assisted Arctic expedition; the vertical crossing of the Greenland ice cap.
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The idea of the Empty Quarter expedition came to him in 1991 whilst serving in the army in Oman, upon hearing about a British explorer, Wilfred Thesiger, who embarked on this journey in 1947.
Crossing a salt plain near the Umm as Samim the legendary sinking sands of Oman.
What started out as a dream to recreate a similar journey became more of a concrete idea over the ensuing years. Meticulous planning followed involving a lot of bureaucracy and sensitivity as borders and politics were a real issue, something not experienced during the 1947 expedition. This made getting to the start line a two-year project that was fraught with challenges. The journey was to coincide with the celebrations to mark the UAE’s 40th anniversary and would start in Salalah, Oman, and end in Abu Dhabi. Hayes personally selected the two Emiratis that accompanied him on the trip. He also had the support of the UA Armed Forces for the selection process and the Chief of Staff put his personal blueprint on the expedition. The two Emiratis were selected for their camel experience and strength of their Bedouin culture. As it turned out, both men were very keen to do the trip and proved themselves to be extremely resourceful, which resulted in a tremendous rapport developing amongst the men. The biggest hurdle the 2011 expedition faced was the lack of water. Thesiger had water in the form of oases, a luxury Hayes and his teammates didn’t have. The oases they did come across had either dried up or were tainted with mineral salts and thus undrinkable. Like Thesiger, they knew that they would have to rely on basic provisions, nature and Arabic hospitality. They also soon realised it was a myth that camels required little water. As they were under a limited time frame, they had to push both themselves and the camels harder, sometimes covering 45 to 50 kilometres a day. As a result, the camels were gasping for water every two days. Maintaining the camels’ health was pivotal to a successful expedition.
40 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
The camels, perhaps sensing what lay ahead of them, decided on early revenge. On day one of the expedition, heading through the town towards the Salalah Mountains, they were spooked by cameramen ahead of them. Seeing this as a possible ambush they took fright and started bucking. Hayes and one of his Emirati teammates was thrown, landing them both in hospital with concussion and Hayes needing 13 stitches to a nasty head wound. They were then stuck in town for a further six days as tropical Cyclone Kaila hit and caused flash floods in the Dhofar Mountains, which made getting through them extremely tricky. This was definitely not the start they had been planning! The intense heat of the desert proved to be very draining and necessitated early starts to avoid the midday sun. However, most days still involved up to ten hours of riding and walking. Some of the other challenges faced were sandstorms and high winds, as well as trekking on shifting and unforgiving sands. ‘The desert is beautiful, but brutal’, a comment Hayes made that rang true on many an occasion.
Saeed Rashid Al Mesafri, one of the team members, in the Wadis of Dhofar.
A traditional Bedouin welcome of music and song.
One of the highlights of the trip was undoubtedly experiencing the Bedouin way of life. Wilfred Thesiger hated progress and change, especially regarding technology and development. He was perhaps a forerunner of today’s environmentalist. Hayes, however, found the culture to be alive and well, experiencing a culture and hospitality that has changed little over the years. The Bedouins love sitting around a fire, slaughtering a goat or camel and making guests feel very welcome. There was a lot of joviality in the form of talking, dancing and singing. All done of course minus the aid of alcohol, especially in Oman! Progress and change is of course inevitable and Bedouins want modern life as much as the next person.
The only piece of modern-day equipment used by Hayes was an emergency satellite phone, as the journey was meant to be done in the spirit of Thesiger. As the journey progressed, enormous respect and a greater understanding developed for the early British explorer.
The expedition was filmed for a documentary, Footsteps of Thesiger, and Hayes wrote a book of the same title that was launched in the UAE mid January and will soon be available to buy on Amazon. The book ended up being far more challenging to write than Hayes had anticipated. It is written in the style of a modern-day adventure, but also illustrates the inner journey of the mind and how the adventurers were tested, both practically and psychologically. It covers some of the modern-day challenges faced by the team, the Bedouin culture and the simplicity of life. This makes it multidimensional and the writing became far deeper than initially expected. The completion of the book has most certainly added yet another dimension to an already very accomplished and driven man. The success of the journey has been lauded on television and in speeches across the UAE, as well as in the book. One can only look forward to Adrian Hayes’ next adventure! •
èRelated articles: • A Glimpse into Ethiopia (Issue 22, p. 50) • The Sandman Conquers His Fish River Nemesis (Digital article, Aug '12)
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For more information on Adrian Hayes’ adventure, visit www.adrianhayes.com.
www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 41
inTRAIL:
Words: Gavin Kearns, Shift Sport and Marketing | Photos: Turbovite Jump City JHB 2012
Day in and day out you go about trying to conquer the urban jungle, spending hours in traffic, being cut-off and raging behind a steering wheel as you make your way to and from work. Not only is this precious time wasted but one seldom gets to enjoy the city. This is all changing thanks to Turbovite Jump City, a series of urban challenges that combines the best of multi sports and obstacle courses in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
42 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Conquer your city This lung-busting 10 km urban challenge is about athletes being given the opportunity to run free and experience their city in ways that they would otherwise never be able to. The focus is entirely on having fun while running through the streets and alleyways, past buildings and the landmarks of their respective city, and overcoming urban obstacles placed sporadically along the route. For the organisers of the event, no wall is too big, no stair is too high and no area out of bounds. The concept of urban running is based on the incredible athleticism demonstrated by parkour athletes who can pretty much leap, bound or conquer anything you place in front of them. Marry this concept with the abilities of your everyday athlete or avid runner and you have an urban challenge; something that caters for all levels of athleticism, something that you can do nowhere else.
Step up The recent gain in popularity of obstacle and concept races demonstrates the overwhelming desire of individuals to overcome new challenges and break away from the monotony of a standard event with a singular discipline. The obstacles on the urban challenge courses are specially designed and inspired by the city to give you an unparalleled experience. Along the way you can expect to encounter 4 m high quarter pipes, blacked-out parking garages that are seven stories below the city, 2 m walls, tyres, tyres and more tyres. There are no fewer than 14 obstacles on this challenging and somewhat testing 10 km course! When participants enter one of these events, they are required to dig deep and use their full body strength to climb, crawl, jump, carry and slide to overcome these obstacles en route, which uses as little road as possible and more of the urban landscape.
With ample categories catering for teams and individuals, this event is all about the camaraderie between friends and family who may assist each other in the teamed event, whilst individuals can go about the business of trying to beat their goals. One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of adventure to be had by any aspiring urban athletes.
Changing the pace In keeping with the theme of overcoming the urban jungle and experiencing the city, participants can expect to take on some of the cities greatest landmarks. Every event in the series features something never used before. In Johannesburg, urban athletes ran through Museum Africa and fascinating Discovery Sci-Bono Centre. Durban athletes are spoilt with adventure as they take on uShaka Marine World, the vintage of the imaginatively shipwrecked themed aquarium and the best slides that Wet and Wild has to offer. Cape Town urban athletes will be treated to the majesty of Green Point Stadium and its surrounds.
www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 43
Conquer your city You don’t need to be the fittest or fastest. Your keen love for adventure and challenge will more than suffice. The event series features different categories with a broad offering to all: • The Jump City Charger - this elite individual category is for all the avid athletes who have been putting their blood, sweat and tears into training. The charger is the top dog in our city and these elites will be competing for gold in this urban challenge. Athletes competing in this category should be able to run 10 km in under 45 minutes to qualify for a place as a Charger. Entries are limited to 200 participants. • The Jump City Ranger - this is for the solo artist who is out there to beat his or her personal best, and young and old are encouraged to stretch the limits and climb onto the fitness train. Entries are limited to 300 participants. • The Jump City Adventure - this is our version of couple’s therapy or some good fun and bonding time with a friend because sometimes you just need a partner in crime. Teams will have the advantage of being able to assist one another through the obstacles. Entries are limited to 400 participants. • The Jump City Mayor - this is the corporates' opportunity to stake a claim on the city.
Break the rules Rise to the challenge and show what you are worth. You will never look at the city in the same way again; it is our playground and yours to take on. Next time you are stuck in traffic you might just be inspired to find another means of travel.
Just remember, this is your city, your adventure and you need to breathe. • èRelated articles:
• Warrior Race #1 - A Mud Fest (Digital article, Feb ‘13) • We Run Jozi Rocked! (Digital article, Oct '12) • Spar Ladies Challenge (Photo gallery)
44 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
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The Johannesburg event took place on 10 March 2013 and now we are heading out across South Africa for the remaining legs in Bloemfontein, Durban and Cape Town. For more information visit: Facebook: www.facebook.com/jumpcity.GP or www.shiftsm.co.za
inTRAIL:
Words: Ugene Nel | Photos: Chris Hitchcock
Nestled in the fertile bowl of the Helderberg Mountains, Lourensford Estate offers a lot more than just wine! For the connoisseur, there's an art gallery, coffee roastery, deli and eatery, a worldclass cheesery, export fruit and trout fishing, or you can indulge in delicious nougat, truffles and more than 40 different types of chocolates. For the outdoor enthusiast, there's a number of sporting events held here that give you the opportunity to explore and experience the fantastic trails on offer. One such opportunity takes place on 6 April 2013 - the Lourensford Traverse, a 10 km or 21 km trail run. This event is the first of a series of six runs in the Spur Country Classics. It is also the easiest in the series, which is probably best described as ‘adventure trail running’. Competitors can expect to run along a water canal for about half the distance. This canal carries pristine, crystal-clear water from the Helderberg Mountains across the estate, and someone from the estate inspects the canal every day to check for defects and blockages. The trail is fairly flat, except for the first few kilometres, it’s not too technical and has very little altitude gain or loss, so I guess this would be an ‘ideal’ run for runners who want to get more into trail running. The fruit picking season will be over by then, but the colours of the leaves on the various fruit trees will have started to change as winter approaches. So with spectacular views over the Helderberg Mountains, great vibes and crisp clean air, things can only get better with the promise of chilled wine, country cheese and fresh brewed coffee waiting for those who dare to come and flirt with nature!
Oorlogskloof Mountain Trail Run (27 April 2013) The Lourensford Traverse will also set you up to tackle the next adventure run, the Oorlogskloof Mountain Trail Run in Nieuwoudtville on 27 April. There's a 5 km, 18 km or the 'toamazing-for-words' 42 km, which can be run in pairs only - due to the remoteness. The inaugural event in 2012 was described as the 'best trail experience' by some of the runners who took part. This weekend away is definitely going to be a 'one-of-a-kind' nature experience where like-minded folk get together for pure adventure! If you are keen to take part, you need to pre-enter by 23 April. •
èRelated articles:
• The Botter Trail Run (Issue 21, p. 22) • Grootvadersbosch: A Magical Run (Issue 17, p. 98) • Oorlogskloof Mountain Trail Run (Issue 16, p. 98)
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Please note that if you would like to take part in the Lourensford Traverse or any of the other Spur Country Classics, only pre-entries will be accepted. To register, visit www.quantumadventures.co.za or check out the Quantum Adventures Events on Facebook.
46 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Lourensford Traverse Come Flirt with Nature
www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 47
inACTION:
Words: Tatum Prins | Photos: Various Contributors
Become a Mountain
Runner Dust off your running shoes and start training because Mountain Runner Events has a great line-up of events taking place all around the country in 2013 that you don’t want to miss! Owners Tatum Prins and Graham
Bird are two very passionate outdoors people and their aim is to get as many people to experience the great outdoors, whether it’s competing or just having fun, through their events.
Merrell Outinequa Traverse Photo by Peter Kirk
The first event of the year is the Merrell Night Run Series powered by Black Diamond in Cape Town. The series of night runs is based at Simons Restaurant on Groot Constantia, the oldest wine producing estate in the Constantia Valley, on 2, 9 and 16 April. You couldn’t ask for a more scenic location, with the vineyards telling the story and Table Mountain creating a dramatic backdrop. This event is purely to get runners to try their hand at night running, which involves using a headlamp to find their way through the 5.5 km or 8 km routes. Usually when you mention night running, most people get nervous or find an excuse not to do it, but they actually have no idea what it is about! Night running offers a whole new experience; it heightens your senses, you see nocturnal animals and puts a whole new adventure spin on running. If you are not familiar with it, then try it! You won’t look back, we promise.
48 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Next up on the calendar is the Merrell Wacky Wine Festival Trail Runs at Arabella Wine Estate in Robertson from 7 - 9 June. This event should bring a smile to everyone’s faces, as there is literally something for everyone to enjoy. There’s a twilight run, kiddies run, wine tasting run and fun rally run that involves running with a route book. You even get the opportunity to dress up and be as wacky as you like! As part of the legendary Wacky Wine Festival, it is a weekend filled with an awesome line-up of entertainment, outdoor activities, camping and good wholesome fun for the entire weekend. So book a campsite and join us for a wacky weekend.
The Merrell Hobbit Trail Run Photo by Bruce Viaene Merrell Night Run Series Photo by Jacques Marais
In August, Mountain Runner Events heads to George, on the Garden Route, to stage the Merrell Outeniqua Traverse on 3 August. This event is all about ‘real’ mountain running, crossing streams and being a part of the Outeniqua Mountains. Runners can expect to run on spectacular ridglines, through fynbos, on flowing trails and can look forward to magnificent views of the Outeniqua Mountains. It’s raw, real and brings out the best in trail runners of all abilities. If you are feeling brave, there’s the 38 km run that ascends 2,000 m, but there are also the options of the 25 km run, which climbs 700 m, or the 10 km trail run for those who are keen to get back and relax in the botanical gardens at the finish. From George, Mountain Runner Events flies to Johannesburg to try and entice as many people as possible into giving trail running a go at the Merrell Spring Trail Run on 11 August. This event offers either the 6 km or 12 km run. It’s not too hard core or technical, thus making it a great run that everyone can do. The venue is the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, in Roodepoort, and is described as, ‘a hidden Eden where waters cascade and eagles soar’. With a description like that, you definitely don’t want to miss out on this run, which is perfect for the whole family to do on a Sunday morning. The routes wind through the magnificent botanical gardens and climb to the ridge of the adjoining mountains, offering the most spectacular views. It’s then on to the legendary Gravity Adventure Festival presented by Merrell on the weekend of 16 - 18 August from the Palmiet Caravan Park in Kleinmond (Kogelberg Biosphere, Western Cape). This is any outdoor enthusiast’s Mecca! It is a weekend filled with adventures ranging from white-water kayaking, trail running, mountain biking, open-water swimming, adventure races, croc races and the list goes on. From the minute you arrive, there’s some form of entertainment on the go, either a film festival, the events, a Saturday night party or various bands playing. So get into the spirit, bring your camping gear and all the toys you have and spend the entire weekend trying to slow down time because this is one weekend that you will never want to end! Before the year ends, Mountain Runner Events will jet set to Hogsback, Eastern Cape, for a trail running extravaganza, The Merrell Hobbit Trail Runs over the weekend of 11 and 12 October. These runs can only be described as mystical and magical, as they will awaken your imagination and heighten your love for the trails. The two-day Merrell Hobbit 100 km runs along the iconic Amatola Hiking Trail and is trail running in its purest and rawest form. You will see magnificent enchanted forests, spectacular mountain peaks and countless waterfalls, and then spend a night in the Cata Mountain Hut. If that seems all too overwhelming, you have the easier option of the 38 km or 16 km trail runs, which will give you more than enough of a taster of what is said to be ‘running in heaven’.
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Merrell Outinequa Traverse Photo by Peter Kirk
So with all these great events on offer, take out your calendar and diarise them now! In trail running there are no excuses because as we say at Mountain Runner Events, “Trail
running was created by one’s desire to head into the mountains regardless of weather, dog-eaten shoes and lack of time. It’s about slipping into something light, breathing the fresh air, drinking mountain water and taking in the many beautiful views.”
Happy running and see you on the trails. •
èRelated articles: • The Soaring Eagle Flies High (Digital article, Feb '13) • Running Wild (Digital article, Jan '13) • Muizenberg Mountain Run A Quantum Classic! (Issue 19, p. 68)
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For more information and to enter, visit www.mountainrunner.co.za.
inTRAIL:
Words, Photos & Video: Jan-Daniel van Deventer
Adventures Await in Lesotho
The top of Sani Pass.
Reading about famous explorers’ stories of expeditions and adventures has always left me with warm feelings and a longing to go on a big expedition myself one day. However,
I have to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to keep my head above water, leaving little time for anything else, let alone a trip across Africa. 52 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
I have always admired great adventurers like Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Mike Horn and Riaan Manser, who spent most of their lives embarking on an expedition into the unknown, exploring and living the adventure. Yet, even with stories such as these to excite and inspire us to do something similar, it's sad to see how many people spend their weekends in front of the television, watching the adventure rather than living it, because time and money are the two biggest obstacles. This gave me the idea of putting together a series of low budget and weekend adventures that are original, daring and hold true to what being adventurous is all about. Just another camping trip or sleepover in the bush wouldn't cut it. So, for my first trip, I decided to cycle solo through the beautiful country of Lesotho, situated next to the majestic Drakensberg range. My plan was to travel from Cape Town to the western border of Lesotho, Maseru, by bus, and then cycle to Sani Pass, a distance of approximately 320 km.
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From SANI PASS, I would hitch-hike to East London (say hello to my girlfriend) in time to catch my bus back to Cape Town. I estimated the trip would take me around five days, so with a long weekend looming, I took a couple of leave days extra and hoped this would give me enough time to complete my adventure. I left the Mother City at 6 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon and arrived in Bloemfontein at 6 a.m. the next morning. From Bloemfontein, another hour-and-a-half bus ride was all that was needed to get me safely to the Maseru border, and the start of an unforgettable journey across 'the Kingdom in the Sky'.
Day 1: Maseru border to Likalaneng (85 km)
After setting up my bike and passing through the border, I eventually started cycling at approximately 10 a.m. Maseru, the capital city and essentially a base for expeditions and travels deeper into Lesotho, was busy and cluttered with people, as well as taxi drivers who drove like lunatics as they claimed the roads for themselves. Leaving the congested city behind, the roads opened up and I started to relax as the beautiful countryside slowly revealed itself. Most of the road-side spaza shops I passed offered no substantial food that didn’t require cooking, so for the next three days I lived on packets of cookies and potato crisps. My map indicated the dreaded mountain passes that I would soon have to conquer, but nothing could prepare me for the torturous climbs that waited for me over the next three days. It started in the early afternoon when I noticed the road getting hillier in the distance. I knew from experience gained on previous bicycle tours that the secret was to pace myself and not attempt to climb each mountain pass from start to finish without resting, as there was still a long road ahead. So I walked a few kilometres on each pass and this system worked really well. I finished the day at the small town of Likalaneng, having covered a distance of 85 km. When initially planning the trip, I decided that I would sleep in the veld at night, with no tent and only my sleeping bag, as I thought it would be sufficient. With the clouds a very dark greyish colour, I could tell that rain was in store for the night and a plan had to be made. I checked out some desolate buildings as possible options, but in the end I was lucky enough to be offered a place to sleep in an office at the nearby Police Station, by two young officers on duty.
Day 2: Likalaneng to Thaba-Tseka (86 km)
An early start and fresh legs gave way to the day as I started my assault on the never-ending mountain passes of Lesotho. Frequent stops at fresh mountain streams gurgling next to the road kept me going, and the landscape looked like something out of a storybook. A bicycle is definitely better than a car for such a trip, as you feel so much closer to your surroundings and the people. The day's light drizzle, as opposed to the scorching sun, made for easier cycling conditions, and I was glad to stop for a bite to eat and rest up at the occasional small village en route. Some of the local folk along the way tried to converse with me, and through broken English we were able to swop a few sentences and stories.
54 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Day 3: Thaba-Tseka to Ha Lehlohonolo (98 km)
After a breakfast of dry Oatso Easy and some peanut butter provitas, I set out early that morning because I'd heard that the road from Thaba-Tseka to Sani Pass was tough and slow going. With the first few kilometres going well, I was looking forward to a day of good progress and possibly even going all the way to Sani Pass. However, my happy musings quickly evaporated as more mountain passes appeared and the road became even slower because it was covered with sinkplaat and loose sand. On some of the passes I only averaged about 5 km/h, as I had to push the bike, and I quickly realised that reaching Sani Pass was not going to happen today. Along the way, a few motorcycle groups passed me, and being a former motorcyclist myself I couldn’t help but envy the thought of an engine between my legs. My progress was slower than expected, so I was very happy to reach Lehlohonolo after an 11-hour cycling day. A local pony trekking lodge gave me a place to sleep for the night, and although it was summer, I was glad to be out of the cold for the night.
Day 4: Lehlohonolo to Sani Pass (50 km)
This would be my last day in the beautiful country of Lesotho, and I was looking forward to reaching the much talked about Sani Pass and cycling down it. Setting off early, the road became much busier with holidaymakers returning from their long weekend, their 4x4's packed with all the latest camping equipment and gadgets. The road was also very rocky and challenging, but the thought of reaching my final destination made me determined to push on. The misty clouds at Sani Pass greeted me as I reached the end of my cycling journey, and I was blown away by the steepness of this winding, picturesque pass. Riding down was totally exhilarating, but I got cramps in my hands from having to hold onto my brakes for dear life. But what a ride! Although not really recommended, I decided beforehand that I would take my chances at hitchhiking from the Sani Pass border to East London. I soon got a lift on the back of a bakkie to Underberg, about 25 km away, where the driver dropped me off as he was continuing in the opposite direction. Not long after, and with a sign made out of cardboard and bearing the word 'Kokstad', I managed to squeeze into the back of a Toyota Conquest with two very large women. My bike was attached to the boot of the car with cable ties! I reached Kokstad too late in the evening to find any sort of transport, so I decided to sleep at the Engen truck stop, near the N2. Whilst there, I was fortunate to arrange a lift with a young man who transports furniture to Port Elizabeth. We left at 4 a.m. and he eventually dropped me off in East London.
My time in Lesotho was very special, as I had visited a new place, been exposed to a new culture and thoroughly enjoyed a unique experience. I proved
to myself that an adventurous lifestyle is within my grasp, even if I have an 8 to 5 job (and it's much better than spending my weekend watching Super 15 rugby). One learns so much from these experiences and it keeps your life from being too risk adverse. All you need, really, is a map and an adventurous spirit. •
Travel tips
• Make use of things you already have or do - for instance, if you are a cyclist, plan a cycling trip or if you have a kayak, plan a river expedition. • Be aware of the conditions you’ll be faced with. Most of my cycling was above 2,500 m above sea level, which has an effect on you and sleeping places are scarce. • The best time to do such a trip depends totally on what you’re planning. The winter / rainy season won’t work for such trips, as being constantly wet and cold can cause sickness and there's the danger of never wanting to try anything like it again! Try and make use of the March and April months, as these months have a lot of public holidays that will extend your weekend!
Travel costs
• The overall trip cost me in the region of R2 400. This included R400 for my kit (I already had a bike), R800 for food, emergencies, etc, and R1 200 for my bus ticket (prior permission was needed to take my bike on the bus, otherwise I would have had to pay extra, and I also got discount for being a Discovery Vitality member).
Kit and bike set-up
• There is no need for carrier racks on a short cycling trip like this; you just need to pack very light. • I had a ripstop bag custom made for only R250, which fitted in the frame and was attached with velcro. • You’ll also need some extra water bottle holders that you can attach with cable ties. • I didn’t take any big items like a tent or gas stove. Keep it basic and it’ll make the cycling easier.
Places of interest
• Buy a decent map of the country or place you’re planning to explore, as it will show all the places of interest. For my trip, the whole country was a must see, but more particular, Sani Pass.
Pros and cons of travelling solo or in a group
• For me, the biggest pro of travelling solo is that I can plan and go on my own terms. You don’t have anyone trying to keep up, no complaining or negative attitude to discourage you, and the quiet times give you a lot to think about! However, going in a group can be much safer, and a group of equally adventurous people can be a lot of fun.
Other great low budget / weekend destinations • Baviaanskloof cycling trip • Swaziland • It can be anything really, but I feel that a trip should have some sort of goal, like rowing a river from origin to mouth or crossing an area from border to border, whether by cycling, walking or motorcycling. FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. The gravel roads from Themba-Tseka to Sani allowed for fantastic riding! 2. S ome local kids wanted a lift (or my bike).
èRelated articles:
• Crossing Africa on a Bamboo Bike (Issue 21, p. 26) • The Different Faces of Africa (Digital article, August '12) • Solo Across Western Sahara (Issue 15, p. 26)
www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 55
inGEAR:
Words & Photos: Darryl MacDonald | www.clearbluephoto.com
to the
Thumbs UP TransHajar MTB Race
In only the third year since its launch, the TransHajar MTB Race, held in Oman, continues to grow in popularity and is becoming recognised as a truly international affair. From just 23 riders in 2011, this number more than doubled in size to a total of 53 riders in 2012, and this year it attracted a total of 81 cyclists representing 15 countries, making for an incredibly exciting and eclectic mix. I had the privilege of being one of those cyclists competing in this year's race and what an absolutely fabulous experience it was.
56 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Humble beginnings It all started in 2006, when Lake Araparkis competed in his first multi-day mountain bike race, the Cape Epic; the gruelling eight day, 800 km race through the Western Cape. Lake loved the experience so much that he decided to do it again the following year and again the year after that. He also participated in the Trans Rockies, another race of epic proportions through the Canadian Rockies, which covers 350 km and nearly 12,000 m of elevation gain. In the years that followed, Lake competed in 12 more races spread over three continents. Then in 2011, while training for the Cape Epic, he thought it might be interesting to invite other riders to participate in his training and explore some of the surrounding areas of Oman; his training base. So, he put together a little website and invited the local cycling club to join him. He only expected to receive a small response from the local riders and was pleasantly surprised when a large group of cyclists from the UAE also showed up and were eager to ride. And so from humble beginnings, Lake's 'social' training event transformed into the TransHajar MTB Race. This event is the only multi-stage mountain biking event in the region and has a very 'grass-roots' sort of feel to it, which makes it a much more intimate experience than some of the larger races I've attended. The group is small enough that all of the faces become recognisable quite quickly and the racers have room to spread out on the course, thus avoiding some of the congestion I've seen elsewhere. Although Lake works with a very small group of organisers and an almost non-existent budget, he still manages to put on a world-class event. And this year's four-day event was no different. Taking place from 30 January to 2 February 2013, it offered the 81 competitors a challenging and tough 310 km course that passed through some of the most stunning examples of the Oman landscape; the majestic Hajar Mountains around Muscat, in the areas of Yiti and Quriyat. The first day was
marked for the time trial competition, while the remaining three days saw riders toiling on the treacherous tracks of Wadi Lahloo and the Arqi loop along the Quriyat Highway.
Amongst the riders were some big names, such as the former World Triathlon Champion and winner of the Cape Epic, Hannele Steyn, and legendary Olympian Rob Barel, whose list of accomplishments, which include numerous triathlon medals in the international and European circuits, is so long that it wouldn’t fit in this article. Also on the rider list were members of the local cycling club, including three Omanis, as well as competitors from Italy, Spain, UK and Canada to name just a few. The female category had a stronger presence this year with seven women battling it out for silverware, including Race Director for the Cape Epic, Kati Cask, and one of the top riders from the UK National Series, Julie Elder.
www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 57
Of the many highlights, one of the things I enjoyed most about this event was seeing such a broad range of participants from across the globe in action. The professional athletes at the front were always amazing and inspirational to watch, and even though I know they worked extremely hard, they somehow managed to make it all look so easy. Hannele Steyn was a great example, as she had this huge grin on her face every time she passed me, and that was also on some monster climbs that had brought many a rider to their knees. Another highlight for me was the riders at the back of the pack; they were truly inspirational as they were the ones that ended up riding up to four times longer than the leaders and many had cuts, scrapes, bruises and blisters in the worst places to show for their efforts. They were also the ones who used every last ounce of energy to cross the finish line, with their broken bikes and battered egos in tow. One of the riders I spoke to on day three, the longest day at 129 km, said, "I'm done, I can't do any more and I won't ride tomorrow." Several other riders and I tried to coax and encourage him to come back, but to no avail. However, the following morning I was both surprised and happy to see him show up for the final day, but it was the look of pain that crossed his face when he got on his bike that was inspirational.
Over the ensuing four days, the riders never stopped giving their all on a course that demanded nothing less than 100%, and then some more. In the Open Men's category, the last three
stages saw Rob Barel and Thomas Kammermann (Switzerland) battling it out, but in the end it was Rob who clinched the top podium position, with Thomas in second and Chris Reijmer (Holland) in third. In the Open Ladies category, it was Hannele Steyn (South Africa) in first, Kati Csak (South Africa) in second and Julie Elder (UK) in third.
58 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Everyone I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed themselves, complimenting the organsiers on a very well organised event. I also caught up with Lake after the race to find out what kind of changes the participants can look forward to next year and he told me that he has some big plans in the works. What started as a three-day event in 2011 and then moved to a four-day event in 2012 will now become a five-day event in 2014. The organisers are also looking at changing the venue to one that has significantly more single track, which will make the course more technical.
Registration for 2014 will start shortly, so for those of you looking for your next big challenge, get out there and start training! • èRelated articles: • Cycling the Silk Road (Issue 20, p. 40) • The Triple Challenge (Issue 18, p. 78) • joBerg2c 2011 - The Great Pilgrimage to the Sea (Issue 12, p. 72)
dinFO box i To find out more about this event and enter, visit transhajar.com.
inGEAR:
Words & Photos: Eugene Yiga
Lines in the
Sand There are only two rules,” Emmanuel said. “Press the accelerator when we give you the signal to speed up and hit the brakes when we give you the signal to slow down. The bikes are automatic so they’ll take care of the rest.” Simple enough, I thought. But little did I know the experience would still be a rush!
Here I was, about to go quad biking in the Namib Desert and the whole thing felt pretty surreal. After all, it had only been two days since we’d set sail from Cape Town aboard the glorious MSC Sinfonia. And after being surrounded by a surprisingly tranquil Atlantic Ocean, I’d woken up to a sea of sand. It had taken me a while to choose one of the many excursions on offer so that I could make the most of our eight-hour stop in Namibia. Speaking to other travellers didn’t help because everyone had their own ideas. One lady in our group went on a city tour of Walvis Bay, the tourism hub with a complicated political past (and so named because the deep waters attract feeding whales). Other people rented a taxi to explore Swakopmund, a beach resort town 30 km from Walvis Bay that has become one of the most modern areas in the country. But I didn’t get to experience any of this. “A young guy like you should go for something more adventurous,” I was told. Besides, if the area was famous for extreme sports (and the second highest sand dunes in the world), I might as well find out why!
60 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
After Emmanuel had given us our instructions, it was time to choose a bike.
Most of the two dozen people immediately went for the slower ones, but I somehow ended up with the fastest of the lot. My first thought, based on its size and position at the head of the pack, was that it belonged to an instructor. Perhaps it did. And yet for some reason I just couldn’t resist.
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Finance available
She was a fiery red beast with the name ‘Trailblazer’ flaming on the side. And she only had one control for the brake, perhaps because she was designed for people who weren’t in the mood to slow down.
Every now and then I felt the 330 cc engine spurring me on, tempting me to rev a little harder and pick up the pace. These dangerous flirtations almost led me into a troublesome ditch once or twice but I managed to gain control right before I went too far. Once I’d settled in and gotten comfortable on the one-hour drive, I was able to take it easy and enjoy the experience for what it was. The first interesting thing to note was the weather. Even though we were in a desert in the middle of summer, being near the coast meant that the cold offshore currents kept the temperature pleasant at around 20°C. We were also lucky to find no fog, which can reach as far as 140 km inland for more than six months of the year and is the reason there are over a thousand shipwrecks across the Skeleton Coast. This fog provides essential moisture for plants given that the area, which receives less than 20 mm of rain a year, is one the driest places on the planet. As there was no fog, I also got a sense of how extensive the area is and could quickly understand why the name ‘Namib’ means ‘vast place’. The desert, which is also the oldest in the world, stretches more than 2,000 km from Angola to South Africa and really makes you feel that you could be stranded in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps all this uninhabited space is why Namibia, a country with just over two million inhabitants, has the second lowest population density in the world! I asked Emmanuel how he and the other instructors don’t get lost when taking people out on tours. “They installed a GPS in my brain,” he joked. “But seriously, I’ve been leading tours for four years. Nowadays, it’s just like going out to get pizza.” All in all, the drive was great. It was quite amusing to see how so many of the people who chose the slower bikes were the ones engaged in stereotypically bad South African behaviour, what with their insistence to overtake when it wasn’t safe or weave left and right because it was too boring to drive in a straight line. But then we got to a part of the course that was so challenging it made everyone behave like we were back in driving school.
62 • DO IT NOW Magazine | March 2013
One by one, we slowly made our way to the edge of a 40 m near-vertical drop. No, it wasn’t as imposing as in the infamous Dune 7 (or some other dunes that are up to 300 m high), but it was still pretty terrifying to look so far down. “This is the part where you forget about the accelerator and the brakes,” Emmanuel said. “Just
keep the bike in a straight line and try not to crash.” I guess that means the third rule is to sometimes ignore the other two and just enjoy the ride!
èRelated articles: • Of Sand, Sea, Solitude, Horsepower and Adrenalin (Issue 19 , p. 38) • Old Faithful Travels to Sesfontein Namibia, Part 2 (Issue 19, p. 116) • The Sandy Beasts of the West Coast (Issue 1, p. 16)
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Eugene Yiga, a reformed accountant, enjoys his time as a lifestyle and entertainment writer and is based in Cape Town. Follow @eugeneyiga on twitter or email hello@eugeneyiga.com to say, um, hello.
inGEAR:
Words: Compiled by Sarah Kobal | Photos: Martin Hermida & Geoffrey Crow
Enter the World of
Offroad Racing
In spite of their dirty reputation, off-road racing cars sport some of the cleanest and most high-tech engineering on the planet. And even though off-road racing has evolved quite a bit over the years, it has retained every bit of its original sideways-sliding fun. So what exactly is off-road racing all about and what's the appeal? DO IT NOW spoke to Martin Hermida, a mechanical engineer at Century Racing (one of the teams competing in the race series) to find out more about this high-octane and action-packed four-wheeled motorsport.
Race format Off-road racing is an endurance race where the cars are expected to race at high speed across any terrain that is usually only accessible by 4x4. There are about eight events in a year, which culminate in the championship. At each race, points are awarded depending on where the competitor finished in each class. The competitor with the highest number of points is the championship winner and receives the much-coveted #1 plates, which they race with pride in the following season.
Mark Corbett (driver) and Rudi Balzer (navigator) from Team Century Racing. Photographer: Martin Hermida
www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 63
Each event comprises a Prologue race and this takes place on the Friday prior to the race weekend. The Prologue is like a qualifying session and the competitors set off in the order of their finish from the last race on a course that is approximately 50 km long. Their time in the Prologue will determine their starting position for the race on Saturday - so this event is just as exciting to watch because the competitors give it their all and often finish within seconds of each other. Come race day, this means that they will start just seconds apart and this makes for some truly exciting bumper-to-bumper and intense racing that is quite rare in endurance motorsport. On the Saturday, the route is usually around 400 to 500 km long and split into two loops of approximately 200 to 250 km. Between loops, the cars have to stop for a mandatory 15-minute pit stop to refuel (both the driver and vehicle), get the windscreens cleaned and tyres changed. The pit crew also carries out any repairs needed during this stop. Due to the incredibly rough terrain, punctures are a common problem, so each team carries at least two spare tyres with them. If a team gets a puncture or something goes wrong with the car, the work must be done by the driver and navigator without any external assistance. Time costs places and the top teams are able to stop, lift the car, change the tyre and be off again in less than five minutes - you’ve got to see it to believe it! However, when a car is stuck in mud, as they so often do, the spectators willingly lend a hand or shoulder to get it out.
Vehicle types There are two types of vehicles: special and production types. • Special vehicles look like buggies and the majority have exposed big wheels, as well as an open cockpit because it's simpler and lighter. There is still a full-roll cage with a roof, but no windscreen or windows. • Production vehicles resemble a production car. The 1968 FIA rules stated that production cars were, for sports cars, at least 25 identical cars produced within a 12 month period and meant for normal sale to individual purchasers.
Special vehicle classes
TOP TO BOTTOM 1. Driver Colin Mathews, from Team Century Racing, climbing out of his CR3 at the pit stop. There's so much mud he has to wear a full dry suit just to drive. 2. Team Century Racing flying high over a jump while doing some vehicle testing in the CR4 out on the test track. Photographer: Geoffrey Crow 3. Pieter Ruthven (driver) and Leander Pienaar (navigator) from team Ruwacon Racing in their Bat racing vehicle in the dust at Sun City.
64 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Special vehicles are only two-wheel drive, with the drive being through the rear wheels, and there are two classes: Class A and Class P. • Class A is an open class where there are few rules and the drivers can pretty much do anything they want. These big V8 monsters boast huge American engines around 7.0-litres in capacity. They are extremely powerful, very fast and very loud. • In Class P, the cars are smaller than what you will find in Class A and engines are restricted to V6, usually around 3 to 4-litres in capacity. Although they are not as powerful as the Class A cars, they are still very quick as they are lighter. The race cars used here are also cheaper than those in Class A, which makes it easier for new teams to enter the fray.
Production vehicle classes
World leaders
There are three classes in the production cars: Class SP, Class D and Class E. Production cars used are four-wheel drive cars, which gives them a traction advantage over the special vehicles. However, other rules balance out the advantage thus making it quite even in the end. • Class SP or Super Production is the top class. These are specially-built off-road race cars that have the body work of a road-going 4x4, such as the Toyota Hilux, but underneath the skin there are almost no parts shared with its road-going counterpart. However, regulations do specify that the engine must be in the same location as found on the road version and the engine used must come from the same manufacturer. This is one of the most popular classes with the fans because they resemble cars you’ll find on the roads, yet they are fullblown racing machines. • Class D vehicles are based on the standard production car, yet the rules here allow certain modifications to be made to the suspension, to make the vehicle stronger and faster. Unlike in the SP, this is a supped-up, modified version of a street-going car as opposed to a custom race vehicle. • Class E is an almost standard road vehicle. The only modifications allowed in this class are safety features, such as a roll cage for protection. Otherwise all components are as found on the street vehicle.
South Africa has one of the most competitive and challenging off-road racing series in the world: the Donaldson Cross Country Motor Racing Championship. Some of the components used here hail from international suppliers who designed their components around feedback from South African teams because we are the only ones in the world driving hard enough to break their components. For example, the Toyota and Ford racing teams are based in South Africa so that they can test and develop their cars here in the local series, with local drivers.
Regulations The regulations are set-up in such a way that although an SP vehicle and Class A vehicle are completely different in design, they are still seriously competitive. Moreover, even though the vehicles cost millions of Rands, there are still a lot of competitors to keep it exciting. An average start has around 45 competitors across all the classes.
Safety Safety is paramount, so the cars in all classes are built to take the toughest abuse as rolling a vehicle is a common occurrence.
Thankfully, it is very rare for a driver to get hurt, even after rolling over four times at 120 km/h. The body work will be destroyed, but depending on the nature of the roll over, more often than not, the driver will be able to continue racing with minimal mechanical damage.
Spectator appeal The events are not just about the competitors; the spectators are equally important and a lot of time and effort goes into preparing detailed maps with the locations and expected times that the race cars will pass through these points, for them. So, contrary to normal sports where one sits and watches the action, in off-road racing the spectators actively chase the action moving from one predetermined spectator point to the next as they follow their heroes. In addition, the route is designed in such a way that while the car winds through a tough technical section, the spectators are able to drive ahead and reach the next point before the race vehicles pass. This often leads to driving on a tar road alongside a race car that's on a rough dirt road - and I’m sure I don’t need to explain what this does to the testosterone levels of the non-racers.
So if you are looking for some action in your life be it getting involved or just spectating - then why not add off-road racing to your bucket list? • èRelated articles: • An Interview with Carolyn Swam, Rally Co-driver (Issue 12, p. 54) • Support for Dakar 2013 (Issue 21, p. 40)
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For more information, visit South Africa’s official off-road website www.saoffroadracing.co.za.
2013 NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP OFF-ROAD calendar (The definitive calendar as agreed with MSA) 1/2 March
Gauteng / Tshwane
12/13 April
Mpumalanga
17/18 May
KwaZulu-Natal
14/15/16 June
Botswana 1000 Desert Race
26/27 July
North West Province
6/7 September
Lesotho
11/12 October
Free State Thaba ‘Nchu
22/23 November
Gauteng East Rand
Source: Cross Country Commission (Media)
www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 65
inH2O:
Words: Caroline Koll | Photos: Various PinkDrive participants
Taking on the Midmar 8 Mile
PinkDrive style
The Midmar Mile is one of those iconic South African events that should be on every citizen’s bucket list, like the Comrades, Two Oceans, Argus Cycle Tour and 94.7 Cycle Challenge. Now in its fortieth year, this swimming event has certainly stood the test of time. It has also been accredited with being the world’s largest open water swimming event and attracts around 30,000 swimmers the youngest being 6 years old and the oldest finisher, being Lorna Cochrane, at the age of 89.
Girl Power!
Some people might wonder what the attraction is in swimming a mile (1,600 metres) in a brown murky dam, in fact so did I. As a seasoned Ironman triathlete, I scoffed at organiser Wayne Ridden’s suggestion that I come and participate in the Midmar Mile. When I asked him to give me a real challenge, he presented me with the idea of the PinkDrive 8 Mile. Now there was a challenge!
About PinkDrive
Fast becoming one of South Africa’s best-loved community activations, PinkDrive (also an official beneficiary from Comrades) is an indispensable, tangible breast cancer Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) powering a mobile mammography unit and educational vehicles through our country with the message that ‘Early Detection Saves Lives’.
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PinkDrive currently runs two ‘Pink’ mobile breast check units, as well as three educational cars. Both units travel to semi-urban and urban areas around South Africa with the aim of enabling any community to have accessible education, physical examinations and to learn breast self-examination. Through the goodwill of many fortunate citizens and willing corporate businesses helping us, they in turn are helping government to touch as many citizens as they can. The mobile screening unit successfully launched in the Western Cape in 2011 and operated through local clinics, community health centres and hospitals. To date they have provided 4,440 free mammograms, done 41,360 clinical breast examinations in community areas, educated 51,205 people and distributed educational materials to 45,000 people. They have a targeted approach when addressing social needs. The projects they are involved in are participatory, build capacity, are sustainable and have measurable impact.
The organisation carries two radiologists on its board. One of the specialists, Dr Ashwin Hurribunce comments, “PinkDrive is currently servicing 108 clinics on a rotation basis in Gauteng, which is the most densely populated region in South Africa. We have 79 more that have applied to use our services, and these have been placed on a waiting list. The public sector cannot supply the demand and right now, neither can we. There is simply an enormous need.”
8 Mile Club
The 8 Mile Club has been around for a number of years and participants are not only required to swim every event at the Midmar Mile - a total of 8 miles or 12.8 km - but also raise funds for charities. The PinkDrive 8 Milers form part of this club, with the direct intention of garnering pledges for the PinkDrive Organisation, which was started to raise awareness and provide education and testing for breast cancer to the corporate world and also disadvantaged communities; where access to such information is most often very limited.
The PinkDrive 8 Mile Challenge
A total of 24 swimmers signed up for the Pink Challenge held in February, including top swimmers Mandy Loots, Melissa Corfe and myself, in the company of multi-tasking moms, grans, company directors and young swimming talent. United, they all swam 8 miles, and every other event over the weekend, and in so doing raised a total of R300 000 for the PinkDrive. Induction into the 8 Mile Club is not as easy as it sounds, I should tell you. You are expected to swim each mile event, and each time you finish you get back on the boat to start the next event! While for some, doing just one Midmar Mile is quite enough, but doing all eight certainly tests your endurance! You need to be sure to refuel after each swim, as even though the intensity is not as much as pool sprints, it takes a considerable amount of calories to retain body temperature and keep moving for so long. The hard part is really to start up again after having a break between each mile - your body thinks it is time for recovery and then you press the start button all over again. Survive the sore arms and you become a fully-fledged member of the 8 Mile Club!
If you have never considered the Midmar Mile - the atmosphere is truly one of a happy, '60s peace party, the campsites are full, the camaraderie is warm and the faces are friendly. Oh, and if you need more of a challenge, join the PinkDrive 8 Mile team in 2014! •
èRelated articles: • Cancer Myths Debunked (Digital article Feb '13) • 94.7 Cycle Challenge - Ride for a Purpose (Issue 19, p. 132) • A Beginner's Take on the Comrades Marathon (Issue 6, p. 70)
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All swimmers are called to swim for a cause, swim for a purpose, swim for PinkDrive. Visit www.pinkdrive.co.za for more information and to register to swim for PinkDrive - you will receive an awesome pink costume, towel, wet pack and much more for only R300.
Fascinating Facts About the Midmar Mile The Midmar Mile is the world's largest competitive open water swim with all kinds of interesting facts: • The 1973 oil crisis led to the first Midmar Mile in 1974. Mike Arbuthnot, Dick Park and Brian Glover were unable to travel to London to compete in the 1973 Buffalo Mile due to gas restrictions. As a result, they organised the first race in the Midmar Dam with 153 swimmers entered. • Its small-town location, just north of Pietermaritzburg, is located 76 km from Durban and is called the last outpost of the British Empire. • It is named for its location, the Midmar Dam. • In years with poor rainfall, competitors are subjected to the infamous Midmar sprint start - a bedlam of bodies sprinting across the muddy shore and through the shallows until the water is deep enough to swim. • To handle the vast number of competitors, swimmers start in several groups at twominute intervals, in eight batches, over two days; the group division is based on a qualifying time in a previous event, with the fastest group leaving first.
PinkDrive: 8 Milers
68 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Source: www.openwaterswimming.com
I AM READY FOR ANYTHING
I AM THE NEW NIKON COOLPIX AW110. I am 18m waterproof, 2m shock-proof and freeze-proof. With a Wi-Fi connection to easily share with smart devices, 3" OLED screen, a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor and Full HD movie function. Featuring an altimeter, built-in GPS and an electronic compass to get location information on a world map display. I am anytime, anywhere. www.nikon.co.za
inH2O:
Words & Photos: Claire Butler
Women making waves 70 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Picture the sport of surfing and what usually comes to mind is a tanned male in board shorts gliding down the face of a beautiful barrelling wave, against a backdrop of palm trees. For a long time, this masculine association has misled women into believing that surfing is a sport best left to the guys. Yet, over the last decade, the sport has made some serious strides in crossing the great gender divide.
A trip to entry-level surfing beaches, such as Muizenberg in the Western Cape, will quickly reveal that the waves now belong equally to both genders. Attitudes are changing; recreationally, more men are encouraging their girlfriends and wives to join them in the surf and professionally, a number of South African females are making serious waves in the sport. Surfing as a recreational sport for women started to gain worldwide mainstream popularity after the release of the 1959 movie, Gidget, which followed the adventures of a girl and her friends as they learnt to surf during a summer holiday. Then in the early '60s, the Beach Boys burst onto the scene with songs like 'Surfer Girl' and 'California Girls' that made specific reference to the growing presence of female surfers in their hometown of California. In South Africa, while there were a handful of women in the water, the uptake of the sport was significantly slower. A defining moment in the history of female surfing in South Africa was in 1987 when South African surfer, Wendy Botha, won a world title on the international World Championship Tour. Suddenly, South Africa was known as a country capable of producing worldclass female surfing talent. Despite Botha’s win on the professional scene, growth of the sport as a recreational activity for women remained sluggish in comparison to the rest of the world. That, however, was set to change in 2002 with the release of the pop culture female surf movie, Blue Crush.
www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 71
Tarryn Chudleigh in action.
72 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Blue Crush arrived on the movie scene and did wonders for promoting female surfing, both locally and internationally. The movie portrayed surfing as the perfect blend of both femininity and female empowerment, and with the classic themes of friendship and love, it promoted the sport and also encouraged surfing as a lifestyle for women. As the movie
soared in popularity, the beaches showed a massive increase in the number of females who were hitting the water and learning to surf. Not only did the movie make surfing appear to be accessible to the average female, it also promoted a strong mantra that women started to associate with surfing: take the risk, feel the rush, live your dreams. Before Blue Crush was released, female surfers were few and far between. Blue Crush literally crushed the preconception that surfing was a sport exclusively reserved for men (and the odd tomboy ‘surfer girl’). Hence, much of the popularity of the sport today for women can be ascribed to the movie’s influence.
The recreational scene
Support for female recreational surfing in South Africa is definitely growing. The most notable recent event was the Billabong Girls Get Out There initiative, which took place in December of last year. The event saw the popular surf brand, Billabong, hosting a number of national beach days that encouraged girls to get themselves to the beach and learn to surf for free - under the professional guidance of a few of the brand’s female team riders. These annual surf clinics coupled with a number of all-girl surf schools that are popping up at local beaches (like the Roxy Surf School for example) testify to the fact that women are enjoying the sport just as much as their male counterparts.
The professional scene
The competitive female surfing scene in South Africa paints a slightly different picture to that of the recreational one. While South Africa has managed to produce its fair share of professional female surfers, complaints of dwindling sponsorships, limited media coverage and a weak currency mean that going pro is a privilege afforded to only a special few. Former South African Champion and Springbok surfer, Tarryn Chudleigh, says that female professional surfing in South Africa currently sits in a very precarious position. “Local girls are surfing better than ever and pushing the boundaries both nationally and internationally,” she says, “but without support from major brands and grass-root contests, it may be harder than ever for our girls to achieve without this solid backing.” Yet, despite tough market conditions, 2013 is already proving to be a promising year for South African females competing internationally. Southern Cape surfer, Bianca Buitendag, qualified to compete on the World Championship Tour (WCT) at the end of 2012; a tour that is reserved for the world's top 17 female surfers only. Buitendag will be the sole South African female on the tour this year - an incredible achievement considering that South Africa currently only has two male surfers competing on the Men’s World Championship Tour, which features a much larger pool of surfers (34). KwaZulu-Natal’s Sarah Baum has recently started her World Tour campaign on the World Qualifying Series (WQS); a series of contests that surfers need to compete in to try and qualify for a spot in the top 17. Baum had an impressive start with a 5th place finish in the first event of this year, the Breaka Burleigh Pro in Australia, which took place in January. In the meantime, Buitendag kicked off her quest for a world title with the Roxy Pro, which took place in March on Australia’s Gold Coast.
www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 73
LEFT TO RIGHT: 1. Girls are enjoying the sport on a recreational level just as much as their male counterparts. 2. Tarryn Chudleigh, demonstrating her incredible surfing abilities.
The female edge
As is the case for most sports, gender equality will always be questioned. But when trying to determine what actually makes female surfers different, it’s difficult to pinpoint. It certainly isn’t a question of talent, nor is it a question of commitment or love for the sport - the number of girls in the water and the quality of professional female surfers coming out of South Africa certainly proves this. As a regular female face in the line-up, Tarryn Chudleigh says, “I honestly don’t think there is a huge difference between the guys and us. At the end of the day, whether we’re male or female, beginner or pro, we all surf for the same reason: the pure love and joy we get from being in the water and riding waves. And that’s what ultimately defines a surfer!”
Surfing as a sport bears a life lesson for every woman. As famously quoted by Jon Kabat-Zinn, 'You can’t stop the waves of life, but you can learn to surf', and as local female surfers have proven, women can actually make waves. • èRelated articles:
Despite the difficulties facing professional surfing for South African females, the recreational scene is flourishing. A lot of attention has been placed on growing the sport, particularly from a grass-roots level. Tarryn Chudleigh encourages any female to get in the water and experience firsthand the amazing sport that surfing is. “Start out at a beach like Muizenberg in Cape Town”, she advises, “as there are tons of surf schools there to cater to your every need.”
• Get Blown Away in Mauritius (Issue 20, p. 60) • Riders of the Surf (Issue 16, p. 68) • Why We Surf (Issue 9, p. 28)
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For anyone wanting to catch some of the local professional girls in action over the next two months, below is the 2013 surfing calendar from Surfing South Africa’s website (www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za) with information on a number of events to watch out for on. You can also follow the girls on the international scene by visiting the Association of Surfing Professionals’ website: www.aspworldtour.com.
April 6-14
ISA World Masters Championships
ISA
Over 35 Men & Women
Montanita, Ecuador
6-7
Billabong Junior Series # 2
SSA PST
U20 B&G, U18 B&G, U16B, U14G and U12B
Nahoon Beach Break, East London
20-21
Buccaneers Surf Classic (TBC)
SSA PST
Open
Nahoon Reef, East London
27-4 May
SA Longboard Championships
SALSA/SSA
Men, Women, Boys & Girls: provinces
Cape Town, Mobile
4-12
ISA World Surfing Games
ISA
Men & Women: National Teams
Santa Catalina, Panama
18-19
Quiksilver Pro Junior & King of the Groms
SSA
U20B, U16B, U14B, U12B : Future Stars
New Pier, Durban
May
74 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
inH2O:
Words: Deon Breytenbach | Photos: Helena Pienaar & Moya Adamson Video: David Arnuad ThinkLiquid Productions | Blog: www.doitnow.co.za/blogs/deon-breytenbach
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Basics acing loops and braces 76 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Due to the modern freestyle boat design, a whole new world of moves has evolved! One of the first - and probably my favourite - is a forward somersault (360° rotation) that's performed either in a hole or breaking wave, but it can also be done on flat water. This awesome move is known as the loop.
THE LOOP
As with pretty much everything in life, a good set-up is crucial to executing big loops. So, to achieve the correct set-up, you need to get onto the highest point of the foam pile, facing straight upstream. There are two ways to do this.
2
The first is to paddle into a side surf and then dig your downstream edge into the foam pile as much as you can. When you feel that you are being pushed up the foam pile (downstream), you need to get your hull level again and sweep your kayak so that it's facing straight upstream. However, reaching the top of the foam pile like this can easily result in you flushing off the foam pile, especially if the feature isn’t very retentive. The best way to set-up is to carve to the shoulder of the feature you are on and then surf back across the top of the foam pile. As you reach the highest point of the foam pile, turn into a front surf so that you face straight upstream and into the deepest part of the feature. This carving method is more controllable and has the advantage of giving you some momentum (speed) to work with.
3
With the first step of the set-up completed, keep one of your blades in a draw/rudder position to help keep your kayak facing straight upstream. Now, allow the kayak to charge down the foam pile towards the seam - where the foam pile and oncoming downstream flow meet each other - of the feature. This is where everything starts happening real fast and you'll need a bit of practice to get your timing just right, so don’t worry if you battle at first because everyone does.
SEQUENCE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: 1. Tucking hard forward to start the rotation. 2. Completely inverted. This is when you need to kick your legs and get your body and paddle onto your back deck. 3. Inverted and kicking my legs forward while pushing off the non-power face of my paddle to help bring my stern around. 4. Ending up in a front surf with a powerful forward stroke to keep me on the wave and in a good position for a follow-up move.
4 www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 77
1
2 FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. At the seam with my blade engaged and ready to kick my bow into the seam. 2. Could also be used as a (1) coming down onto the seam just about to kick my bow in. 3. JP with a near perfect high brace, elbows tucked nicely and with his blade in the fluff to give him support to get his Expedition Solo level as he comes out of the drop. 4. Vroom with a good low brace to keep him stable coming out of the drop and to give him time to open his eyes, as you paddle better with your eyes open.
78 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
3
4
Make sure you are sitting up straight as your bow is about to reach the seam. Keep your blade in the foam, but slide it forward so that it's in line with your knees. You now need to kick your bow into the seam so that the oncoming current pushes it under water. To kick your bow, you will need to lean forward a bit, with your paddle engaged in the foam. As your bow reaches the seam, tense your stomach muscles, as if you were about to do a sit up, and think about kicking your legs down. Your blade in the foam will give your core muscles something to leverage against while you kick your legs down. The kick is crucial because if you don’t really kick your legs, your bow won’t be able to break through the surface of the oncoming current. As your bow gets pushed under the water by the oncoming current, you need to stand up (either on your feet or on foot blocks) and remove your paddle from the foam at the same time. You will now feel your bow being pushed rather deep until it reaches a point where the kayak will start to pop back up. This is the stage that takes the most practice to get your timing right. As you start popping up, punch your hands straight up at the sky (it helps to look up at the sky as well) and as you reach the highest point of your pop, look back down into the seam where your bow entered and throw your whole body forward into a tuck position as hard as possible; your nose should pretty much touch your deck and your paddle your bow. This will initiate your rotation. When you are completely inverted (upside down) and your head hits the foam pile, throw your body and paddle onto your back deck and kick your legs out in front of you. This will keep your rotation going and bring the kayak all the way around so that your stern hull hits the oncoming current and is pushed flat and you end up in a front surf position again.
Loop stroke
On smaller features, or very flushy ones, you can do what is called the loop stroke. This you do by throwing your body onto your back deck and pushing with the non-power face of your blade (remember you are upside down now), to help give you more power to kick your legs out in front of you. If you managed to get your timing right, you should have returned to a front surf position - and your buddies are standing there awestruck by your amazing skills. Remember, the loop is a very dynamic move and a key baseline move to progress to the more advanced combo moves, like the Phonix Monkey (a 360° bow pirouette into 360° air loop), and takes complete commitment and a good bunch of humour. As you start to get the timing of your kayak's pop and body movement more in tune with your loops, they will become bigger and take less and less effort. So head to your nearest hole, wave or anything that's deep enough and has some foam, take a buddy along to keep an eye on you and flop, flop around until you ace that loop. In competitions, if you get some air between you and the water, you'll get bonus points for the air - and it looks as awesome as it feels!
THE BRACE
In kayaking, there are a few sneaky strokes to use that will make the difference between styling through some crazy rapids and having some crazy rapids running over your head. And, of course, you'll want to style those strokes in an upright position. The brace is one such stroke and you get two versions of it; the high and low brace. For the high brace, you have your hands cocked back so that the power face (the face of your blade that pulls the water on a forward stroke) is facing down and your arms are in a pull-up position, about the same height as your chin. When it comes to the low brace, you twist your wrists the other way round so that the non-power face of your blade is facing the surface and your arms are positioned as if you were doing a pushup on your knuckles. Both brace strokes should be done in line with your thighs. You can obviously move the blade that you are bracing on further away from your kayak, depending on the situation you are in, but avoid letting your hands move behind your hips as this will put your shoulders at risk. For both braces the idea is to get your paddle engaged in the water by sliding it flat over the water surface. This will give you leverage to engage your core muscles, which will level out your kayak so that you don’t take a swim when running a rapid. The stroke is not there for you to push yourself upright. It's there so that you can use your core muscles to engage your hips and legs and lift the edge of your kayak, which is being pulled or pushed under the surface, and keep you floating level. My favourite move is the low brace because it's safer for my shoulders and allows you to go from a low brace into a forward stroke really quickly. With your blade somewhere in line with your thighs and knees, all you need to do to switch to a forward stroke is roll your hand back up so that the power face of your blade is engaged, and pull your forward stroke. The braces are recovery strokes, but to do them safely, especially the high brace, it is super important that you always keep your arms bent a little. If you over extend your arm and lock your elbows, any unexpected force will target your shoulder joints; the weakest point. Also, never let the blade that you are bracing on go behind your shoulder. To avoid this situation, all you need is good torso rotation.
Next month I will step it up another notch and look at the Space Godzilla; a loop with an extra 90° twist that's added in for fun. And for our river runners, I'll explain how the sculling stroke will help keep your head out the water while you take a beating in a pourover-style feature. •
èRelated articles:
• Basics, Drawstrokes & Cartwheels (Issue 23, p. 70) • Basics, Blunting and Boofing (Issue 22, p. 62) • Basics, Bring Home the Bacon (Issue 21, p. 62)
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For more information and tutorials on the loop and brace, plus photos and links to other online resources, visit Deon’s blog: www.doitnow.co.za/blogs/deon-breytenbach.
www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 79
inTRANSIT:
Words & Video: André Troost | Photos: André, Pieter, Narine & Carina Troost
Other Side World The
of the
With the monsoon season creating havoc, the clouds burst open over a hill. Upon this hill, close
to the town of Chalong on Phuket Island, stood a Buddhist temple. I sat inside, cross-legged, next to my mother, father and sister. A euphoric smell of drifting incense stimulated my senses as I stared into the laughing eyes of a golden Buddha statue.
The calm before the storm.
We were introduced to Thailand in the pouring rain and made our way through Phuket’s flooded streets towards Karon Beach; where we were booked in for our five-day stay on the island. After dozing off the effects of jet lag, we hungrily feasted our eyes on our first sights of Asia; a brand new part of our planet’s diversity for us. Roaming through Karon, I noticed familiarity and realised that at that moment I was in commercial Thailand. I was hoping to experience Thailand as a local would and decided to be patient.
80 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
We took a taxi to the neighbouring town of Patong, where we were dropped off at the start of one of the pedestrian walkways. As my feet left the car and touched the pavement, I already sensed a feeling in the air that was completely foreign to me. The town appeared to be an independent, living organism. It was 9 o’clock at night and all the clothing shops and stalls were still open and hustling for business, while vibrant bars and restaurants lined both sides of the outstretched street. In the middle of this electrifying atmosphere, I delighted my taste buds with snapper fried in one of the hottest curries I have ever tasted. However, I also experienced an unwholesome part of Thailand in Patong; the overwhelming presence of the sex trade on the streets, which was obnoxious to say the least. The shocking part is that it is brazenly displayed for everyone to see.
This experience created conflicting thoughts in my head that caused me
to question my perceived wholesomeness of Thailand. It seemed that Phuket, and Patong in particular, had become a haven for Westerners to liberate their temptations and desires, which definitely diminished the wholesomeness that I was expecting.
That being said, there are still places on the island where one doesn’t have to succumb to commercial tourism. For the remainder of our time in Phuket, we explored the spots that remained unaffected. We headed to the gypsy village of Rawaii, probably one of the last remaining ethnic Thai villages on the island. My patience had indeed been rewarded. Here you can buy seafood from the locals and take it to a local restaurant in the village. They then cook it for you while you relax over a beer and familiarise yourself with how daily life in the village unfolds. As we sat on the porch of the restaurant, we met a journalist from Bangkok, who was busy investigating a legal dispute between the villagers and a property developer who states that he rightfully bought the land. Apparently, he wants to build a holiday resort. Even though the villagers rely heavily on tourists for their daily bread, it would be a pity if yet another village had to yield to the plague of holiday resorts.
www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 81
Thailand’s biodiversity is the kind that one doesn’t get to see often, especially the
limestone islands in Phang Nga Bay. The most famous must be Khao Ping Ghan, also known as James Bond Island, as this is where the 1974 motion picture The Man with the Golden Gun was shot. These
islands are something quite spectacular! We were also lucky to visit the unique town of Koh Panyee, an Islam sea village built on water with the aid of stilts. At the end of our five-day stay in Phuket we boarded Thai Airlines for Bangkok. Judging by my first view of the city, I knew this was going to be the highlight of my visit to Thailand. And it was! Motorcycles squeezing through the smallest of spaces, indigenous fast food and golden Buddha statues on the pavement, humid weather and every second person offering one a lift on a ‘tuk-tuk’ ensured a culture shock, which I believe is an essential part of travelling to foreign lands. This culture shock created a feeling that I’ve never felt before and one that I will never feel again, unless I find myself in this city once more. Only when I took the elevator to the 78th floor of the Baiyoke Sky Tower, the tallest building in Thailand, did I really grasp how big Bangkok was. As I sat down to a delicious buffet next to a small, chubby Asian boy stuffing his mouth with dumplings, I sipped on my Singha beer contently. As I took in the 180-degree view of the Bangkok night sky, I pondered how easily this amazing foreign place had delivered me into my comfort zone. We spent our remaining two days visiting the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, known in Thai as the Wat Phra Kaew, and took a boat down the Chao Phraya River and its canals. This was a really insightful experience as the canals made it possible to see the city from an entirely different angle. After all, Bangkok is known as the ‘Venice of the East’ and it certainly lived up to its reputation. We visited the Floating Market the following day, which was a big disappointment and definitely the worst part of the trip. The ‘market’ was just a few Thai locals paddling around and selling fake, overpriced souvenirs. On top of that, we spent about three hours on the road getting there and back to Bangkok.
82 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: 1. From left to right, clockwise: Me, my dad Pieter, my mom Narine and my sister Carina. 2. “Forget about gondolas and striped shirts, this is Bangkok,” he said. 3. Buying prawns from the locals.
My last remaining expectation of Thailand had backpacking written all over it. So I took my uncle’s advice and headed to Khao San Road, apparently a backpacker’s paradise. I soon realised that I hadn’t been dropped off at Khao San. After walking from street to street with a vision of a backpacker paradise in my mind, I came around a corner and knew I was finally in the right place. Strolling up the street, I experienced first-hand how overwhelmed Richard, Leonardo di Caprio’s character in the motion picture The Beach, must have been by this ‘anything goes’ environment. It is easy to see how someone can get lost in a place like this. The street is a kilometre in length, filled with budget guesthouses, bars, shops, tattoo shops, massage parlours and stalls. The concept is similar to Patong in Phuket, but it has a different touch as the atmosphere here is alternative and arty. It has to be said though that in recent years, Khao San Road has become mainstream and very overcrowded as more and more people came to hear about it. Luckily for the alternative traveller or just a traveller wanting to experience something more stripped down there is Soi Rambuttri. There is a laid-back, non-mainstream vibe to be enjoyed here and the street gives you a glimpse into what Bangkok used to look like before its rapid economic growth. When I opened my eyes again it was time to head back home to South Africa. While sitting in Terminal 2 in Singapore’s airport, I reflected on my journey. Travelling is more than just the thrill of seeing sights that most people do not get to see, it shows you how the day-to-day scenes of other cultures elapse. It teaches you that the world really is a big place and that the more you get to see of it, the smaller you feel. And when you feel small, you perceive everything around you as being significant. Thus, in the end, travelling teaches you to take more notice of everything around you. As Westerners it is essential for us to travel to the East, as it creates a paradigm shift in our minds. It is something so massive in terms of demographics and so different from what we are used to that it enables us to experience a fuller picture of the world we live in. •
èRelated articles:
• Turkey - A Traveller’s Treat (Issue 22, p. 76) • France - Lavender Fields, Pink Wine and White Horses ( Issue 17, p. 122) • Australia - Victoria (Issue 15, p. 48)
inNATURE:
Words: Melissa Andrews | Photos: Rocktail Beach Camp & Christopher List
Our headlights sent bright beams of light into the ink-black expanse of the night, illuminating scuttling crabs darting sideways as we approached. The soothing rhythm of the sea failed to lull us into a sense of complacency as we peered excitedly into the darkness, keeping a keen eye out for tracks. We were on a Rocktail Beach Camp turtle drive, accompanying our guide on his nightly research patrol to monitor the behaviour of nesting loggerhead and leatherback turtles. We were hoping to catch a mother turtle in the act of laying up to 150 eggs, of which only a few will hatch and survive to adulthood. The 4x4 eventually slowed to a stop in front of the enormous tracks of a leatherhead; the largest turtle in the world and critically endangered. Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen. Our guide told us she would come ashore to lay her eggs, but, apparently confused by her hormones, had turned back. Though our timing was perfect - loggerhead and leatherback turtles lay their eggs between October and March - our only other sighting was of the foot patrols that travelled the 8 km long beach twice a day, providing vital information on turtle nesting patterns. This turtle research programme started back in 1963 when scientists from the Natal Parks Board (now Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife) initiated a project to monitor the number of nesting females per season and protect the beaches from further disturbance. The project expanded to include data on hatchlings in 1971. When funding dwindled, donations from Wilderness Safaris Wildlife Trust, Rocktail Bay Lodge and World Wildlife Foundation allowed it to continue, making it one of the longest running turtle projects in the world. Its predecessor, Rocktail Bay Lodge, has since closed for refurbishment, but Rocktail Beach Camp, which is also owned by Wilderness Safaris, has stepped in to continue its pivotal role in providing research data. In addition, part of the concession fees go towards the turtle scouts that guard the nests and patrol the beaches, and the income derived from guests attending turtle drives is also fed back into the project.
84 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Treading Lightly Rocktail Beach Camp
at
Despite two drives to scout for turtles, we were one of the unfortunate few to miss seeing any hatching or laying turtles during our stay. However, there was plenty to do at Rocktail Beach Camp to make up for it. Situated in an indigenous coastal forest that forms part of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park and World Heritage Site, Rocktail Beach Camp has a Padi-accredited diving centre, Mokarran Dive Charters, which takes guests out for snorkelling or diving adventures in what is known as one of the world’s top ten dive spots. Perhaps it’s because this stretch of coast forms part of the Maputaland Marine Reserve or that there’s a gentleman’s agreement with Thonga Beach Lodge, the only other dive operation with a concession to dive in the area, but exclusive diving amid pristine coral reefs is guaranteed and gives you access to the kind of marine life that is rarely found elsewhere.
A hawksbill turtle in the waters at Rocktail Bay
Snorkelling with masses of butterflyfish and triggerfish at Lala Nek, a secluded, shallow series of corals close to shore, we were enthralled by marbled electric rays, a honeycomb moray eel and blue-spotted stingray. We joined the dive team for another trip out to Island Rock, free-diving to the rocks below to get closer to an octopus that did its best to blend into the coral, a Spanish dancer (a sea slug that looks like the flowing skirt of a flamenco dancer when it moves) and even a Moorish idol. The underwater world was like entering a stage performance that never ended, a drama that continued regardless of your presence, while the
dangerous players, such as the highly poisonous lionfish and stonefish, lay in wait for the unwary. Apparently, sharks are often spotted, including great hammerheads, tiger sharks, blacktip reef sharks and the enormous whale shark. Large numbers of
pregnant spotted ragged-tooth sharks (also known as grey nurse sharks) appear in the area from late November until March and Rocktail Beach Camp assists the KZN Parks Board in monitoring and understanding what drives the arrival of this species in the area. www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 85
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: 1. Idyllic - sun and sand at Rocktail Bay. 2. Zulu dancing at Gugulesizwe Community Centre. 3. Views over the Maputaland Coastal Forest at Rocktail Beach Camp. 4. A loggerhead turtle comes ashore to lay eggs. 5. Honeymoon suite at Rocktail Beach Camp.
Though we didn’t see any sharks (fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective) the sight of a picnic breakfast waiting for us on shore, complete with fresh fruit, hot tea or coffee, toast, croissants and jams, was the perfect end to a fulfilling morning. As part of the Wilderness Safaris group, Rocktail Beach Camp has a strong commitment to responsible tourism, realising that conservation is as much about people as it is about the environment. The Wilderness Trust supports wildlife management, research and education across seven countries, while the Children in the Wilderness Programme teaches environmental and life skills to rural children living in communities alongside the wild areas in which the company operates. Over 2% of the community (comprising approximately 1,500 people) are permanently employed at the camp, while Wilderness Safaris also supports communitybased enterprise. Their latest joint venture is the Gugulesizwe Community Centre, a replica of a traditional Zulu homestead that offers overnight stays in a beehive hut and quad biking activities. And with recycling, biodegradable products and energy- and water-saving measures, Rocktail Beach Camp is a prime example of responsible tourism in action. •
86 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Reader offer: • • • • •
R1 500 per adult per night sharing. Full board and twice daily scheduled activities. For travel within 14 days of your booking. Offer expires 30 April 2013. Terms and conditions apply.
To take up this fantastic offer, contact JaniceS@wilderness.co.za or CharisseB@wilderness.co.za
èRelated articles:
• Green Glitterati and Sniffer Dogs (Digital article Oct '12) • The Fish Don't Stand a Chance (Issue 16, p. 140) • Leopard Tracking in the Cedarberg (Issue 8, p. 100)
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Rocktail Beach Camp has 17 permanent tented rooms, each set in the trees, with beautiful, private decks and expansive views. The spacious rooms have en suite bathrooms, comfortable beds underneath a ceiling fan, and à la carte lunches and dinner buffets are served next to the pool. While not stinting on luxury and comfort, the camp has a friendly and open ambiance that encourages relaxation and camaraderie, while exemplary service ensures that you have everything you need. Wilderness Safaris has recently launched the Wilderness Safaris African Residents Programme. To find out more about member benefits see www.wilderness-residents.co.za and contact them on residents@wilderness.co.za
inFOCUS:
Words & Photos: Jacques Marais | www.jacquesmarais.co.za | www.nikon.co.za
Photographic
Chronicles
SHOOT! Adventures Wild!
88 • DO IT NOW Magazine October | November 2012
88 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
A gap year should be all about learning new skills, for sure, but where is the fun in that? Right here, buddy … all you have to do is join the iALA crew! If you’ve been wondering what to do with your life before starting your studies or launching yourself full-time into the dog-eat-dog world of 9-to-5 work, here’s a plan. The International Academy for Leadership through Adventure (iALA) offers you the opportunity to have fun and develop to your full potential in preparation for your career.
This tried-and-tested organisation operates from the southern Cape, but young adults from around the country (and the world!) join them annually to get outside and have fun, while honing their leadership skills. They are consistently guided and evaluated by a team of professionally qualified tutors, who focus on fine-tuning a range of physical, intellectual, mental and interpersonal attributes.
Image 1: Cowabunga!
I joined the iALA on an overnight survival hike along the rugged southern Cape coast with a view to documenting their adventure. Walking through the night, along a slippery and tempestuous coastline, and with a storm thrown in for good measure, made for exhilarating photography. Yet again, my NIKON gear withstood the harsh conditions, making for a rewarding shoot.
The Technique: My on-camera flash was zoomed to focus the light on the jumpers, and I shot on high-speed motor drive to capture a range of jump poses.
The Action: iALA students launch themselves off the Stilbaai Harbour pier during one of the marine activities. Ocean skills such as scuba diving, seafood harvesting and open-water swimming are taught as part of the syllabus. The Shot: I was in neck-deep water with my camera, and composed and pre-focused the shot in anticipation of the jump.
The Specifications: 1/400th sec @ f5.6; Nikon D600 + 20 mm lens; ISO 100; WB Setting (Sunlight); AE Setting (0 EV); Polarising filter on lens. More Information: www.iala.co.za
www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 89
Image 2: Fire and Nice The Action: Building shelters and cooking your own food over an open fire was just part of the learning fun to be had during the iALA survival hike. The Shot: I set up my wi-fi remote flashes while the students were tucking in, using my fish eye lens to capture the full extent of the action and landscape. The Technique: Low-light shots work best if you blend your naturally available light with the artificial light from the flash units. The Specifications: 1/25th sec @ f2.8; Nikon D800 + 16 mm fish eye lens; ISO 400; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (-1 EV); 2 x SB-910 units on wi-fi Pocket Wizard transceivers. More Information: www.24-7adventure.com
90 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Image 3: A Beach too Far The Action: It’s been a hard day’s hike for the iALA crew as they carry the flag from beyond Blombos towards Jongensfontein. The Shot: I was keen to show the natural grandeur of the southern Cape coastline, and how small we humans really are within the context of the environment. The Technique: To try and keep as much of the image as possible in focus, it was necessary to shoot at a small aperture, thus increasing the depth of field (DOF). The Specifications: 1/60th sec @ f11; Nikon D800 + 20 mm prime lens; ISO -1.0; WB Setting (Sunlight); AE Setting (-1 EV); on-camera SB-910 diffused to light up foreground pools. More Information: www.stilbaaitourism.co.za
inFOCUS
Reader Photo Competition
WIN 500! R
Winner Photographer: Marc Ryder
Camera Settings: f8, ISO 400,1/1600 sec,300 mm Place: Scottburgh, KZN Category: Sport
Photograph: Where to now? Camera Type: Nikon D4
inFOCUS Quarterly Competition The inFOCUS competition will feature a photo winner in every quarterly issue of the magazine, with a R500 voucher to be won! The closing date for the July 2013 competition is 8 June 2013. Please email entries to competitions@doitnow.co.za. Good news for all entrants! All entries received in 2013 will be entered into a final draw to take place at the end of December. The winner will be announced in the January 2014 issue. The details of the grand prize will be announced on DO IT NOW’s website (www.doitnow.co.za) soon. When emailing your images to us please include the following information: • Name of photographer • Name of photograph • Camera type
• Camera settings • Place where the photograph was taken
Competition rules can be viewed on www.doitnow.co.za.
92 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
• Which category you are submitting your photo under - Adventure, Sport or Lifestyle
24 Megapixels
Full HD Video Full Frame Sensor
GUN FOR HIRE: Global shooter and author; national newspaper columnist; respected magazine journalist; author of 11 outdoor books and guides. Nikon NPS Member: shoots with the brand new NIKON D600. EXPERIENCE: Accredited Merrell, Land Rover and Red Bull photographer; covers global extreme sport events; focus on Sport, Adventure Travel; African Culture; Documentaries; Environment and People. Interesting projects required. AWARDS: Global finalist in Red Bull ILLUME International (2008); Silver & Gold Awards SONY PROFOTO (2010). CLIENT PORTFOLIO: JM Media shoots, writes or coordinates media projects and events for clients as diverse as Nike, Land Rover, Capestorm, Salomon, Hi-Tec, Cape Union Mart, Red Bull, Maserati, Wilderness Safaris & Tourvest. NO EGO: Buzz me now on (083) 444 5369 or on the details below for a quote on your next event or project. Do it now. 083/444-5369 • jacques@jacquesmarais.co.za • www.jacquesmarais.co.za
GO-PRO Ambassador Andy MacDonald bails during a huge air on the Vert Ramp at the MALOOF Money Cup World Skateboarding Championships. Held in Kimberley in the Northern Cape.
I AM IN ACTION
inDULGE:
Words by Neil Ross, Executive Chef
Serves 4 / Preparation time: 10 minutes / Cooking time: 40 minutes
Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto INGREDIENTS:
1 kg butternut squash, peeled and cut into bitesize chunks 3 tablespoons olive oil Bunch of sage, leaves picked, half roughly chopped and half left whole 1½ litres of vegetable stock 50 g butter 1 onion, finely chopped 300 g risotto rice 1 small glass of white wine 50 g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
METHOD:
1. Before you make the risotto, heat oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7. Toss the squash in 1 tablespoon of oil together with the chopped sage. Scatter into a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 minutes until it is brown and soft. 2. While the squash is roasting, prepare the risotto. Bring the stock to the boil and keep on a low simmer. In a separate pan, melt half the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the onions and sweat gently for 8-10 minutes until soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir the rice into the onions until completely coated in the butter, then stir continuously until the rice is shiny and the edges of the grain start to look transparent. 3. Pour in the wine and simmer until totally evaporated. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time and stirring the rice over a low heat for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is cooked al dente (with a slightly firm, starchy bite in the middle). The risotto should be creamy and slightly soupy. When you draw a wooden spoon through it, there should be a wake that holds for a few moments but not longer. 4. At the same time, gently fry the whole sage leaves in a little olive oil until crisp, and then set aside on kitchen paper. When the squash is cooked, mash half of it to a rough purée and leave half whole. When the risotto is just done, stir though the purée, then add the cheese and butter and leave to rest for a few minutes. 5. Serve the risotto scattered with whole chunks of squash and crisp sage leaves.
94 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Serves: 6 / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Cooking time: 50 minutes plus cooling
Anjou Pear Cake INGREDIENTS: 50 g butter, melted, plus extra for the tin 500 g ripe buttery pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped Juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon poire William liqueur (optional) 75 g plain flour 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder 75 g caster sugar 2 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons apricot jam, for the glaze Icing sugar, for dusting Crème fraîche, to serve
METHOD:
1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line a 20 cm loosebottomed cake tin with baking parchment and brush with butter. 2. Put the prepared pears in a bowl with the lemon juice and Poire William, if using, to prevent them from discolouring. 3. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl, adding a pinch of salt and the caster sugar. 4. Next, beat in the eggs and melted butter. Finally, fold in the pears with their juices. 5. Pour the cake mixture into the tin. 6. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin, gently peeling away the parchment. 7. To make the glaze, melt the apricot jam with 1 tablespoon of water and pass through a sieve to remove any lumps. Brush the cake with the glaze, dust with icing sugar and serve warm with crème fraîche. Tip: If you are using very ripe pears, the mixture may be a bit slack, so add another 1-2 tablespoon/s of flour.
www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 95
inTERTAINMENT:
Reviews by www.fortressofsolitude.co.za
MOVIE TITLE
Oz: The Great and Powerful Director: Sam Raimi Starring: Bill Cobbs, James Franco, Joey King, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz
HIGHLIGHTS
• Great visuals, Finley and China Girl Recommended for: Fantasy fans
VERDICT
The story is a simple one, much the same as the original was. In Kansas, Oz (James Franco) is nothing but a scheming, womanising, circus magician who soon lands himself in trouble. Oz then escapes from the circus in a hot-air balloon, only to find himself whipped up into a tornado, and after having survived the ordeal, finds himself in the Land of Oz where the prophesies foretold the return of the great wizard. After capturing the audience and their imaginations, Raimi fails to do much else as the film enters a state of predictability, along with a host of clichéd and forced storytelling. Mila Kunis and James Franco share some interesting on-screen moments, although not brilliant, are believable. This, too, fades away and the acting develops into overplayed awkwardness, especially on the part of Kunis as her character undergoes a significant transformation. To be fair to them, there was an obvious lack of script to work with. The voiced characters, namely Finley (Zach Braff), the talking, winged monkey and China Girl (Joey King), a girl made of China, are far more likable and coupled with their good sense of humour detract from some other on-screen performances.
MOVIE TITLE
Hotel Transylvania Director: Genndy Tartakovsky Starring: Adam Samberg, Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Selena Gomez
HIGHLIGHTS • Fun for the whole family
Recommended for: Animation fans
VERDICT
Welcome to Hotel Transylvania, Dracula’s lavish five-stake (sorry!) resort, where monsters and their families can live it up and no humans are allowed. It is a safe sanctuary where all monsters are welcome, where none are too weird, big or random. This hotel is pretty well hidden from humans and it all seems like smooth sailing, until some human randomly stumbles into the hotel. And that is when things start to get interesting. Dracula, as much as his nature fights against it, realises that the human, Jonathan, only means well. He is not like Dracula remembers humans. He doesn’t want to kill or destroy any of the monsters. And to make things more complicated, it’s his daughter’s 118th birthday. She’s ready for independence and both she and Jonathan kind of fancy each other. Dracula tries to hide Jonathan by dressing him up as a monster and Jonathan, realising he’s surrounded by monsters, is at first a bit freaked out but then starts to have the time of his life. The animation is quite decent and does a good job of helping the story along. It isn’t groundbreaking in any way though. And even though the whole movie revolves around monsters, it’s actually quite harmless. Although not a brilliant film, it is pleasant and plods along at a decent pace with enough interesting visuals and side jokes to keep the whole family occupied for the whole 90 minutes duration.
96 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
VERDICT
GAME TITLE
Crysis 3
Crysis 3 has its ups and downs, but still delivers more than where Crysis 2 did. There’s a lot more for everyone, especially for those new to the franchise. The ability to choose how the gamer takes on each challenge makes it more appealing to general audience, while the kill-everything-in-site gamer can still do just that. For those avid gamers, however, there is the multiplayer option, which offers quite a number of intense situations, something that isn’t always translated in the campaign mode. Although the game is labelled as ‘open world’, maps aren’t quite large enough to suit this bill. Getting lost isn’t something to be concerned about, as finding the next point of interest is straight forward, and it’s the how you get there that’s makes it fun. One can only hope that future Crysis titles offer more open world situations, with a less linear path to follow, while moving away from the similarly based story and move on to something new. In the end, Crysis 3 doesn’t break new ground, but offers a solid gameplay experience that’s coupled with great visuals along the way.
VERDICT
GAME TITLE
Dead Space 3
Dead Space 3 starts off with sections held in orbit above the ice planet of Tau Volantis, and at this stage you can feel properly scared like you used to; the dark corridors and silent solitude that were the trademarks of why this game was called ‘Dead Space’ to begin with are all present. From there, you descend to the planet’s surface. Dead Space 3 still feels like a Dead Space game, but one that’s phoning it in and missing the mark. Dead Space 1 was a game I was too scared to finish, I literally stopped playing for a long time. I rushed through Dead Space 3 just to see what happened to the end of the plot.
Movies to look out for G.I. Joe: Retaliation Genre: Action, Adventure Director: Jon M. Chu Starring: D.J. Cotrona, Byung-Hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki and Bruce Willis Date: 5 April
21 & Over Genre: Comedy Director: Jon Lucas Starring: Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, Justin Chon and Sarah Wright Date: 12 April
The HOST Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller Director: Andrew Niccol Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Jake Abel, Max Irons, Frances Fisher and Diane Kruger Date: 12 April
Olympus has fallen Genre: Action Director: Antoine Fuqua Starring: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman Date: 12 April
Oblivion Genre: Action, Adventure Director: Joseph Kosinski Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman and Olga Kurylenko Date: 19 April
BROKEN CITY Genre: Crime, Drama Director: Saoirse Ronan Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Barry Pepper and Jeffrey Wright Date: 26 April
www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 97
inTERTAINMENT:
Reviews by Penguin Books
LOCAL FICTION & NON-FICTION Never Let Go Gareth Crocker
As he presses a revolver to his head, Reece Cole sees his little daughter’s handprints on the windowpane. One last, painful reminder of her all too short life. But then he notices something about the handprints that defies belief. A stranger stops at his gate with a small grey envelope. Inside is a single white card, inscribed with six breathtaking words: I can bring your daughter back.
Jackie Cameron Cooks At Home
Jackie Cameron Jackie Cameron is the head chef at Hartford House in KwaZulu-Natal. Nostalgic and filled with helpful hints from a professional chef, Jackie Cameron Cooks At Home is easy and delectable and is a must-have for every South African home.
INTERNATIONAL FICTION & NON-FICTION Ritual in Death and Missing in Death J.D. Robb
An omnibus edition featuring Eve Dallas as she weaves through the grisly crime world in search of truth and justice. Dark, mystifying and powerful forces are at work in these two superb J.D. Robb short stories.
Anjum’s Indian Food Anjum Anand
In this book Anjum Anand creates delicious Indian food that is light, healthy and bursting with flavour. Anjum is passionate about using fresh, local and seasonal produce that is readily available. All her recipes are easy to follow and use simple cooking methods. Her dishes range from quick snacks to slow-cooked curries and from breakfast dishes to easy midweek suppers.
98 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Gordon’s Healthy Eating
Gordon Ramsay Gordon’s Healthy Eating features over 60 mouthwatering recipes, packed with fresh, vital ingredients cooked in a healthy way to achieve maximum flavour. Geared around our daily lives, Gordon gives original ideas for all types of meals. He demonstrates healthy cooking methods that optimise flavour and are completely in tune with the way we want to eat today.
Wave: Life and Memories after the Tsunami
Sonali Deraniyagala Wave is a profoundly moving, piercingly frank memoir of grief - of learning to live with grief - that begins in Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004, when the author lost her parents, her husband, and her two young sons in the tsunami she miraculously survived.
CHILDREN Summer’s Dream Cathy Cassidy
Summer has always dreamed of dancing, and when a place at ballet school opens up, she wants it so badly it hurts. This holiday, Summer has no time for lazy days and sunny beach parties. The audition becomes her obsession, and things start spiralling out of control... Will she realise with the help of the boy who wants more than friendship - that dreams come in all shapes and sizes?
Pop-Up Peekaboo! Colours Read Pop-Up Peekaboo! Your baby will love the bright photographs and five fun pop-out surprises. Four toys have different favourite colours, and each one is looking for their friend. Teddy is searching for Yellow Ducky, who pops out of a yellow watering can. But where is Rabbit's friend, Blue Dragonfly, hiding? This book is great for developing imagination, early-thinking and memory skills.
Petticoat Pirates: The Mermaids of Starfish Reef Erica-Jane Waters
Marina, Aqua and Oceana are the Petticoat Pirates! And one day, three beautiful mermaids come to the lagoon to ask for help. A creature of the deep has set loose all the sea snails on their mer-farm, leaving behind nothing but a shiny scale. Can the Petticoat Pirates discover what happened and bring the sea snails back safely?And their destinies are about to collide.
These books are available online www.penguinbooks.co.za and at all good book stores.
BOOK
REVIEW COMPETITION:
WIN
Win one of two Jackie Cameron Cooks At Home books by answering this question: Q: Jackie Cameron is head chef for what venue? Email your answer to competitions@doitnow.co.za. The competition closes on 30 April 2013 and the winner will be drawn from all correct entries. DO IT NOW's competition rules apply.
www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 99
inREVIEW:
Words: Francois Steyn | Photos: Francois Steyn & Toyota SA
IN the spotlight
Sushi vs Sausage & Sauerkraut Lexus GS 350 EX In the E-segment (large luxury sedans), the Lexus rarely features as a contender in comparisons dominated by boring Germans. To me, Beemer’s Five looks so close to the Three (especially in white) that I don’t see the point in spending an extra few hundred Gees. Audi sedans need to have R or RS in the name to have any sort of personality and the phrases ‘E-class’ and ‘head turner’ bring up grammatical errors on my MS Word. So, would Lexus’ GS be any different? Being the premium brand for a manufacturer famous for dependability and conservatism does not initially conjure up any kind of enthusiasm. The GS is a big car, but look past the Car of the Year Finalist sponsor stickers on the test unit I drove and you’ll notice the coupé style, elongated teardrop greenhouse from the side and sharp looking High Intensity Discharge (HID) auto-levelling eyes on either side of the trapezoid grill up front. The 18-inch alloys and dual exhausts integrated into the rear diffuser hint at the sporty side of a car that seems all business initially.
Looks and interior
The elegant interior treats you to lots of leather and a soft-touch facia. I liked the minimalistic centre console with a classy timepiece sitting atop a DVD slot that has only one knob on either side, and the easy-to-use dual climate control below. Everything else is controlled by the flat floating ‘joystick’ to the left of the gear lever. Modulating the movements of the cursor on the world’s largest (at 12.3”) electro multi-vision (EMV) screen that’s housed in the dash takes some getting used to as it’s rather like a laptop mouse that is set too sensitive or too slow. To steady your hand, a leather-clad armrest is positioned so that you only need to move a finger to operate the satellite navigation, on-board computer and vehicle settings.
Safety and performance
Like the competition, safety is a given with all the acronyms present: ABS, EBD, BAS, VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) and TRC (Traction Control). Airbags are aplenty, with side airbags in the front and rear, as well as knee airbags in the front to complement the usual front and curtain balloons. Just to the rear of the 6-speed automatic gearbox’s lever is a knob for
100 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
the drive mode. Eco mode changes Normal into a fuel saver, claiming 9.4 l/100 km. I managed a tad better driving sedately, but turn the dial to Sport for a quicker throttle response and see the revs rise with ease. In Automatic mode, the gearbox is super smooth, but you have the option of paddling through the ratios via the shifters behind the steering wheel. What surprised me most was the lovely sound of the engine. Though the cabin is very well soundproofed, the exhaust note somehow gets in and has you stepping on the accelerator more than is needed, just for fun. With 233 kW available at a racy 6,400 r/min and torque of 378 Nm, this large family saloon will reach a 100 from standstill in 6.3 seconds. That’s maybe not breathtaking, but it is rear-wheel drive and much more playful than the appearance suggests.
Price
Not only is the GS 350 EX a contender for the Wesbank South African Guild of Motoring Journalists Car of the Year competition but this premium brand once again topped the US JD Power ranking for build quality. And when you consider that the German equivalents cost between R679 000 (for the standard BMW 535i) and R726 000 (for the Merc E350 Blue Efficiency), R584 900 sounds cheap too. That said, if price is not an issue you’d be silly to forget about Jag’s XF.
Big Brands, Small Cars IN the spotlight
Toyota Etios 1.5 and Toyota Yaris 1.3 Before the era where cheap Chinas replaced the faithful (and also cheap) old Tazzs, Citis and Champs, Toyota introduced the Yaris in South Africa. Then the Tazz disappeared and suddenly the ‘cheapest Toyota’ did not really fit the description that well anymore. Last year, however, Toyota launched the oddly named (and weird to pronounce) Etios. Though its roots are in India, this entry-level runabout is still sold with a big Japanese name and once again you can buy a brand new Toyota that will swallow the whole family (only just) for just over a hundred grand. That is almost what the top of the range outgoing Citi Golf cost a few years back.
Looks and interior
The Etios does not get too many compliments in this area, but it grew on me after a while. Its shape is fairly generic and will thus not age too quickly. However, the interior feels and looks cheap and the centre-mounted speedometer reminds me of those back-to-school newspaper adverts with
large numbers on a white background. The air con vents also look like they were just put wherever a place could be found. On the other hand, the new (launched a little over a year ago in SA) shape Yaris looks good from all angles and a soft-padded dash and sporty analogue instrument directly in the driver’s view lends a quality feel to the interior. The new front seats in the Yaris offer better comfort thanks to higher side cushions, but thinner seatbacks have increased the rear legroom by around 30 cm. This feels much more upmarket than the Etios.
www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 101
Safety
Price
Performance
R124 000 (1.0 Xi 3-dr) to R203 700 (1.3 XR 3-dr) and the Etios from R115 800 (1.5 HB Xi) to R126 600 (1.5 SD Xs). •
Although price ranks fairly highly in this class, safety these days is more important than ever. In the Etios, ABS with EBD is standard on all models, as are SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) airbags for the driver and front passenger. The first generation Yaris was famous for achieving 5-star status in the Euro NCAP safety tests and this model is no different. It is also rated 5-star against the new (higher) standards of these tests. The 1.5-litre, 16-valve petrol engine in the Etios has been developed from scratch and adapted to meet the specific needs of the South African market. It develops a healthy 66 kW, will do 0-100 in just over 11 seconds and top speed is a claimed 165 km/h. Though this might not sound quick, it is rather nippy and I had fun driving it. Matched to a five-speed manual gearbox, fuel economy is quoted at 6 l/100 km. The steering is not as direct as that of the Yaris and it does feel a bit looser on the road, but as an everyday car the Etios is more than comfortable enough. I drove the 1.3 petrol Yaris with Dual VVT-i. This new engine is lighter and more compact than the old one, and also delivers 16% more power. With 73 kW available at 6,000 r/min, you’ll reach 100 from standstill in 11.7 seconds. That’s a tad slower than the Etios, but then again the Yaris does weigh a bit more. The Yaris is much more planted than the Etios, the steering better weighted and gear shift much smoother.
All new Etios models come with a two year / 30,000 km service plan, whereas the Yaris is double at four year / 60,000 km. The Yaris’s prices range from
èRelated articles:
• In the Spotlight - BMW 125i and HarleyDavidson’s 110th Birthday Ride (Issue 22, p. 102) • In Pursuit of Driving Pleasure: Jaguar XKR, Range Rover Evoque Si4 Automatic (4WD) & Opel Meriva 1.4T Cosmo (Issue 20, p. 102) • inREVIEW: Hyundai Elantra vs. Chevrolet Cruze (Digital article, Jul ’12)
Lexus GS 350 EX
Yaris 1.3 XS 5-dr
Etios 1.5 HB Xs
Capacity (cc)
3.5 petrol
1.3 petrol
1.5 petrol
Power (kW)
233 (6,400 r/min)
73 (6,000 r/min)
66 (n/a)
Torque (Nm)
378 (4,800 r/min)
125 (4,000 r/min)
132 (3,000 r/min)
Fuel consumption (claimed)
9.4 l/100 km
5.6 l/100 km
6.0 l/100 km
Acceleration (0-100 km/h)
9,4
11,7
11,3
Max speed (km/h)
235
n/a
165
Gearbox
E-CVT 6-speed automatic
6-speed manual
5-speed manual
Service plan (years / km)
4 / 100,000
4 / 60,000
2 / 30,000
Price
R584 900
R177 600
R120 900
102 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
McCarthy Toyota Lynnwood Tel: (012) 807 9800 “Peace of mind is part of the deal!”
inCLOSING
inside the next issue ...
Quote: “It's not the destination, it's the glory of the ride” - Philip Gould.
APP Extras
NEW
When you opt for the app version of the magazine, you also get these exciting extras: • In the inDULGE section there are a couple of delicious recipes to try out. • Enjoy the music, movie and game reviews in the inTERTAINMENT section • And don't miss this month's 'Hot Picks' book reviews. Plus there's great video content for many of the articles!
Don't miss these and many other great articles in the May 2013 issue of DO IT NOW Magazine.
Green Kalahari Canoe Marathon Dive Da Blu Juice Way
Next month sees the start of a series of articles on Sodwana Bay, one of Africa's diving gems. The first article focuses on the incredible diving at Ribbon Reef, close to 5 Mile. Thereafter, the series will feature other special dive locations, surf safaris and adventure options offered by Da Blu Juice.
Water’ and ‘desert’ are not words you really associate with each other, but if you head up into the wide-sky landscape of the Northern Cape Province, you’ll soon enough change your mind. Jacques Marais will be in the thick of things to capture the action and you can read all about it in his photographic chronicles on the Green Kalahari Canoe Marathon. If you would like to showcase your photographic skills, then enter our quarterly inFOCUS competition and stand a chance to win R500! See page 92 for more details.
On the Lighter Side
These are actual comments made by South Carolina Troopers that were taken off their car videos: 1. “Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch after you wear them a while.” 2. “You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?” 3. “Just how big were those 'two beers' you say you had?” 4. “No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can.” 5. “I'm glad to hear that the Chief (of Police) is a personal friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail.” 6. “You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here...”
SUBSCRIBE & WIN WIN
Jabra ACTIVE heads et worth R1 500 Music and calls made for motion - With Jabra ACTIVE, athletes and active users will be able to listen to music and train hard without worrying about adjusting their ear buds. Ergonomically designed for sports, the sweat and water-resistant Jabra ACTIVE features Jabra ACTIVE Eargels™, that securely and comfortably “lock” into the ear so they won’t fall out. The headset offers superior sound quality, microphone wind-noise reduction and comes with a neat carrying case making it easily portable.
While every effort is made by the DIN Team to ensure that the content of the DO IT NOW Magazine is accurate at the time of going to press, DO IT NOW MAGAZINE (Pty) Ltd cannot accept responsibility for any errors that may appear, or for any consequence of utilising the information contained herein. Statements by contributors are not always representative of DO IT NOW MAGAZINE (Pty) Ltd opinion. Copyright 2009 DO IT NOW MAGAZINE (Pty) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or stored on a retrieval system without the prior permission of DO IT NOW MAGAZINE (Pty) Ltd. DO IT NOW MAGAZINE(Pty) Ltd supports and encourages responsible practices with regards to all Adventure, Sport and Lifestyle activities. We also believe in the conservation and protection of our environment.
104 • DO IT NOW Magazine | April 2013
Photos: R. Schedl, H. Mitterbauer
READY FOR MY
Do not imitate the riding scenes shown, wear protective clothing and observe the traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in minor details from the series model and some show optional equipment at additional cost.
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YOU CAN FIND ALL THE FEATURES AT WWW.KTM.COM
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