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www.thevillagenews.co.za
15 July 2020
‘Kids won’t remember their best day of television’ Writer Hedda Mittner
A
s parents we often lament the fact that our children do not play outside the way we used to while growing up,” says Kobus Stofberg of Dusty Feet. “But the reality is that it’s not safe for children to be left playing outside on their own, and parents who are working long hours don’t always have the time to invest in family activities. The result is that kids are unfortunately missing out on experiencing the great outdoors.” This is the gap that Dusty Feet strives to fill by offering an outdoor educational programme like no other. “Children have a need to explore and discover, and they have a hunger for knowledge and new experiences,” says Kobus. “Targeted at children and families, our small, intimate excursions give youngsters the opportunity to discover and explore nature while learning new skills and developing an appreciation of their environment. Dusty Feet’s adventure activities teach them about our local fauna and flora while promoting a healthy lifestyle.”
Outdoor pursuits include hiking, mountain biking, snorkelling, standup paddling and coasteering – a relatively new term that refers to an adventurous exploration of the coastline, including some jumps, gulley-crossing swimming and rock-climbing. MTB training is also offered to youngsters from 10 years and up, learning the basics and gaining confidence on a custom-built training track before heading onto the trails of Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Especially now during the pandemic, when all school sports have been suspended and children are spending more time glued to screens, it seems like the opportune time to encourage them to engage in what Kobus calls ‘lifelong sport’, which can become part of a healthier lifestyle for the rest of their lives. After all, looking back, “Kids won’t remember their best day of television,” says Kobus. Virtual MTB Challenge Series Dusty Feet is now launching its first Virtual MTB Series from 24 July – 2 August. Anyone can participate in this series of challenges/events by simply emailing your Strava file after
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completion of a particular route. Participation will be free of charge, although proof of a valid trail permit (annual/holiday or day) will be required. “Riders can take part in any one of the challenges during the series, or all of them. Those who take part regularly will also receive a series ranking, which will make things all the more interesting. You can participate in your own time, on a solo ride or in a small group with friends and, in accordance with Covid-19 regulations, there will be no gathering of people in one place,” explains Kobus. Dusty Feet will set out a particular route for each challenge, which will be made a Strava Segment, and your time will be recorded. The specific route identified for an event will be announced on the Dusty Feet Facebook and Instagram pages (@ DustyFeetSA). “We will try and use a mix of established routes in the area in order to keep it interesting, and the distance and degree of difficulty will vary. The elite riders will be able to do the
shorter routes with ease, but at pace, while the longer distances and more technical routes will challenge the novice riders. Part of the aim is also for those novices to improve their performance by trying something other than the Blue Route,” says Kobus. “Each challenge in the series will be a circular route, which means the start and finish will be clearly visible to the participants, and will be available for 10 days (two weekends and a week). Riders can complete the route/event as many times as they wish – just enter your best one with us by sharing that ride via email.” All you need to do is to do is to register online at www.dustyfeet. co.za, make sure you have a valid trail permit, complete a route, record it with Strava and email your file, along with your permit number, to mtb@ dustyfeet.co.za. If you share your ride on social media, you’ll be asked to use a few tags and mentions for any
pictures or video in order to thank the sponsors. There will also be a draw for the best social media post. “With no school sports happening at the moment, and most riders not having been unable to take part in any events, this is a fun activity for the whole community, including our top riders,” says Kobus. You’ll find all the details about the different age groups for males and females, from juniors to masters, as well as the different categories for competitors, from Weekend Warriors to Casual Racers to Ek Jaag, at www.dustyfeet. co.za. For serious riders, the ranking and points system for this Virtual MTB Series is also explained on the website. Kobus is appealing to local businesses who would like to become involved and provide sponsorship and prizes, to please contact him on 071 862 1440 or info@dustyfeet.co.za.
