The Eastern Cape Canoe Club was formed in 1963 by Norman Dyer and Tony Oshery, and the official provincial Union followed in 1977 under chairman Eldon Slabbert, with his son Stanford as secretary. The region’s premier event is undoubtedly the annual Hansa Fish River Marathon, ending in the Karoo town of Cradock, which now attracts over 1700 paddlers annually. It features 80 km of fast flowing irrigation water racing through willow trees, big rapids (like Keith’s Flyover), and several testing weirs