KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna SPLASH, the annual festival presented by the Rotary Club of Knysna, will be back on 27 & 28 December with four fun-filled events for the whole family.
SPLASH is the Garden Route’s entertaining family water-based festival. Four exciting events provide enjoyment for both participants and spectators and challenges for the whole family!
Have a great time while supporting some of Knysna’s community projects.
Prepare to have some good, dirty fun! The event is a 2,5 km fun run and obstacle course for all ages. The start is at the Marathon Club, Loerie Park and the course goes through Cathy Park.
Wear old takkies or sandals and clothing to protect against abrasion. At the finish, Knysna Firemen will hose you down! There are also free showers at the venue, so bring a towel!
Entry fee: Adults: R80 (R60 untimed). Children under 14: R60 (R40 untimed). All entrants who finish the course will receive a colourful bandana! Entrants will do the course twice – once as a warm-up, practice round and the second time for timing purposes.
This year there is a total of R10,000 to be won across all categories of the Lagoon Mile Swim!
Registration will open at 10:00 in the Loft at the Knysna Yacht Club.
The Lagoon Mile (1600m) starts at 15h00 at the Knysna Yacht Club hobie slipway. The course goes around the Yacht Club, turns right into the small harbour, goes under the bridge, around the Quays island and back to the finish at the hobie slipway.
The Junior Swim (500m) starts at the same time and place and goes around the Yacht Club into the harbour, but finishes at the John Benn slipway.
The Junior Swim is for 10 year olds and younger and only the first 3 girls and the first 3 boys will receive medals. Parents and other age groups may also take part but will not be eligible for medals.
Each participant’s time will be recorded. Swimmers who complete the one mile course will receive a medal. There will be special medals in each race category for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. The winners in each male and female category will receive cash prizes.
Entry fee for 10 and under is R100. For all categories in the Lagoon Mile, the entry fee is R150. Caps are compulsory for the swim – Knysna Rotary has limited stock of caps available and these will be sold at registration for R50 each.
Three canoe races will start in the channel in front of Sirocco and Quay Four on Thesen Islands. There is R3,000 in prizes up for grabs. Lifejackets are compulsory for all three events!
This race has a ‘Christmas’ theme this year, and is a one-mile race open to all paddle craft including K1s, K2s and K3s, single and double surfskis, sea kayaks, fishing kayaks, Indian canoes, plastic canoes, guppies and SUPs.
Registration is at 8:00 and there is a briefing at 9.45. The race start is at 10:00 and there will be prize-giving at approx. 11h00 with prizes for various categories, as well as the best dressed craft and crew. The entry fee is R50 per paddler.
Registration for these races will start at 8:00, with a briefing at 10:45 and race start at 11:00. They are open to racing kayaks and surf skis only. The course is a 5km lap through Thesen Islands and out into Ashmead Channel, with a portage on Leisure Isle and back in at the Parks Board entrance. Those doing the 15km race will do 3 laps.
The entry fee is R50 per paddler for the 5km race, and R100 per paddler for the 15km race. Prize-giving will take place at 13h00 or as soon as possible after the races.
The event starts at 14:30. Find a good spot on the harbour walls at the Knysna Quays for this fun yellow duck race for up to 1,000 ducks! Buy a numbered duck for R25 and watch it compete in the heats. The idea is for the tide and wind to encourage the ducks to ‘swim’ along the water canal under the bridge. Racing will consist of 5 or more heats with the first 10 from each heat racing in the final.
Total prize money is R5,000 and the person holding the winning number of the first duck over the line will win R2,500.
The quack attack racing event is a huge crowd favourite each year.
* Info: www.knysnasplash.co.za | Facebook/Knysna Splash | Twitter/@KnysnaSplash
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