Ben Lawry
Sea Kayaking
| Age | 42 |
|---|---|
| Hometown | 40-foot 5th-wheel "Work and Play" |
| Experience | Paddling since 1978, coaching/instructing since 1988 |
| Achievements | IT ACA Sea Kayak Advanced Open Water (L5). ITE ACA Surf (L4). ITE ACA Advanced White Water (L5). Swift Water Instructor (L4). BCU L3 Inland + Adv Proficiency. BCU 4* sea kayak. Former Instructor ACA WW OC-1 & OC-2. Former SRT 1 Instructor. Photo: ©Scott Mantie |
| Biggest Adventure | Pietermaritzburg, KZN 6am on a January morning, the temp 75, sun is about to come up. 1500 paddlers in or on the water - the start of my first Dusi (www.dusi.org.za) a little awe inspiring! Pros on the water - 5 minutes between batches; we start in 1 hr 20 mins. Day 1: we have 40+k to go down class 1 & 2 whitewater in an older style K2 with 10k of portaging to do over hills etc. What a treat was in store as temperatures would soar to 144 degrees centigrade, humidity about 95%, tar on roads melting onto the tires of support cars! We finished the first day in a good time, and moved from batch G to batch C, which gave us a better starting time. Starting earlier has a couple of advantages: firstly, it is cooler, secondly the paddlers all travel faster and often have better river skills. Day 2 is the technical day, with the big hill to run over, and a lake finish with crocodiles to watch for! We held our own that day, ended back up in batch C! We had made a deal to walk the portages and paddle hard on the rivers. Day three is a day of contrast: start on a lake, get into some big rapids (cooler water due to coming out of the bottom of the dam), and the choice of the big portage not really a choice for us! The third day is the shortest, about 2.5 hours for us I think. What relief seeing the finish after three hard days of playing! Thanks to Gordon for helping with the dream, and the KZN organizers for putting on a great event! |
| Motto | Paddle hard, be efficient and safe! |
| Website | www.BenLawry.net |
Team Kokatat
- Jesse Coombs
- Christie Glissmeyer
- Ruth Gordon
- Eric (EJ) Jackson
- Dane Jackson
- Chris Korbulic
- Anna Levesque
- Adriene "Lil A" Levknecht
- Darin McQuoid
- Ben Stookesberry
- Clay Wright
Whitewater Kayaking
Stand Up Paddle
Sea Kayaking
Kayak Fishing