{"id":655,"date":"2014-09-03T14:28:13","date_gmt":"2014-09-03T14:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fishmarathon.org.za\/?p=655"},"modified":"2014-09-19T08:02:41","modified_gmt":"2014-09-19T08:02:41","slug":"eray-dispels-murmurs-of-hansa-fish-absence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fishmarathon.org.za\/?p=655","title":{"rendered":"Eray dispels murmurs of Hansa Fish absence"},"content":{"rendered":"

The women\u2019s title race of the 2014 Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon received an exciting shake-up upon the recently confirmation that defending champ and former Eastern Cape local Mich\u00e9le Eray will in fact be making the trip out from her new base in Oklahoma City, USA for the 33rd edition of the race which takes place on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 October.<\/p>\n

Having moved to Oklahoma City in August last year, many assumed the 2012 K1 race winner would focus her full attention on the 2014 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships to be hosted in her new hometown just two weeks before this year\u2019s Fish.<\/p>\n

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Women’s defending champ Mich\u00e9le Eray has confirmed she will in fact return to South Africa from her new base is USA for this year’s Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon despite previous murmurs of the 33 year-old not going to be present on this year’s start line.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The former Plettenberg Bay resident was however quick to dispel any misconceptions, despite acknowledging she may not quite be in peak form currently.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI certainly am coming out for the Fish!\u201d chuckled Eray. \u201cI\u2019ve bought my air-ticket already as I just can\u2019t miss the Fish!<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year I sat over here (USA) and watched the race via Twitter and I said to myself that if I was still based over here in the US come 2014, then there would be no way that I wouldn\u2019t be on the Fish\u2019s start line!<\/p>\n

Eray became the first Eastern Cape local to win the Cradock clash since Dani\u00ebl Conradie\u2019s victorious effort in 1997.<\/p>\n

Down a touch from where she\u2019d like to be due to constraints her new fulltime position as USA Canoe\/Kayak\u2019s High Performance Manager has put on her training schedule, the 33 year-old is still excited by the opportunity to defend her title this year\u2019s race represents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the Fish being an Eastern Cape race it\u2019s just so special to me to do well in it so I\u2019ll try my hardest to defend my title, that\u2019s for sure!<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just in a very different position now to what I was two years ago \u2013 two years older and having spent a lot less time in the boat unfortunately.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really love a good race though and if I\u2019m there on the start line \u2013 whatever the event \u2013 I\u2019ll definitely give it my 100%, whatever that 100% might be!\u201d said Eray.<\/p>\n

A lengthy period away from the challenges of river marathons may also provide tricky challenges Eray will need to overcome should she reign victorious in Cradock once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some small little rivers over hear but we don\u2019t really have the equipment to take down those, yet, so it\u2019s been pretty much just flat water paddling for me since I came over to the US.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been two years since my last Fish and, other than last year\u2019s Swartland which I did just before I flew to the US, that was the last time I\u2019ve been on flowing water.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully I won\u2019t be reacquainting myself with the crayfish at the bottom of the weirs though!\u201d laughed Eray having had a couple of issues at the various weirs on the Hansa Fish route in the past.<\/p>\n

While her form may be debatable, one thing for certain is Eray\u2019s unwavering enthusiasm ahead of being a part of the action once again in 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Fish is one of those races that is so awesome that you just don\u2019t want to miss out on. It\u2019s got everything. It\u2019s the perfect race!<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a race per say it has a little bit of everything and is really well balanced. There are rapids, flatwater, portaging and weirs plus everyone has to travel so the playing fields are really level.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo race on the same 25 cumecs every year means everything is also so consistent year after year and a very fair race in that sense too.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen of course there\u2019s also the whole Fish party, the two nights of live bands, the way the little town of Cradock swells up for the weekend as so many people arrive from all over the country for the race.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me personally, the Fish is also a fantastic excuse to come home and visit friends and family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith it fast becoming the most popular race in the country and it being so central for everyone, you kind of know that pretty much everyone from the paddling world will be there so I\u2019ll hopefully get to see as many people as I can down there too.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt pretty much is the perfect all-round paddling package and for me, best highlights how much fun river paddling is!\u201d said Eray.<\/p>\n

The two week gap between Marathon World Champs and the Hansa Fish this year, compared to the usual one week gap previously, has been welcomed by all title contenders and Eray is no different.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that Marathon Worlds is now two weeks before the Fish this year is huge!\u201d described Eray.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one week gap made things just so tough and as South Africans, you usually race the singles on the Saturday as well as doubles on the Sunday at Worlds so you wake up on that Monday morning with every muscle in your body hurting. Then you\u2019ve still got two ten hour flights to get through which is very counter-productive for one\u2019s recovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time you touch down in South Africa it\u2019s Tuesday already, if you\u2019re lucky, and then you have one day to get to grips with things again, one day to trip the river on the Thursday before bang, you\u2019re racing again!<\/p>\n

\u201cSo two weeks between the two is the perfect mix because now you have enough time to recover from Worlds before Fish, yet the two events are close enough that you can work of one peak physiologically.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the distinct American twang may not be heard much during this year\u2019s K1 championship, apart from the odd word or two that may role off Eray\u2019s tongue every now and then, the former eastern Caper\u2019s close ties with the event may soon see the proud nation represented at the ever-popular event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a bunch of people in the US raring to go, especially come next year\u2019s K2 race,\u201d confirmed Eray.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor them it\u2019s also not only about them taking an ICF boat down a two meter weir \u2013 which in itself is quite something – but it\u2019s the whole package. They get to do some awesome paddling and they get to see a bit of South Africa \u2013 and the Karoo is just so unique and so beautiful,\u201d she added.
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\n<\/b>The Hansa Fish River Canoe marathon takes place on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 October 2014.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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