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Celliers
Kruger is a passionate kayaker who enjoys paddling new rivers. He has
paddled most of the whitewater rivers of Southern Africa, from the Western
Cape to the Zambezi. He is also a photography enthusiast and has a knack
for writing in a descriptive but entertaining way.
He
started off as a K1 (racing kayak) paddler while being an engineering student at the
Potchefstroom University. He did all the major K1 and K2 races in the
country, and enjoyed the river trips a lot more than the flatwater slogs.
When
he became involved in river guiding for commercial rafting companies, he
swapped his K1 for a plastic kayak after realising that this is where he
excells. Being a student, he eventually spent every weekend and holiday
either tripping whitewater rivers or working as a freelance river guide.
Not much information was available on paddleable rivers, and it was always
a matter of buying maps and doing some exploring to find suitable rivers.
After
he finished his studies he got stuck in the corporate world, and found
that his time for paddling became less. Nonetheless he still paddled as
often as possible, although he had to beg for leave to do things like
safety kayaking at the 1997 Raid Gauloises and the 1999 Camel Whitewater
Challenge. In the meantime he met and married his German wife, Inke, and
did some paddling in the European Alps. After using a guide book on
whitewater rivers in Europe, and reading guide books on the rivers of the
USA and Nepal, he realised that there is a need, and in fact a market, for
a similar book on the whitewater rivers of Southern Africa.
He
decided that he needs a break before its too late to make dreams come
true. He left his full-time occupation in April 2000, and went on a year-long
oddysee with his wife to document and photograph the whitewater rivers of
Southern Africa. As the paddling scene in Southern Africa is quite
different from overseas, he decided to combine the interests of K1
paddlers, plastic kayakers and commercial operator's clients in one book.
Celliers
is sponsored by Robbie
Herreveld's Canoe and Kayak World.
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