About us
Who we are
The Border Canoe Club (BCC) has been in existence since 1987, and represents the river Canoeing and Surfski disciplines in the greater East London area. In recent years, the resurgence in popularity of paddling has meant significant growth for the club, which now has over 300 members. A number of national Surfski and river canoeing paddlers have come out of the BCC, and the club continues to produce world class paddlers.
The club is very active, with no fewer than twenty races organised each year. The weekly highlight for many is the Time Trial. Every Wednesday evening, paddlers test their times over a 9,4km river course. This is followed by a social gathering of families and a hearty meal in the clubhouse.
New paddlers, both young and old, are given all the encouragement they need, and solid training and development programmes cater for and make both advanced and novice paddlers feel welcome.
The club is situated in beautiful surroundings on the west bank of the Nahoon River, giving paddlers easy access to both the river and, via the river mouth, to the sea.

The Academy
The Academy provides an opportunity to new paddlers, to the sport. New paddlers will be required, after the first introductory session to provide their own equipment (boat, paddle), although disadvantaged paddlers who are otherwise unable to participate in the sport due of financial constraints may be assisted, subject to limited resources of the club, with the use of equipment and free coaching.
Documents
From the archives
At BCC we are proud of the strong history the club has. Here are some of the documents from the archives.
BCC Committee
Name | Position | Contact number |
---|---|---|
Helen Wood | Club Chairman | 082 575 9876 |
Chris Batting | Past Chairman | 083 444 2464 |
Dale Heidtman | Club Captain | 083 635 3108 |
Adam Robertson | Club Captain | 083 234 4122 |
Hilary Roux | Club Secretary | 083 967 9343 |
Tony Balshaw | Club Treasurer | 082 555 7766 |
Gary Atkinson | River Proficiency & Tripping | 082 859 3898 |
Leslie van Zyl Smit | River Proficiency & Tripping | 082 889 2166 |
Beth Burton | Development Facilitator | 083 275 6701 |
Nix Birkett | Development Facilitator | 082 556 6476 |
Madi Malherbe | Social Media & Newsletter | 079 565 2043 |
Grant Davie | Information Technology | 079 453 8376 |
Craig Malherbe | Club Manager & Events | 082 841 5231 |
Vanessa Malherbe | Club Manager & Events | 083 621 0191 |
Duncan Boyd | Safety Officer | 083 763 8723 |