On the 21st of September, the build-up to the festival had reached an all-time high. The community of Gansbaai and regular visitors to the town knew that on Heritage Day weekend it would once again be time to Do The Funky! Contestants from across the Western Cape drove one-by-one into town, each carrying their own specialized mountain bikes and meticulously designed trail running and hiking shoes. Competition was in the air, the anticipation and desire to break-in this year’s newly designed courses was palpable. Luckily for the contestants, the Funky Fynbos festivities was just one good night’s rest away.
The morning of the 22nd started off early for the group of three Xplorio team members charged with being the water point attendants at the final water point on the 50km Funky Monster and the first day of the two-day Funky Challenge. Once every member of the water point team was together at Lomond Wine Estate and finished fawning over the beautiful Lomond dam, they made their way to the water point where they would be replacing the liquids the MTB riders lost through jocking for that coveted first place position. When they got to their stations the Xplorio water point team was tasked with keeping the water point as lively and energetic as possible. Being part of Xplorio, they were not going to turn down a challenge. As the first riders swooped down the rolling hills of the Walker Bay Conservancy they were greeted by three overly enthusiastic Xplorio team members, refreshments, something to snack on and Queen’s We Are The Champions (Some of the riders even stayed for a little chat before setting off for the final 15km).
The second day was your classic rinse and repeat. The Xplorio team rinsed themselves off and repeated what they did on the first day. This time an Xplorio team member was joined by local businesswoman Claudine Wheeler of Claudine J Wheeler & Associates in the beautiful Fynbos Retreat behind Grootbos Private Nature Reserve to re-hydrate the riders of the 45km second stage of the Funky Challenge and the runners of the 30km Fynbos Trail. One by one the riders and runners replenished themselves with coke and water and got some of those essential sugars and salts back with a handful of jelly babies and peanuts.
A special thanks go out to all the contestants of the Funky Fynbos Festival for participating in one of Gansbaai’s most anticipated yearly events and keeping the Funk year after year!
Thank you to all the local business, individuals and organizations who supported this year’s festival and made it a resounding success. Here is a list of business and organizations who sponsored and supported Funky Fynbos Festival 2018:
Sponsors:
- Cape Whale Coast
- Gansbaai Municipality
- Walker Bay Conservancy
- Saxon Lodge
- Lomond Wine Estate
- Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
- Grootbos Foundation
- Aqunion
- Cape Mohair
- Marine Dynamics
- Thyme at Rosemary
- Cliff Lodge
- Groeneweide
- DPG Properties
- Gansbaai Marine
- Fynbos Trail
- Claudine J Wheeler & Associates
- Sea View Cleaners & Maintenance
- White Shark Projects
Vouchers and prizes from:
- Marine Dynamics
- Dyer Island Cruises
- Saxon Lodge
- Amazing Grace
- Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
- Aqunion
- Cape Mohair
- Oppiedek
- Bellamente Sirene
- Ivanhoe Sea Safaris
- Aire del Mar
- Panthera Africa
- White Shark Projects
- Fynbos Trail
