MALAYSIA BOOK OF RECORDS
Nama Cubaan: HIGHEST WHITEWATER KAYAKING
Tarikh Mula: 2005
Tarikh Tamat: 2005
Jarak Dayungan:
Lokasi Mula: Sungai Singor, Gerik, Perak Darul Ridzuan
Lokasi Tamat: Sungai Singor, Gerik, Perak Darul Ridzuan
Status: BERJAYA
Senarai Nama Peserta:
1. Prof. Dato’ Dr. Md. Amin Md. Taff (UPSI)
2. Dr. Benderi Dasril (UPSI)
3. Dr. Jaffry Zakaria (UPSI)
Berikut adalah petikan akhbar The Star pada hari Isnin, 17 Apr 2006 mengenai cubaan Malaysia Book of Records di atas:
THE STAR – COMMUNITY
THREE SET KAYAK RECORD
By CLARA CHOOI
COMMUNITY
Monday, 17 Apr 2006
12:00 AM MYT
THE NATIVES called them orang gila but that only succeeded in fuelling them forward.
The rough waters did not deter them from accomplishing the feat they had set their minds on.
The trio – Md Amin Taff, 34, Benderi Dasril, 30, and Jaffry Zakaria, 26 – all Sports Science faculty lecturers from Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris (UPSI), battled their way through Sungai Singgor in Grik, Perak, in their kayaks at a height of 900m above sea level last June to earn a name for themselves in the Malaysian Book of Records.
During the certificate presentation ceremony held on April 10 at the UPSI campus in Tanjung Malim, 130km from Ipoh, the trio recounted their unforgettable moments fighting the rapids.
“I was nervous, almost frightened before the stunt. But we knew we had to do it,” said Jaffry.
TAKING THE PLUNGE : Amin (right), Benderi (in purple kayak) and Jaffry (standing on ledge) setting out on their record feat.
Md Amin said that they had seen people rafting in the river but never kayaking.
“The natives said we were crazy people. They said we’d definitely die doing the stunt,” he said.
Md Amin, who is UPSI Canoe Club adviser, said the university had stocked up RM400,000 worth of kayaking equipment and it would have been a “waste” not to use them.
“We have more than 10 years of experience each in the sport, so we told ourselves, ‘why not?’”
However, Benderi said that even with their experience, the fear was still there when they were performing the stunt.
“But once we had tackled the first few rapids, we began to relax and have fun,” he said, adding that the river had 34 rapids.
The stunt on June 24, earned them the ‘Highest Kayaking Expedition’ record but this achievement will not be their last.
“We have plans to kayak at the Antarctic. The cold weather will be a challenge,” said Jaffry.
“By the end of this year, we plan to kayak at the Kelam Cave in Perlis,” said Benderi.
Kayaking at the cave would be challenging because of the quick currents and the narrow waterway, he said.
In the meantime, all three will be taking part in the International Labuan Sea Kayak Marathon on April 28.
The marathon is over two days and participants would have to brave a total of 100km from Labuan to Sipitang in Sabah and back.