Horison father and son take playing to another level
It is a model of another nature that gets their blood pumping
It is said that boys never really grow up, their toys just become more expensive, which proved to be true for a group of radio-controlled boat enthusiasts.
According to Juan Boshoff, 46, he started off with radio-controlled (RC) cars and planes, but it became too expensive. “One day we were driving past the Coronation Dam in Krugersdorp, and we heard the sounds of RC boats coming from there. I told my son, Ryan, that we should stop and see what it was all about, and, the rest, as they say, is history,” Juan explained.
He added that they have been part of the RC boating community for the past two years, and, although they had a rocky start, they are thoroughly enjoying it now. “We started with a small nitro boat, but, because we listened to advice from the wrong people, it took a while for us to get it right. But now we have all the right equipment, and at the moment we are using top of the range racing boats,” he said.
Juan and Ryan are part of the West Side Rooster Tails, and both participate in the Open Class. Juan said, “We have quite a few competitions, ranging from time trials to annual National Championships. The prizes range from money to trophies, and, even though we enjoy the competition, we also love having fun, which this is all about.”
He said that they come together once a week (usually on a Sunday) with the aim of having fun. “This is when we chase each other on the dam and do speed and time trials to ensure our boats’ set up is correct and up to standard. We also have a local club competition once a month, and then there are also the National Championships, where the more experienced guys compete. At the moment, we are not there yet, but are working very hard towards achieving this goal as well.”
For Juan it is not only a hobby but a passion and he said, “We both love being outdoors, and are crazy about water. It is also an opportunity for me to spend some quality time with my son, and, while we are bonding, I also get the chance to keep him off the streets. We are a very close-knit community, and everybody is very friendly – no one ever hesitates to offer you help or support. We also cater for the family members who do not participate, which makes it a nice family outing.”
He concluded by saying that they would love to see more people participating, and said, “People who are interested in becoming part of our community, or those who just want some more information about what we do, can contact me on 072 450 6438. They can also pop by Coronation Dam on a Sunday, and see what we do.”
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