Going the distance

CANADA 2012 is the ultimate voyage but last weekend Gisborne was the destination when over 250 of the country’s top waka ama athletes locked paddles in the National Long Distance Waka Ama Championships off Kaiti Beach.
Up for grabs were New Zealand titles and specially-engraved medals over two days of competition based at Kaiti Beach.
W1 and W2 races were held on Friday and 42 crews took the water on Saturday to decide the W6 honours.
Gisborne clubs Mareikura and Horouta were among the medals while other Gisborne-based paddlers tasted success as part of outside clubs.
Horouta’s Hemi Wahapango led the host region’s effort on Friday, taking out the open men’s (20-35 years) rudderless event with a dominant performance. Whakatane-based Wahapango was almost two minutes clear of the field.
Mareikura’s Tony Tapp won the senior master men’s (45-55yrs) rudderless title and Horouta’s Vicki Flavell the combined golden (55yrs+) and senior master women’s division, with Carolyn Hibbert (Mareikura) third.
Raipoia Brightwell (Mareikura) was third in the open women’s division won by Porirua’s Mereana Hodges.
There was more “local” success in the ruddered races.
Gisborne veterans Brian Wilson and Rod Hibbert — racing for Auckland club Taniwha — were first and second respectively in the senior master men’s division.
Ngati Donnelly (Horouta) was second masters (35-45yrs) man home and David Apelu (Horouta) collected silver in the open men’s race won by Jason Eruera of Whangarei club Mitamitanga.
Pania Wylie and Addie Ribbon picked up bronze in the master women’s W2.
A technical mix-up saw the women’s and mixed W6 races on Saturday reduced to 15 kilometres. This, however, did not prevent fierce competition enhanced by challenging and swells around Tuamotu Island.
Mareikura’s senior master women’s crew were the Gisborne stars of the day.
Denise Tapp, Karen Finch, Caren Fox, Marlene Nikora, Caroilyn Hibbert and Moana Houkamau have a combined age of over 300 but as well as winning gold in their division, their time was the fourth best overall — bettered only by the top three open women’s crews.
Horouta crews Wahine Maia and Wild Kats completed a Gisborne treble in the senior master women’s division.
Horouta were also second (Drop Dead Georgeous) and third (Manawa Uha) in the master women’s division.
Husband and wife Tony and Denise Tapp had a weekend to remember.
As well as his W1 gold and his coaching of the senior master women’s crew to victory, Tony was a member of Mareikura crew Ruataupere, who won silver in the W6 open mixed division. He was also later presented with a carved taonga in memory of Mareikura and Te Uranga o te Ra region legend Pat Heeney.
Denise won the “Mareikura legend award” after being spectacularly flipped by a rogue wave during the W1 races.
The fastest W6 time on the day came from the Vaka Manu Black (Manukau) master men’s crew, who beat open men’s winners Team Kina (Mitamitanga) by 20 seconds.
The nationals were the first chance for the sport’s new sponsorship collaboration (NZ Post, Water Safety NZ) to see what was involved in waka ama competition. Passengers on restored pilot boat Taikitimu also got to enjoy close-up viewing of racing while the weather gods were kind enough to keep the rain away long enough for the prizegiving and meal to be held.
Organisers were grateful to all the volunteers — in particular students from Te Wananga o Aotearoa — as well as the support of other local bodies and sponsors, along with Gisborne Yacht Club.
The event was enjoyed by all, with the consensus being that it was one of the best-organised long-distance national championship s.
Caren Fox was elected to the national board at the Nga Kaihoe o Aotearoa (Waka Ama NZ) annual meeting held after the champs.
Racing focus now shifts to the sprint nationals on Lake Karapiro in January while the top paddlers are building towards the world sprints in Calgary in August, 2012.