31st Te Wānanga o Aotearoa National Waka Ama Sprint Championships are back!
Waka Ama continues to grow in popularity with record numbers of paddlers signing up to compete at the 31st annual Te
Wānanga o Aotearoa National Waka Ama Sprint Championships on Lake Karāpiro next week - making Waka Ama one of the
fastest growing water sports in New Zealand.
The inaugural Waka Ama Sprint Nationals was held in 1990 at Lake Karāpiro, back then there were 17 Clubs and 43 teams
took part. This year we have 2168 race entries from 68 clubs, they will race for the prestigious national sprint titles
in their Waka Ama (outrigger canoes). 3850 paddlers from throughout the country are scheduled to line up in various waka
classes, competing in ten age divisions at the event from January 12-18.
Waka Ama New Zealand CEO, Lara Collins said that this year’s event promises to be full of excitement!
“In 2015 there were 2707 competitors, this year we have a record 3850 paddlers scheduled to race! We have had to extend
the event by a day, so we now have 7 days of racing, Starting Sunday and finishing Saturday. We’ve got competitors
coming from all over the country from as far north as Kaitāia down to Queenstown in the South Island. There are going to
be huge crowds lakeside watching the regatta. With around 10,000 expected during the week.” Collins said "Waka Ama is a
sport like no other, with its inclusive nature bringing together paddlers of all ages and ethnicities and their whānau”,
“It’s a sport for all sorts of people from all walks of life. Our youngest paddler competing this week is 5 and our
oldest paddler will turn 82 this year. Waka Ama may be the only sport where grandmothers, grandfathers, mums, dads and
their kids can come together to race competitively.”
“That’s what makes it so special and unique– it’s very competitive but the focus is on fun and whānau (family), too.”
Waka Ama paddlers race over distances including 250m, 500m, 1500m and marathon races of 30km-75km. The ama (outrigger),
on the left-hand side balances the waka or canoe, helping it to slice through the water with every stroke.
At the sprint championships, clubs will compete for national honors in; single, six and 12-paddler teams over distances
of 250m, 500m, 1000m and 1500m. Spectators are also in for added excitement as teams competing in the six-paddler 1000m
and 1500m classes have to navigate their way through hairpin turns at the 250m mark.
Male and female crews will be competing for national honous in the Taitamariki (under 10), Intermediate (11-13), Junior
U16, Junior U19, Open, Master (40) Senior Master (50) Golden Master (60) and Masters 70 age divisions.
Last year’s winner of the 2019 National Waka Ama club points’ trophy for overall performances throughout the regatta was
Horouta Waka Hoe from Gisborne. The club will be back in 2020 seeking to defend their title, one they have won 8 times
in the trophy’s 9 year history!
The Winners of the 2019 Ace Cuthers Memorial Club Spirit Trophy Winners – Mitamitaga o le Pasefika Va'a-alo Canoe Club
will travel back to Karāpiro with the prestigious trophy that will again be awarded by the volunteers and officials to a
club at the event in 2020 that optimises the values of Waka Ama; Manaakitanga, Whānaungatanga, Hauora , Tū Tangata, and
of course the memory of Ace himself.