Secondary schools paddle to glory at Waka Ama championships

Media release

30 March 2015

Secondary schools paddle to glory at 2015 ActivePost Secondary School Waka Ama championships

Waka Ama racing enjoys surge in popularity with 95 schools competing at the New Zealand Post-backed national secondary school championships.

Rotorua’s Blue Lake last week transformed into a sea of colour and noise as New Zealand’s top secondary school Waka Ama paddlers battled it out for national honours. More than 1450 paddlers took to the water as 1000 delirious spectators cheered their every stroke.

St Patricks College, Silverstream smashed the under 19 250m Boys W6 Championship Final, winning with a record time of 53.09, their first medal at this event and a flawless performance on the water.

Gisborne schools proved they are a force to be reckoned with, as Lytton High School took gold in the 250m and 500m of the U16 girl’s W6 competition and Gisborne Girls High School achieved the same in the U19 Division. Gisborne Boys High School also took home the U16 500m W6 championship title.

Schools competed for national honours in one, six or twelve paddler teams. The winning crews for the 2015 ActivePost National Secondary Schools Waka Ama Championships were:

• U19 250m Boys W6 Championship: St Patrick's College, Silverstream

• U19 250m Girls W6 Championship: Gisborne Girls High School

• U19 500m Boys W6 Championship: Rotorua Boys' High School

• U19 500m Girls W6 Championship: Gisborne Girls High School

• U16 250m Boys W6 Championship: De La Salle College

• U16 250m Girls W6 Championship: Lytton High School

• U16 500m Boys W6 Championship: Gisborne Boys High School

• U16 500m Girls W6 Championship: Lytton High School

• U16 250m Girls W1 Championship: Tia AKURANGI, Lytton High School

• U16 250m Boys W1 Championship: Tomairangi KAIPARA-HETARAKA, Hoani Waititi Marae

• U19 250m Girls W1 Championship: Marama ELKINGTON, Mana College

• U19 250m Boys W1 Championship: Daniel KAUIKA, Wanganui High School

• U16 250m Mixed W12 Championship: Kaipara College

• U19 250m Mixed W12 Championship: Tawa College

Lara Collins, Chief Executive of Waka Ama New Zealand, described this year’s racing as some of the most thrilling she’d seen in the regatta’s 14 year history.

“We had some incredibly tight racing - a true display of grit and determination. The weather was fabulous and provided perfect racing conditions. The noise from the crowd watching the finals was simply electric and made for an extremely exciting end to the week’s racing. It’s just reward for the hundreds of teachers and ActivePost Waka Ama volunteers who made these Championships live long in the memory.

“Waka Ama racing continues to break into new territory as more kids sign up to paddle for their schools or local clubs. It’s a lot of fun for people of all ages and it is also very competitive. We saw last week how passionate they are about representing their schools.”

Waka Ama racing’s increasing popularity makes it the fastest growing water sport in New Zealand. Each year, more than 5000 paddlers from 90 Clubs turn out to race Waka Ama at events around the country. Many thousands more attend to watch the racing as spectators.

New Zealand Post’s Community Sponsorship Manager, Charles Ropitini, said Waka Ama held enormous appeal because anyone of all ages could have a go.

“No matter the student’s ability or experience, there is a Waka Ama race for anyone wanting to get involved. The sport is genuinely a mainstream option for kids to pursue and we’re thrilled to have got it to the stage where these championships are one of the most sought after on the school calendar.”

This year’s full list of results can be found here: http://wakaama.co.nz/stories/read/1003927 and photography of every crew competing can be found here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/110544200822387100000/albums

Ends

Editor’s notes

About Waka Ama NZ

Established in 1987, Nga Kaihoe O Aotearoa (Waka Ama New Zealand) is the national governing body for Waka Ama in New Zealand. Waka Ama’s vision is to lead the development, practice and promotion of the sport and culture of Waka Ama so that by 2035, future generations will have a sport where: “Waka Ama is a heavyweight in the Aotearoa/New Zealand sporting psyche and is recognised as a global leader and significant influencer in the sport, nationally and internationally.”

For further information about Waka Ama NZ visit www.wakaama.co.nz

About ActivePost

Launched in mid-2011, ActivePost is a New Zealand Post initiative to support grassroots participation in sports and recreation and give all Kiwis the opportunity to have a go. Each year, more than 200,000 Kiwi kids participate in ActivePost sports. Initiatives that ActivePost provides support to include:

• Athletics New Zealand - Get Set Go Programme
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• New Zealand Cricket – National Schools Programme
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• Tennis New Zealand - Tennis Hot Shots Programme

For more information about ActivePost and its activities, visit www.activepost.co.nz

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