The raging Kaituna River is providing an ideal backdrop for some of the best white water rafting crews in the world to strut their stuff during the world rafting championships.
The competition has been intense as the New Zealand men's and women's crews look to use their local knowledge to out-paddle opposition teams from around the globe.
The men's and women's masters sprint races lived up to the hype as paddlers matched brute strength and determination against the clock in the time trial event on the Kaituna River yesterday.
The race result accounted for 10 per cent to the overall final points tally.
New Zealand men's masters team member Nick Chater was confident the six-man crew was up to the task as one of the favourites in the championships after the first outing in the sprint race yesterday morning.