Zack Mutton's kayak has been stolen. Photo / Stephen Parker
Zack Mutton's kayak has been stolen. Photo / Stephen Parker
A Rotorua kayaker hoping to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is offering a $1000 reward for his custom-made, $4500 kayak, that was stolen from an Ōkere Falls riverbank on Friday.
Zack Mutton is desperately searching for his kayak ahead of the New Zealand canoe slalom team trial this week.
"We have to qualify top three in New Zealand to go and race in the world championships. If I'm not able to race I miss out on points."
Zack Mutton's stolen kayak is similar to this one. Photo / Supplied
Mutton began kayaking before he could walk and has aimed for the Olympics for as long as he can remember.
Mutton's mother, Amanda, told the Rotorua Daily Post yesterdaythey had "no clues yet".
"We are offering the reward to hopefully bring more information forward. We can't replace years of work, it's so devastating ... we are hoping the council gets back to us on Monday with surveillance footage from the site."
Zack Mutton after the Canoe Slalom Junior World Championships last year. Photo / Jamie Troughton
Mutton is going to try racing in another kayak this weekend.
He used it last year, but it is currently in the Czech Republic, in a damaged state, and it takes a month to get used to another kayak.
"He's hoping to get it flown back to New Zealand and repaired here. He feels that's his best chance of a 'plan B'.
"Even though it will be slower as it's been broken and got a bit of water in it, and extra friction. We are still hoping it comes together."
Zack Mutton's kayak has been stolen. Photo / Stephen Parker
Amanda Mutton said the whole ordeal had been "crazy".
A Rotorua man approached the Rotorua Daily Post to offer financial support to the Muttons after the theft.
Amanda said that was "amazing".
"It's been very expensive, not only losing the kayak but offering a reward and trying to get the broken one flown back here via Amsterdam."
