Bowls: Shanks skips team to Kahutia open men’s triples glory

The Kahutia Bowling Club’s open men's triples champions for 2025 are (from left) Geoff Pinn, Kyle Pinn and skip Leighton Shanks. Photo / Tanya Ewe

The Kahutia Bowling Club’s open men’s triples champions for 2025 are skip Leighton Shanks, Kyle Pinn and his father Geoff Pinn.

Four teams contested the championship, which was won by the Shanks team with both lives intact.

Shanks clinched the title with victory over July Hoepo (skip), Willy Murray and first-year bowler Kelly Te Miha, who had already lost a life to the Shanks trio.

In the potential final, Shanks led 9-0 before Hoepo’s team secured their first point.

The Shanks triple continued to build their lead until the score stood at 14-1 at the end of the ninth end.

Hoepo fought back admirably over the next seven ends, closing the score to 14-12.

However, on the 17th end, Geoff Pinn’s first bowl trailed the jack 2m and his second bowl rested on the first to secure two shots. Then Kyle Pinn drew his two bowls behind the jack and the team held three shots.

Hoepo unsuccessfully tried to move the jack into the ditch and the last bowl from Shanks earned his team a four-shot advantage on that end.

With one end remaining and the score 18-12, Hoepo conceded.

Earlier, Hoepo beat Joe Wimutu (skip), Puna McRoberts and Ray Young 25-3 in the first round.

Shanks also had an impressive start, defeating Allan Parker (skip), Frank McLoughlin and Graham Atkins 21-8.

In the second round, the McRoberts trio kept their campaign alive by taking the Parker team’s second life with a 26–11 win.

Shanks beat Hoepo 16–8, then had a bye in the third round.

McRoberts led early in the third-round match against Hoepo. However, a strong rally resulted in a string of shots won and an 18–11 comeback victory to Hoepo, who advanced to the potential final against Shanks.

Glenys Whiteman (skip), Dayvinia Mills and Karen Pinn won the open women’s triples by default as they had no opponents.