East Coast paddlers win against the odds

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Clinching paddles for a spot in any final at the national secondary schools waka ama champs seemed like a stretch for the three teams from Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Waiu o Ngati Porou. But they showed they had the passion and guts to win a race against all odds.

These teams headed into the event with their backs against the wall, having had few trainings, due to no water space to train on in Ruatoria, They relied on self belief, total commitment and the support of the kura and whanau to for the round trip to Gisborne once a week, to train on the Waimata River for two to three hours. In the last four weeks before the competition, they were lucky if they were able to make the 270km, three-four hour trip twice. With very tight home budgets, homemade sammies and water were the main source of fuel.

“The waka ama experience involves participation from the whole whanau,” said Gerry Heeney, the kura’s sports coordinator. “Parents, aunties and uncles, grandparents, cousins all pitched in to support as coaches, managers, cooks, fundraisers, cleaners, 4WD drivers towing waka, volunteers all in the waka ama workforce,” he said.

“It’s about whanau, it’s about teamwork, and sharing basic values that will shape this generation of youth to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

Getting teams to Gisborne was a huge challenge, he said, and accessing waka was the next.

“The Waiu teams wish to thank the Horouta Waka Ama Club for the use of their waka during the training sessions.

On finals day, the kura recorded a first place in the J16 Girls Plate final, 500m turn in a time of 2:36.41. The J16 Girls came in eighth in the champ final 250m in a time of 1:08.62. The J19 Girls came in ninth in the Bowl final 250m in 1:14.50 and the J19 Boys crew came 11th in the Plate final 250m in 1.06.50..

Coaches: Marama Beach and Te Naiti Tihema. Manager: Monty Manuel.

¦ Tolaga Bay Area School and Kahukuranui had two teams at the championships.

In their heat, the boys’ u16 W6 500m team finished second to the Gisborne Boys’ High crew who won the event.

Tolaga Bay were eliminated in the championship semifinal, in which they finished sixth, 0.03 of a second behind the fifth-placed Hamilton Boys’ High School team.

The girls’ u16 W6 500m team were fourth in their heat and were eliminated in the plate semifinal.

An u16 mixed W12 250m team finished third in their heat, fifth in their semifinal and last in the championship final.

¦ A team from Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Uri a Maui finished second in an u16 boys’ W6 250m heat, fifth in their championship semifinal and 12th in the final.

TKKM o Nga Uri a Maui finished third in an u16 boys’ W6 500m heat, third in their plate semi but did not make the plate final.

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Horouta Wananga also had paddlers taking part in the championships.