Horouta champions again

ALL OUT AND ALL IN: Eastland Whitewash Heli’s won the J19 men’s W12 500 metres in a time of 1 minute 53.13 seconds, 3.10 seconds ahead of the runners-up, at the waka ama sprint nationals on Friday. Here they power towards the finish line. Pictures by Garrick Cameron

TAIRAWHITI paddlers continued their dominant showing at the Waka Ama Sprint Nationals at Lake Karapiro on Saturday.

Horouta Waka Hoe Club won the points trophy for the fifth year in a row, and for the seventh time in the eight years it has been contested.

The final day of competition included gold medals for Horouta crews in the J19 women’s W6 1000 metres, premier women’s W6 1500 and 500, J19 men’s W6 1000 and premier men’s W6 1500.

The J19 women and men, the senior master women and the premier men’s crew were second in their W6 500m finals.

Horouta senior master women were third in the W6 1000, and the club’s master men were second in the W6 1000 and third in the W6 500.

In the individual 250m dash races on Saturday, Keanu Wainohu-Kemp won gold for Horouta in the J19 men’s division, Ash Roozendaal (a Tauranga paddler who joined Horouta’s premier men’s crew with an eye to the world champs in Tahiti this year) was second in the premier men’s race, Rangi-Riana Williams was second in the J19 women’s division, and Kiwi Campbell and Cory Campbell were second and third respectively behind former Mareikura paddler Marama Elkington in the premier women’s race.

Mareikura’s senior master women’s crew were second in the W6 1000 and third in the W6 500, and the club was well represented in the finals.

Horouta club president Walton Walker said the sprint nationals were a good way to start the club’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

In recognition of this milestone, a group of expatriate Gisborne waka ama enthusiasts had brought two midget teams from Brisbane to compete under the Horouta banner.

In all, Horouta had 212 paddlers competing in 34 teams and/or as individuals.

Highlights included the continued dominance of Kiwi Campbell’s Kaiarahi Toa team in the premier women’s division, the resurgence of the Woolley Kumara crew in the premier men’s division, the individual double achieved by Grant Donaldson in the master men W1 500m and his daughter Piper Glass-Donaldson in the intermediate girls’ race, the domination of the J16 boys’ team, the strong showing by the J19 women’s and men’s teams, and the focused preparation of the veterans’ teams.

“But just as our older paddlers improved their performances, they got to the nationals and found that everyone else had done the same.”

ResultsResults featuring Horouta and Mareikura paddlers at the Waka Ama Sprint Nationals at Lake Karapiro on Saturday.

J19 women, W6 1000: Hinetoa (Horouta Waka Hoe Club) 5:14.44, 1; Tiare Maori OG (Te Paerangi Waka Ama) 5:21.41, 2; Pipitaiari (Horouta) 5:33.34, 3; Poemoana (Mareikura Waka Ama Club) 5:36.67, 4; Hinetu (Mareikura) 6:06.19, 8.

W6 500: Tiare Maori OG (Te Paerangi) 2:04.94, 1; Hinetoa (Horouta) 2:10.70, 2; Te Winika (Turangawaewae Waka Sports) 2:12.18; Pipitaiari (Horouta) 2:13.34, 4; Poemoana (Mareikura) 2:15.14, 5.

W1 250 dash: Makayla Timoti (Hei Matau Paddlers) 1:13.42, 1; Rangi-Riana Williams (Horouta) 1:13.45, 2; Inamaru Tere (Te Paerangi Waka Ama) 1:14.01, 3; Tia Akurangi (Horouta) 1:16.37, 5.

Premier women, W6 1500: Kaiarahi Toa (Horouta) 8:01.05, 1; Mjs (Haeata Ocean Sports) 8:16.30, 2; Maroro (Te Awa Haku) 8:17.76, 3; Hinamanu (Mareikura) 8:18.93, 4.

W6 500: Kaiarahi Toa (Horouta) 2:05.13, 1; Mjs (Haeata) 2:06.62, 2; Taniwha Roto Wahinez (Taniwha Outrigger Canoe Club) 2:10.70, 3; Hinamanu (Mareikura) 2:12.22, 4.

W1 250 dash: Marama Elkington (TOA Waka Ama Club) 1:15.25, 1; Kiwi Campbell (Horouta) 1:16.18, 2; Cory Campbell (Horouta) 1:17.80, 3.

Master women, W6 1000: Mako (Ruamata Waka Ama Club) 5:21.03, 1; Nga Kopara Toa (Horouta) 5:28.74, 2; Uruhina (Te Au Rere Waka Ama Club) 5:35.09, 3.

W6 500: Mako (Ruamata) 2:12.21, 1; Uruhina (Te Au Rere) 2:14.66, 2; Nga Kopara Toa (Horouta) 2:14.85, 3.

Senior master women, W6 1000: Ngaruroa (Ruamata) 5:34.16, 1; Tairawhiti (Mareikura) 5:43.67, 2; Hineteuru (Horouta) 5:45.64, 3.

W6 500: Ngaruroa (Ruamata) 2:16.27, 1; Hineteuru (Horouta) 2:19.42, 2; Tairawhiti (Mareikura) 2:19.86, 3.

Golden master women, W6 1000: Drop Dead Gorgeous (Horouta) 6:25.81, 4.

W6 500: Drop Dead Gorgeous (Horouta) 2:37.88, 4.

J19 men, W6 1000: Daddy Heli’s (Horouta) 4:48.99, 1; Puarenga (Te Au Rere) 4:50.24, 2; Team Paddle Fly (Mitamitaga o le Pasefika Va’a-alo) 4:57.11, 3; Hiva (Mareikura) 5:08.20, 5.

W6 500: Team Paddle Fly (Mitamitaga o le Pasefika Va’a-alo) 1:52.07, 1; Daddy Heli’s (Horouta) 1:52.29, 2; Puarenga (Te Au Rere) 1:52.99, 3; Hiva (Mareikura) 1:58.03, 6.

W1 250 dash: Keanu Wainohu-Kemp (Horouta) 1:05.25, 1; Toi Munroe (Mitamitaga o le Pasefika Va’a-alo) 1:08.81, 2; Taihakoa Teepa (Hei Matau Paddlers) 1:09.83, 3; Darius Apanui-Nepe (Horouta) 1:10.09, 4.

Premier men, W6 1500: Woolley Kumara (Horouta) 7:16.65, 1; Pineula (Akarana) 7:18.95, 2; Bhutty Boys (Hei Matau) 7:19.76, 3.

W6 500: Vaka Manu White (Manukau Outrigger Canoe Club) 1:47.01, 1; Woolley Kumara (Horouta) 1:48.47, 2; Pineula Mulivai (Akarana) 1:48.97, 3.

W1 250 dash: Jamille Ruka (Akarana) 1:04.48, 1; Ash Roozendaal (Horouta) 1:04.53, 2; Tupu King (Nga Hoe Horo Outrigger Canoe Club) 1:04.80, 3; Bruce Campbell (Horouta) 1:04.95, 4.

Master men, W6 1000: Aoraki Matatu (Te Waka Pounamu) 4:47.15, 1; Paikea Masters (Horouta) 4:47.48, 2; Pineula Harambe Orange (Akarana) 4:49.27, 3.

W6 500: Aoraki Matatu (Te Waka Pounamu) 1:52.52, 1; Vo2 (Whakatu Marae Waka-Ama Club) 1:53.57, 2; Paikea Masters (Horouta) 1:53.59, 3; Tai Resistance (Mareikura) 2:07.69, 12.

Senior master men, W6 1000: Temoana (Horouta) 5:15.56, 6.

W6 500: Temoana (Horouta) 2:05.78, 9.