A representation of Horouta Waka Hoe Club after once again winning the top overall club at the Waka Ama Sprint Nationals on Lake Karapiro. Club chairman Walton Walker spoke on behalf of the club, paying special tribute to club stalwart Kiwi Campbell, who passed away in November and whose sons Maia and Mairangi and husband Bruce competed at the nationals. Photo / Waka Ama NZ
A representation of Horouta Waka Hoe Club after once again winning the top overall club at the Waka Ama Sprint Nationals on Lake Karapiro. Club chairman Walton Walker spoke on behalf of the club, paying special tribute to club stalwart Kiwi Campbell, who passed away in November and whose sons Maia and Mairangi and husband Bruce competed at the nationals. Photo / Waka Ama NZ
Horouta retained the “top club” trophy for most points at the Waka Ama New Zealand sprint nationals, thanks to finalists who failed to make the podium.
Self Storage Gisborne Horouta Waka Hoe Club finished second to Manukau Outrigger Canoe Club in the medal tally, butthe depth of quality in the Horouta teams made the difference.
“Manukau were two points ahead of us at the start of racing on Saturday,” Horouta club chairman Walton Walker said yesterday.
“But I could see that the points we would get on Saturday would take us about 40 ahead, and that’s how it went.”
First place brings eight points, second seven, third six and so on down to eighth, which brings one. If a final has more than eight competitors, all the remaining places earn one point.
Horouta have now won the shield 13 of the 14 times it has been contested.
“I’ve been a bit blasé in the past, but I thought getting the shield back this time would be special,” Walker said.
“I knew how vulnerable we were. The weather had limited our time on the water, and the loss of Kiwi (Campbell, elite coach and paddler) had a big impact.”
Traditionally dominant premier women’s crew Kaiarahi Toa were first in the W12 500m, third in the W6 1500m and fifth in the W6 500m. In the past, it had been common for them to win at least two of the three races.
“They were under-prepared because it was all last-minute stuff in terms of crew make-up,” Walker said.
“Kiwi was going to be steering them.”
Hoouta Wake Hoe's Woolley Kumara Masters crew of Dave Apelu (left), Grant Donaldson, Mike Kemp (with baby), Bruce Campbell, Glenn Anderson and Jason Reti on the podium after winning the master men's W6 1000 final. Campbell is holding a picture of his late wife Kiwi, who inspired many in spirit over the course of the week of the Waka Ama Nationals.
For the club, it was a matter of stickability and digging deep, he said.
“All I could say to those who got into finals was, ‘Don’t get DQ’d’, because you get no points if you’re disqualified.
“Murray Parkes made the golden masters’ one-man final but was sore and didn’t feel like going out. I said, ‘Murray, do it for the club ... it’s worth a point.’
“He toughed it out. That’s what everyone had to do.” (Parkes finished 12th, gaining a point).
“Others, like Mairangi Campbell (Bruce and Kiwi Campbell’s elder son) and Deepak Badhwar, answered the call when teams fell short of numbers.
“They paddled with 4Thenannyz. We had no premier men’s team until those guys got together. Mairangi has been in Wellington and hadn’t paddled for the past couple of seasons. Deepak is a relative newcomer but is a dedicated trainer and a true clubman. He’s paddled across all our men’s teams and some of the women’s teams.”
Medal tallies for the Tairāwhiti teams were – Horouta: 13 gold, eight silver, 12 bronze. YMP Waka Ama: six gold, two silver. Te Uranga o Te Ra (Ōpōtiki/Tairāwhiti/Hawke’s Bay regional team): two gold, two silver, three bronze. Mareikura Waka Ama Club: one gold, one silver. Adventure Wairoa: one silver, one bronze.
The medal tally for points runners-up Manukau was 16 gold, 11 silver and four bronze.
Tairāwhiti results to follow in the Gisborne Herald.
