“Those four girls are really athletic and surf-capable. They can see what they are looking at in the surf and they know how to react.”
The canoe competition caught the girls’ eyes and imagination during the New Zealand championships in Gisborne last summer. They were impressed by what they saw and wanted to get into it themselves.
“It’s like real teamwork,” Whitfield said.
“We are all in the boat together, in the same space, which is very different from other lifesaving competition we have experienced.”
Allan said it was “awesome to have this new experience, to have canoe fun in the waves”.
“It’s a new opportunity,” she said.
Rawls is an accomplished competition surfer. She said she enjoyed the fun times with her friends.
“It’s another way of being in the ocean.”
Team captain Zame said that while competitive surf canoe paddling was tiring, it was worth it.
She, too, enjoyed having fun with her friends, and as captain she had discovered some new leadership skills.
I remember the day someone told me that Wainui had four girls keen to do canoe, and asked if I would coach them.
Then for the girls to tell me they wanted to be competitive, well, that was a gift.
It was inspirational to think that at my age I had the opportunity to work from the ground up with such a keen young team.
They have developed quickly.
They listen and put what you’re telling them into practice — magic for a coach in any code.
It was a huge advantage that head coach Dion Williams had built up the girls’ fitness.
On top of that, they know how to race and are comfortable in surf. Those are big pluses.
They get their first test in competition at the New Zealand titles at Mount Maunganui on Friday. I’m looking forward to seeing how they go.
They’re a fit, strong and determined lightweight team with a great stroke rate.
I believe they will be competitive, which is what they wanted.
When the surf’s up, surf canoe racing is not for the faint-hearted.
The girls have so far handled what Mother Nature has put in front of them, and behind them.
They are still working their way up into big surf but if they get a metre or so at the Mount, that should suit them nicely.
I’ve coached canoe teams to national gold, silver and bronze medals over the past 35 years.
Apart from a bit of help when asked in the past couple of years, I have been pretty much retired from regular canoe coaching.
But to get such a young team started from scratch . . . well, at 66, it’s turned back the clock for me, and I’m stoked.
I’m stoked for them, too.
They’re such a lovely bunch of young women and they tell me they’re loving surf canoe, which is even better.
That’s what it’s all about.
