Keeping big picture in view

A FAMILIAR FEELING: Horouta Waka Hoe Club members had a barbecue to celebrate their successes at the Waka Ama New Zealand sprint nationals at Lake Karapiro last month. They gathered around the Matapihi Trophy when the time came for photos. Horouta have won the Matahi Brightwell-carved trophy — awarded to the club earning most points at the championships — eight of the nine times it has been contested. Horouta finished with 343 points, over double the total of runners-up Ruamata Waka Ama Club (145pts). Horouta won more medals of any type than any other club — 14 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze. The next highest tally of any medal was eight silver medals, by Manukau Outrigger Canoe Club. Second on the overall medal table were Waitakere Outrigger Canoe Club, who won seven gold, five silver and three bronze medals. Third were Ruamata, with six gold, four silver and four bronze. Medals alone did not decide the points trophy. Event finalists earned points for their team. Pictures by Cynthia Sidney

Medals in 38 events at the waka ama national sprint championships can take attention from a bigger picture.

So Horouta Waka Hoe Club president Walton Walker prefers to look beyond the 14 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze medals his club won at Lake Karapiro last month.

Just as interesting is the effort some of the teams put in to achieve their results, he says.

“Standouts were the Hinepukohurangi intermediate girls’ team,” he said.

“They won the W12 double-hull 500-metre race and had the best heat times in the W6 500m straight and turning races. They were second in the final of the straight event.

“It was a gutsy effort. They’re a small team and still have a year or two left in that grade.”

The appearance of this team and other club crews in intermediate-grade finals reflected well on the coaching of Irene Takao, Walker said.

“She delivers the same formula every year; it’s a question of whether teams respond,” he said.

The pattern was the same with the J16 women’s teams she coached.

In this grade, Puhi Kaiariki won gold in the W6 and W12 500m races, and silver in the W6 1000m (with turns).

Walker said that Takao’s daughter Kiwi Campbell and son-in-law Bruce Campbell were also having input at the junior levels, and this provided a consistency of coaching as paddlers progressed through the age groups to premier grade.

“Carrots are dangling in front of paddlers,” Walker said.

“They can see a sort of development programme, a succession plan as paddlers rise to the next level.”

Kiwi Campbell kept her standards high at the championships, Walker said.

Her premier women’s W6 team Kaiarahi Toa had to settle for silver in the 1500m race (with turns), but won gold in the W6 and W12 500m races. As well, Campbell pushed winner Marama Elkington to the end in the W1 250m dash, finishing just 0.51 of a second in arrears.

Another success story was Penny Scragg’s master women’s team Nga Kopara Toa, who improved with every race.

They won silver in the W6 1000m with turns, and bronze in the W6 and W12 500m races.

The master men’s crew, Team Voltron, were a revelation, Walker said.

They won silver in the W6 1000m (with turns) and the 500m, and combined with clubmates to win the double-hull 500m.

“A highlight there was the coaching and leadership of Richard Campbell,” Walker said.

“He had coached the girls’ J16 and J19 teams in which his twin daughters Cory and Kodi had paddled.

“His girls have moved up to the open grade, and he looked at paddling with the masters. He ended up coaching them as well.”

The individual races also provided highlights for the club, Walker said.

Rangi-Riana Williams won the J19 women’s 250m dash and the 500m, and Glenn Anderson won the master men’s 500m race.

But the winning performances in the J16 men’s and women’s 500m races by Horouta paddlers Anaru Paenga-Morgan and Te Aomihia Pewhairangi were something else again.

“Anaru was the dominant male paddler in his age group,” Walker said.

He helped the Baby Helis to gold in the W6 1000m (with turns) and 500m, and went up to the open men’s grade to paddle for Woolley Kumaras in the double-hull 500m.

The team qualified for the final with the best time but were fourth in a blanket finish.

In the J16 girls’ division, Pewhairangi showed the benefit of experience at the world sprint championships in Tahiti last year.

“That team lost three paddlers who moved up an age group, but the next three in line did well and the team never missed a beat,” Walker said.

“Te Aomihia was one of those new members.

“In her individual 500m final, it was her desire to win that got her through . . . by 0.01 of a second.

“Anaru Paenga-Morgan in the individual J16 500m race stands out as the dominant performance of the regatta — he was so far ahead of anyone else — and the win by Te Aomihia Pewhairangi stands out as the gutsy performance of the event.”

Walker said he had felt that the club’s hold on the Matapihi Trophy for most points could be at risk this year, because preparations had started late.

Horouta had a strong contingent at the world sprint championships in Tahiti in July, and some of the teams wanted a rest after the intensity of training for and competing in an event of that magnitude.

As well, some crews lost key members and it was uncertain how their replacements would fit in.

“We had nine teams in the midgets; that’s a lot of kids,” Walker said.

“We ran short of time in training. With all that activity, you get pressure to fit things in, like time on the river, when other teams are waiting to use the waka you’re paddling.”

That things came together so well was a tribute to the coaches and their crews.

The Horouta medals —Gold: Hinepukohurangi (int women) W12 500; Anaru Paenga-Morgan (J16 men) W1 500; Baby Helis (J16 men) W6 1000, W6 500; Te Aomihia Pewhairangi (J16 women) W1 500; Puhi Kaiariki (J16 women) W12 500, W6 500; Rangi-Riana Williams (J19 women) W1 500, W1 250 dash; Glenn Anderson (master men) W1 500; Paikea Masters (master men) W12 500; Woolley Kumaras (premier men) W6 1500; Kaiarahi Toa (premier women) W12 500, W6 500.

Silver: Tangata Hianga (int men) W12 500; Hinepukohurangi (int women) W6 500; Puhi Kaiariki (J16 women) W6 1000; Te Aomihia Pewhairangi (J19 women) W1 250 dash; Grant Donaldson (master men) W1 500; Team Voltron (master men) W6 1000, W6 500; Nga Kopara Toa (master women) W6 1000; Nga Kotiro Toa (mid women) W12 250; Ash Roozendaal (premier men) W1 250 dash; Akayshia Williams (premier women) W1 500; Kaiarahi Toa (premier women) W6 1500; Kiwi Campbell (premier women) W1 250.

Bronze: Kelsey Teneti (J16 women) W1 500; Hinetoa (J19 women) W6 500; Nga Kopara Toa (master women) W12 500, W6 500; Horouta Chaos (mid men) W6 250; Hinetiakitai (mid women) W6 250; Tuhiwai’s Angels (mid women) W6 250; Ash Roozendaal (premier men) W1 500; Cory Campbell (premier women) W1 500; Akayshia Williams (premier women) W1 250 dash; Keri Ngatoro (under-23 women) W1 500.