Moving up the tramp ranks

Kaiya Huta

Gisborne trampoline athlete Kaiya Huta has moved up to the senior ranks and qualified for the world championships.

Huta, 17, won gold in the double mini, and — with Christchurch’s Campbell Robinson — in synchronised and was second on trampoline at the South Island championships last weekend.

He has qualified for the nationals and world championships in trampoline.

He is competing again this weekend in a North Island meet in Auckland, where he hopes to earn qualification for the double mini.

After taking a break because of a head injury from playing rugby, Huta made a successful return to competitive trampolining in May last year.

At the Manukau championships, he won gold on double mini and silver on tramp in the junior international class.

Huta went on to finish 29th from 64 trampoline competitors at the world age-group championships in St Petersburg, Russia, in November last year.

It all began in the back yard at home when he did forward flips and back flips as a boy.

His mother asked him if he wanted to do gymnastics or trampolining and at the age of nine he took up recreational trampolining. He then took it seriously.

“I love the motivation from family and friends,” Huta said.

“Bouncing high makes me feel good.

“I’m not scared at all.”

Huta said he enjoyed adding tricks and he did not get nervous at competitions.

“I’ve got so much to learn and so many skills to get.”

The nationals are in Auckland in October and the world champs are in Tokyo, Japan, from November 28 to December 1.

“I love meeting new mates around the world and the different languages,” he said.

Huta is a Year 13 student at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Hawaiki Hou.

He looks set to study property in Auckland next year.