Waves of paddlers heading across the Tasman

HOROUTA Waka Hoe paddlers are heading to the 2016 world sprint championships in waves.

They started heading off towards the end of last week, some paddlers travelling in stages to the event venue on the Sunshine Coast near Brisbane.

The flow is continuing throughout this week and will end with the departure of the last group on Sunday.

The 2016 IVF Va’a World Elite and Club Sprint Championships will be held at Lake Kawana from Thursday this week to Sunday, May 15. (Va’a are known as waka ama in New Zealand).

The first three days are training days, with elite racing to start on Sunday and conclude on Monday. Club racing starts on Tuesday.

Eleven teams from Tairawhiti-based Horouta Waka Hoe will take part in the club component of the championships.

For the first time the event will include a section for elite competitors.

Elite divisionThe elite division will also have strong representation from this area. Horouta’s Kiwi Campbell is the national elite women’s sprint coach and Mareikura Canoe Club’s Matahi Brightwell is the national development (J19) women’s sprint coach.

The make-up of both the elite and development women’s teams reflects the strength of women’s paddling in this region.

Going to the championships under the Horouta banner are two teams of J16 girls, two of J19 women, two of open women, two of master women, one team of senior master women, one of open men and one of senior master men. That is a total of 66 paddlers, or 72 including travelling reserves.

Included in this group are paddlers also contesting the elite division — Pharyn Calles in the J19 women and Kiwi Campbell, Vesna Radonich, Florrie Brooking, Kodi and Cory Campbell, Rose King, Sieda Tureia and Akayshia Williams in the open women.

Horouta’s representation at the championships will be among the largest, although one other club, The Boomerangs from Australia, have more teams entered.