“Every kid in New Zealand knows someone that is really good at doing manus, or bombs as you would call them back in the day, but over the years it has just been transformed into a better, more technical skill,” Oli said.
“Even myself, I haven’t perfected it yet, but these kids are very passionate about getting the technique right, which is why we had to put on a bomb competition, for the kids, but to find the manu king and queen for Hawke’s Bay.”
Oli said manu as a competitive sport had not yet reached the mainstream in Hawke’s Bay before the competition and many did not appreciate its complexities.
“You have to pierce the water at the correct area on your tailbone, and then once you are under the water, you open your whole body up like a manu, like a bird,” he said.
“The splash isn’t just your crazy, big volume splash, it is actually more of a spike splash.”
Oli said there were under-10, under-13, under-16 and open categories at the Tairawhiti Bomb Competition, and boys and girls of all ages were welcome to try out at the Hastings trials.
He said people from about 5 years old to people in their 60s had competed in the Hastings competition.
The winners of the junior, senior and masters categories at last weekend’s Hastings Manu competition have automatically qualified for spots on the squad.
He said a maximum of “a van-load” of people will be selected for the squad.
