Waka Ama: Rookies clinch gold at champs

Alan Daly and Karl Schroder are rookies on the national waka ama scene.

Former Coast to Coast competitor Daly has been paddling for two years and multiple national power pulling champion Karl Schroder for 18 months. But this did not inhibit the pair joining world championship medallist Lesley Lenden as Hawke's Bay's three gold medallists at last weekend's national long distance championships in Whangarei.

Schroder, 53, and Daly, 50, won the W2 senior masters (50-plus) title and in the process beat open men's teams in the 90-crew race over 18km. The fact the pair had to overcome mechanical issues on the way to recording a time of 1h 31m added to the feat.

"We had a good lead from the start but a third of the way our steering jammed. We had to stop and check our rudder after becoming tangled with another waka. Once we sorted out our steering we put the hammer down and put those mechanical issues behind us," Daly recalled.

"That was the first time we raced as a two-man crew. After that level of success we'll look for more regattas where we can compete together," Schroder said.

Lenden, who won silver and bronze medals in 12-strong crews at last year's Rio-hosted world championships won gold in the Golden Masters (60-plus) Single race which was also over 18km. She stopped the clock at 1h 59m and was rapt she featured in a Heretaunga Ararau o Ngati Kahungunu Waka Ama Roopu trifecta.

"Two of the girls I coach finished second and third," Lenden said referring to Carol Andrews and Linda Tomuli.

"We do the long distance stuff to improve our fitness and give us an endurance base for the national sprint championships in January. At those nationals you can qualify for the May 2016 world championships. They are a little earlier than normal next year because the elite competitors battle for berths at the Olympics. Next year will be the first time waka ama is an Olympic sport," Lenden said.

The mother of former Hawks and Waikato Pistons NBL basketballer Puke Lenden, Lenden, won silver with a 50-59 years W12 500m crew at last year's worlds and bronze with a 40-49 years W12 500m crew. She first took up the sport in 1998.

The day before winning their W2 gold, Daly and Schroder, competed for a Haeata Ocean Sports team from the Bay which finished fifth in a six-man 32km race. Other members of this team were Jon Matthews, Clayton Gibson, Anaru Robin and Hemi Brown.

The Whangarei-hosted nationals attracted 600 paddlers from 35 clubs. Lenden, Daly and Schroder helped their club win the top club award at last month's Police Nationals in Auckland. Daly was also a member of a second-placed crew at a recent Takapuna-hosted 42km race.

This was a six-man event involving a nine-paddler crew and change overs where paddlers swap at each change over.

Three teams from the Heretaunga Ararau o Ngati Kahungunu Waka Ama Roopu will be in action at the Lake Taupo-hosted Te Wheke Challenge today. They will also race over 18km and one of the crews is a six-man 70-plus team.