Blairmania swept Kerikeri as America's Cup winning sailor and Olympic gold medallist Blair Tuke visited his home town on Friday.Taking a short break from training for a round-the-world race, Tuke spent the day signing countless autographs and posing for innumerable selfies, first at Kerikeri Retirement Village, then Kerikeri Primary, and finally at his former schools Kerikeri High and Riverview Primary.
He was given a rock-star welcome wherever he went, and that was just from the kids. The teachers were even more excited.
At Kerikeri Primary he was treated to a new entrants performance, then handed out achievement certificates and prizes for an America's Cup poster competition. He gave a short speech urging the kids to set goals and work hard to achieve them, "because when you do it's really satisfying and lots of fun".
Tuke was invited to add his signature to the bilingual unit's cloak, alongside those of other famous visitors, and, once the assembly was over, he was mobbed by pupils wanting his autograph on everything from hands to sneakers to school uniforms (there may have been a few cross mums in Kerikeri last night).