The elite men's team won gold in the 500m race at the world championships and included three Northland paddlers, Richard Pehi (back left), standing next to Tupu King and Steve Roulston (front left).
The elite men's team won gold in the 500m race at the world championships and included three Northland paddlers, Richard Pehi (back left), standing next to Tupu King and Steve Roulston (front left).
It's been a golden start for Northland waka ama paddlers competing against the world's best.
The elite men's team for the 500m race with three Northland paddlers Richard Pehi, Tupu King and Steve Roulston, took the lead early and won convincingly on the opening day of competition at the WakaAma World Championships on the Sunshine Coast in Australia.
The elite squad racing the 1500m men's race collected a bronze and was steered by Northland's Conan Herbert and included his brother Sean and Whangarei's Jamille Ruka.
Not to be outdone was Rose King, of Taipa, in the elite women's team which had a clean sweep in their division, showing they are the best in the world by winning all three of their races.
The podium finishes were reward for hours spent on the water training as individuals and at team camps over the last six months. Roulston, a builder from Whangarei, said the crew stuck to their game plan.
"We were up at the half way so we kept as is and didn't need to go to plan B. Big team effort all round."
Rose King told television reporters after the race it was: "A big fat satisfaction that we won."
With the elite racing finished club races began yesterday with plenty of Northland paddlers competing. The regatta is the biggest competition in the 17-year history of the event, which shows how waka ama has developed as a sport.
