Tupu King continues dominance at nationals

Tupu King emerged as the best paddler in Aotearoa by winning gold in both the premier men's w1 250m and 500m dash titles at the national waka ama champs on Lake Karapiro last Saturday. Photo / Garrick Cameron/Waka Ama NZ

Tupu King again emerged as the most successful paddler from the Far North at the 28th annual National Waka Ama Sprint Championships on Lake Karāpiro last week.

Representing the Nga Hoe Horo Outrigger Canoe Club, King took out the prestigious premier men's w1 250m dash title in a time of 1:09.14s. In the same race club stablemate Sean Herbert placed third in 1:12.03s, just behind runner Shannon Moon from Akarana in 1:11.71s.

The closeness of the trio's times in the marquee race, the 398th race on the schedule of the six day event, provided a fitting climax to this year's regatta.

King also claimed the premier men's w1 500m title in 2:21.50s.

Other gold medals were secured by Fat Oysters (from the Bay of Islands-based Kaihoe o Ngati Rehia Trust) in the J19 men 1000m final with a time of 5:00.27s, the Te Taitokerau team (Kaihoe o Ngati Rehia Trust), winning double gold in the golden master women's w6 500m and 1000m finals, and Don Munro (paddling for the Parihaka Waka Ama club) in the golden master men w1 500m final with a time of 2:33.36s.

There were also silver medals for Herbert's on Tour (Nga Hoe Horo OCC) in the premier men w6 1500m, and Kura Heke (Kaihoe o Ngati Rehia Trust) in the golden master women w1 500m.

Overview

A record number of paddlers competed at the 28th annual Te Wānanga o Aotearoa National Waka Ama Sprint Championships on Lake Karāpiro from January 16-21.

More than 1600 teams from 68 clubs - an estimated 3300 paddlers - raced for the prestigious national sprint titles across myriad divisions and 10 age groups.

Event spokesperson Lara Collins said that 2150 were aged under 19 and 1180 of those under 13.

Paddlers competed for national honours in w1, w6, w12 (teams of 12 paddlers) over 250m, 500m, 1000m and 1500m distances, with more than 60 gold medals up for
grabs.

"It was a really successful week, very positive," she said.

The 2016 National Waka Ama club points trophy for best overall performance went to Horouta Waka Hoe from Gisborne (for the sixth time in the trophy's seven-year history).

The Ace Cuthers Memorial Club Spirit Trophy - for optimising the values of waka ama being manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, hauora and tu tangata and the memory of Ace himself - went to Te Pou Herenga Waka Ama from Weymouth, Manurewa.

The most successful Far North club was Kaihoe o Ngati Rehia Trust, finishing in 10th place on the club points ladder.