Hākinakina iwi Kāinga: Rotorua the ideal event and training destination for top paddlers

Pipi Uhl in action. Photo / Supplied

Hakinakina community news is a weekly update on our own local community sports and athletes.

Our top Rotorua paddlers have returned home from an epic summer competing across Europe.

George Snook shared the journey with siblings River and Zack Mutton, and Pipi and Michel Uhl.

All these athletes are from Rotorua and "cut their teeth" on the local rivers and lakes in our region.

The Norway World Championships was the feature where George and River placed second in the Senior Extreme Kayak event.

Zack was a creditable 15th, whilst Pipi and Michel had some solid performances in the Youth and U23 categories.

George has had a huge rise in the world kayaking rankings since being named Grom of the Year in 2021, and he is the current Oceania U23 champ.

His summer will be occupied with work, alongside training in our beautiful local rivers and lakes. Their collective immediate focus will be the 2023 Nationals and Oceania Champs, which are early in the new year.

Then, the countdown gets real as some of them eye a shot at the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. George, 19, remembers his early days as a 3-year-old on our beautiful Kaituna and Okere rivers.

Okere to Paris… what a journey.

Pipi Uhl can't keep out of the limelight on her return home, as she was recognised at the Rotorua Lakes High School Sports Prize Giving with the ultimate Sportsperson of the Year Award for her amazing feats on the water.

She was honoured by the whole school with an emotional haka.

While she was a bit shy for the attention, I think it is something she is going to have to get used too.

For your Rotorua community sports news and stories, please contact Crispian.stewart@eves.co.nz