Local paddler Zack Mutton (right) powers past Callum Parker, on his way to third place in Sunday's Kaituna Timetrial near Rotorua. PHOTO/ JAMIE TROUGHTON - Dscribe Media.
Local paddler Zack Mutton (right) powers past Callum Parker, on his way to third place in Sunday's Kaituna Timetrial near Rotorua. PHOTO/ JAMIE TROUGHTON - Dscribe Media.
Making the podium amid a world-class field of kayakers is one thing - but Zack Mutton was more stoked with finally beating his dad.
The 16-year-old Okere Falls paddler took third-place in Sunday's Kaituna Timetrial, headed only by Olympians Vavra Hradilek (Czech Republic) and top Kiwi Mike Dawson.
It continued a rich vein of mighty Mutton performances in the event but also represented a changing of the guard.
Zack's father Kenny went in as defending champion, having won the 2015 edition and the 2012 title, while also picking up podium spots in 2013 and 2014.
But the 45-year-old former freestyle guru and kayak designer could 'only' clock 6mins 37.52secs for the forearm-burning classic, good enough for seventh overall and 5secs adrift of his jubilant eldest son.
"It's been a goal for a while but to finally get him was a pretty good feeling," Zack Mutton said. "He hasn't been training very much and has been looking after my little brother but I'm sure this will fire him up to train more."
Mutton Snr knew this day was coming and greeted the news with a wry smile on the finish line. His son has had a rich diet of top-level coaching, not only of the paternal kind but also from Dawson and Hradilek, for each of the last seven summers as they trained at Okere Falls.
The international canoe slalom stars have taken the younger Mutton under their wings and he's got a big future, within sight of his 17th birthday in March.
He finished 19th in the semifinals of the ICF junior canoe slalom world championships in Poland in July, despite having another three years in the age-group, crediting Dawson and Hradilek with much of that improvement.
"I definitely feel like I'm getting better but I've still got a long way to go. They teach me so much - how to race, how to train, technique and even how to chill out."
Meanwhile Hradilek overcame jet-leg, and a fair dollop of emotion to win his second Kaituna Timetrial title on Sunday.
Czech paddler Vavra Hradilek on his way to victory in the weekend's Kaituna Timetrial - a qualifying event for this week's Whitewater XL. PHOTO/ JAMIE TROUGHTON - Dscribe Media.
The 2012 Olympic canoe slalom silver medallist and 2013 world champion headed his good friend and top Kiwi Dawson by just over a second on the spectacular run down the Kaituna River, which takes paddlers over a series of Grade 5 rapids and waterfalls.
Hradilek is in New Zealand for this week's inaugural Whitewater XL event in Auckland, with the Kaituna race also doubling as qualifying for Sunday's Boatercross final at Vector Wero Whitewater Park. But he's also delighted to be back at his second home, at Okere Falls.
"I'm super-stoked to win, for sure, and it feels good to beat Mike on his home river but it's just great to have that many people around and to be back on the Kaituna," Hradilek said.
His time of 6mins 27.49secs helped him add to the title he won in 2013 -a second clear of 2014 winner Dawson, who clocked 6:28.67.
Mutton in third with fellow Okere Falls product Jamie Sutton fourth and another Czech star, Via Prindis, fifth.
Hradilek has been coming to Okere Falls every summer since 2009 but the winner said this trip was much more emotional after he got to paddle the stretch of river where hugely popular New Zealand representative Louise Jull drowned last year.
"We paddled the lower gorges the other day and that was really emotional but I felt like something was up there," he said. "I was so scared but I really needed to do it. I'll always remember her and she left a spirit which we've just got to carry on. That's the most important thing about the community here."
Meanwhile, Frenchwoman Nouria Newman completed an all-overseas podium in the women's race, though her margin was even smaller than the men's division.
French paddler Nouria Newman on her way to victory in the women's field at Sunday's Kaituna Timetrial. PHOTO/ JAMIE TROUGHTON - Dscribe Media.
With a time of 6:46.92, Newman was just 0.60secs ahead of British paddler Sandra Hyslop, who won last month's Adidas Sickline extreme world title in Austria. Martina Wegman (Holland) was third in 6:59.17, just ahead of leading Kiwi Nikki Kelly.
Newman only arrived in the country this week and she needed a 43sec improvement in her second run to capture the title.
"With slalom, we're not used to racing for that long," Newman explained. "I'm happy I pulled off a good run but Sandra is really fast and that was really hard. I had less energy in the second run but I had better lines into the rapids and I was a bit calmer."
