World Rafting Champs: Kayaker Sam Sutton's hopes

Extreme kayaker Sam Sutton.

Extreme kayaking world champion Sam Sutton has joined the hunt for a medal at the up-coming 2013 World Rafting Championships.

The World Rafting Championships have never been held in New Zealand before and officially start tomorrow.

The Sutton brothers from Rotorua, Sam and Jamie, will represent the New Zealand men's rafting team at the event in Rotorua and Kawerau.

"This is my first world champs with rafting," Sam said.

"I was hoping the fitness from the kayak would transition but it is completely different. But I'm feeling a bit more confident now and I think we can get a placing."

Five rafters in the men's team hail from Rotorua, most of who have a background in white water kayaking.

"The raft is a bit of a pain to paddle compared to the kayak ... it is probably the most resistant water craft ever made," Sam said.

"To be honest at the start I was quite pessimistic about our chances but today I was going down the river and thought there is a chance we can win it, and I think we can get a medal."

The Sutton brothers will be joined by captain Bernd Sommer, Tim Pickering, Joel Flamank, Paul Roozendaal, and Ben Gibb in the New Zealand men's team.

Sam said the team were especially looking forward to racing on the Kaituna River at Okere, which includes the head-to-head and short sprint disciplines. "It is our home river and we have done the majority of our training on that section."

Racing will also be held on the Tarawera and Rangitaiki rivers near Kawerau.

The men's team will be up against the likes of defending world champions Japan next week.

"I've watched a couple of the teams training," he said. "The Japanese are like a bunch of ninjas going down the river."

Twenty-two countries are entered for the men's event which starts next Thursday, making it the biggest category at the world champs.

Event media and communications manager Richard Gee said there would be about 400 to 500 people coming into the country for the competition.

"That is good for the economy and the profile is great."

He said 10,000 people were connected to the event through social media alone.

Gee said most competitors were staying in and around Rotorua, with the hub for the world champs set up at Waiariki Institute of Technology.

Categories at the world championships include men's and women's events in the open, masters, under-23, and under-19 classes.

The competition includes four race disciplines for all teams including head-to-head, sprint, slalom, and downriver races.

For the best viewing opportunities, organisers recommend spectators attend races at the Tarawera River in Kawerau.

A feature racing day will be held on Saturday, November 23, on the Tarawera River where the open and masters teams compete in the slalom event from 10am to 5pm.

The under-23 and under-19 competitions begin tomorrow with two days of official practice.

The open and masters teams begin their official practice runs next Monday.