Just turning up and trying it out

By EMMA BUTT in Taupo
Despite only having five lessons, Poppy Millar braved the waters of the Waikato River yesterday for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Kayaking Championships.

The Rotorua Girls' High School student has never competed in the sport before but decided to give racing a go in the three-day event.

"I thought I would just turn up and try it out," she said.

"It's pretty fun."

Twenty-five schools and about 130 students have gathered in Taupo for the event, competing on a slalom course as well as a down river run.

Event organiser Sharon McKenzie said there were a lot of new paddlers, like Millar, in the competition this year which was great for the sport.

Its a great way for the sport to grow by them just coming here and having a go, she said.

The course at Reids Farm on the Waikato River, just north of Taupo, has been set up permanently by the Taupo District Council and Mighty River Power and was designed by top kayakers Johann Roozenburg and Bevin Cavey.

McKenzie said the course at Reid's Farm was challenging for the students who have to negotiate their way through 20 gates along the river.

"It's an excellent course and the site has heaps of room for spectators," she said.

This year has the largest showing from Rotorua with Cameron Osborne, Daniel Dolman and Kierin Oppat from Rotorua Lakes High School, Millar, Zoe Goeth-Kerney and Claudia Korizek from Rotorua Girls' High, and Jamie and Sam Sutton from Western Heights High School.

McKenzie said it was awesome to see such a good turn out from Rotorua, as there were lots of good spots for whitewater kayaking in the area.

The three competitors from Rotorua Girls' High were all novices and started the sport after coach Mani Fornusek, an accomplished paddler, started teaching at the school.

Millar said she decided to give the sport a go after seeing it advertised in the school notices.

She found kayaking wasn't too difficult to do as long as you knew how and where to paddle.

This is the first time she has been involved in a water sport and said she can hardly swim.

"I was so scared I was going to fall out," the 14-year-old said.

Millar and the others from Girls' High have been getting some coaching from Roozenburg which she said had been a great help.

"He knows how to roll us when we tip over," she said.

Fornusek said the competition was a good chance for the girls to decide if they liked the sport and wanted to continue on.

"They are all pretty nervous but they are having a go," she said. Millar said she was hoping to carry on with the sport although thought it was going to be too cold over winter.

"I want to keep going," she said. "It is pretty exciting."

The kayaking championships finishes up today but a team will be picked from the event to head to the world junior championships in Slovenia in June.