Wanganui's Max Brown and Mana's Kurtis Imrie beat the New Zealand K2 team on their way to winning the 1000m title at the Blue Lakes regatta at the weekend.PHOTO/JAMIE TROUGHTON, DSCRIBE MEDIA SERVICES
Wanganui's Max Brown and Mana's Kurtis Imrie beat the New Zealand K2 team on their way to winning the 1000m title at the Blue Lakes regatta at the weekend.PHOTO/JAMIE TROUGHTON, DSCRIBE MEDIA SERVICES
Wanganui kayaker Max Brown had a new partner but similar success after teaming with Mana paddler Kurtis Imrie to win the K2 1000m senior title at the Blue Lakes regatta in Rotorua at the weekend.
As the traditional season opener for Canoe Racing NZ, the teenagers caused a stir byfinishing ahead of the national representatives Scott Bicknell and Marty McDowell.
A regular partner of Wanganui's Aiden Nossiter, 19-year-old Brown is now attending Victoria University and linked up with trainee electrician Imrie, 18, in Wellington.
They raced each other at the Kayak Krazy series in Lake Wiritoa in August, with Imrie winning, and have only competed together four times as a K2 team.
"We thought we'd have a good crack against some of the other boys but then found ourselves alongside Scotty and Marty halfway along, we thought we'd better give them a nudge," Imrie said.
"We waited for our chance and just got them on the line. We were stoked and that's given us a lot of confidence." Brown and Imrie backed up that effort with third in the K2 200m, which was won by Bicknell and Bay of Plenty teammate Taris Harker.
Imrie came fifth in the K1 1000m at the ICF junior world championships, where Brown entered with the K4 in the Under 23 championships and finished ranked 13th.
The next event is the second Blue Lakes regatta in early December.
