Three Wanganui waka ama teams have kicked off their campaign at the National Waka Ama Sprint Championships on Lake Karapiro this week.
Tai Tonga 41, MST Te Awa Tipua (featuring Wanganui boys) and Te Ringa Miti Tai Heke Whanganui have all ventured north to take on 61 clubs from acrossthe country.
The crew of under-10s boys finished 6th in the 250m final, 7th in the 500m semifinal and 6th in the W12 semifinal. MST Te Awa Tipua spokesperson Brendon Morgan said the juniors' campaign was over but they were looking forward to returning. It had been a "transformative experience" under coach Ian Filo.
Te Ringa Miti Tai Heke Whanganui had one race yesterday with its under-16 girls not advancing from the 500m heat.
At the 26th ActivePost National Waka Ama Sprint Championships with clubs racing for national sprint title in their outrigger canoes, paddlers compete in 10 age groups.
Waka Ama New Zealand chief executive Lara Collins said this year's Sprint Nationals promised to be the biggest yet.
"We had record numbers last year and we've broken that record again this year with close to 3000 paddlers signed up to race. We've got crews coming from all over the country and even overseas, with three women's crews from Papua New Guinea coming for the first time to add international flavour alongside some Australian crews," she said.
