Rookie in NZ selection surprise

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Four Whanganui kayakers will be heading to Belarus for the World under-18 and under-23 championships in August, including a rookie turning heads.

After the recent trials, Wellington-based Max Brown will have another campaign with the under-23s, joined by Toby Brooke although he is under an injury cloud.

Erica Tanner has also made the under-23 squad in her first attempt after previously being in the under-18s.

The newcomer is Sapere Simon, who led the under-18 K4 bronze medal crew at the nationals in Lake Karapiro and came seventh in the K1 final.

Coach Brian Scott said Simon was so impressive on the ergometer training apparatus at the trials that the nearby men's team coach stopped working on his laptop and came over to talk to her.

"When she came and saw me afterwards, she was beside herself with excitment," Scott said.

"She's the first girl [selected] that hasn't been in a New Zealand team, so she's really pushed herself up there."

He said Brown would have some technical stuff to work on while Tanner had done well to make the under-23s, although a step behind the squad regulars.

Aiden Nossiter, after several years of peaking for both New Zealand and European summers, made himself unavailable for the trials after not feeling he had an adequate preparation, preferring instead to just train for next season.

"He basically said, 'I don't want to go overseas at 80 per cent'," Scott said.

The teams will have a training camp in Slovenia in July ahead of the world champs in Belarus in August.