32nd Te Wānanga O Aotearoa Waka Ama Sprint Nationals

21 January 

That’s a wrap on day 5!

Another great day here at the 32nd Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Waka Ama Sprint Nationals! Today we had our first day of adult team racing, with 6 paddler races (W6) and 12 paddler races (W12) over 500m and 1000m distances. Seeing the adult team races is another highlight for paddlers and spectators alike, the skill range is huge, from a 73-year-old who just started paddling last year, right through to 4th generation waka ama folk, some people look so natural on the water you’d think they were born on the waka.

We had 14 teams of corporate paddlers come today to take to the water and vie for medals in the cup and championship finals. We would like to thank all corporate teams for their support to help us host the biggest water sport event happening anywhere in the world. Nga mihi nunui ki a koutou katoa, thank you teams, together we’re making a massive splash!

Tomorrow we’re continuing with the 1000m and the premier 1500m races, this single race has 5 turns! – steerers skills and paddlers coordination will be tested here! We also have 8 W12 finals, which will get the crowds going wild!

© Scoop Media