Waka Ama Ki Whitianga! 2023 Waka Ama Long Distance Nationals

Kua tae te wā! Waka Ama ki Whitianga! The 2023 Waka Ama Long Distance Nationals was officially opened today with a pōwhiri from haukāinga welcoming over a thousand paddlers from across Aotearoa to the shores of Te Whanganui-a-Hei (Mercury Bay). The pōwhiri, led by haukāinga Ngāti Hei, signified the beginning of the event and brought paddlers together to pay respects to the haukāinga, the whenua, and the moana and to acknowledge the past, present, and future of waka ama before the competitive racing kicks in.

Waka Ama NZ CEO, Lara Collins, says “It is important for us to begin all our Waka Ama NZ national events with a pōwhiri. It is a way for us to bring together our waka ama whānau before racing and acknowledge the haukāinga of where our event is taking place”.

Prior to the pōwhiri, it was a busy day of preparation and set up as event hosts (Te Puku o Te Ika Region, Whitianga Waka Ama, Hauraki Waka Ama, Te Āputa Tira Hoe and Te Whānau Waka Ama o Whangamata, in association with Waka Ama New Zealand) transformed Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, into a waka ama hub of activity. Marques went up, vendors selling kai, coffee and goods arrived, registration and safety checks began, and the first race briefing was delivered ahead of tomorrow's racing.

Leanne Petersen from Whitianga Waka Ama says, “The 2023 Waka Ama Long Distance Nationals promises to be an exciting event and with a record-breaking number of entries this will be an excellent opportunity for families to come together and support their community while enjoying a family-friendly event. The organisers encourage families to come and support the participants and get behind the individuals and teams that have entered. There will also be a market area with some amazing artwork, clothing and food stalls selling all your favourites on each competition day”.

The event has caught the eye of Whitianga locals as the community welcomes hundreds of paddlers from across Aotearoa. The event has received great support from the Thames-Coromandel District Council.

TCDC Mayor Len Salt says, “We’re very excited that Whitianga is hosting the 2023 Waka Ama Long Distance Nationals. It’s not often that the Coromandel hosts national-level sporting competitions, but we think everyone will agree that Mercury Bay is well suited to this kind of nautical event. It also ties in so well with the area’s seafaring legacy, going right back to Kupe and other historic navigators. We’re expecting a great time, with more than 1,000 competitors plus all their supporters and whānau.”

Te Toki Voyaging Trust who have travelled from Tāmaki Makaurau on their beautiful Waka Hourua, Haunui, will be a spectacular sight in the bay over the next few days. The waka arrived in Whitianga today and will be supporting the event from the water. Be sure to head down and check out the magnificent view of our waka whānau out on the waters together.

Racing will commence from Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, tomorrow (Friday 21 April) at 8.30 am. This event is free for all whānau to come down and watch some awesome racing take place. There will be an array of vendors selling kai, coffee, and goods at the event so come on down to enjoy the atmosphere here at the 2023 Waka Ama Long Distance Nationals.

Statistics:

Clubs: 56

Paddlers: 1045

Races: 6

Race days: 2

Key links:

2023 LDNs - Event Information, Race Schedule, Results

2023 LDNs - Event Statistics

Waka Ama NZ website: wakaama.co.nz

Waka Ama NZ Facebook: wakaama

Waka Ama NZ Instagram: wakaamanz

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