Stories
All Stories
WAKA AMA at NZ Masters Games
Whanganui awa put on a serene weekend for a revival effort to include waka ama in the New Zealand Master Games tournament alongside 65 other sports codes.
Around 200 competitors, spectators, volunteers enjoyed competitively entertaining aggressive racing, with medal contending events on Day 1 of 500mtr, 1km, and 2km distances, men, women, and mixed categores.
Medals were presented by Whanganui Kaumatua John Maihi, 2010 World Sprints NZ Womens Head Coach Howard Hyland, 2010 World Sprints NZ Womens Golden Master 3 times gold medalists - team Maranga Mai captain Gaylene Sciascia. Announces were co-race directors - the Secretary of Nga Kaihoe o Aotearoa National Organisation Charmaine Matiaha and local waka ama club secretary Anne Kauika.
Day 2 was planned to be a 5km novelty event however the organisers were overwhelmed with euphoria and impressed that competitors returned after a great night at the Games Village that prizes and medals were awarded.
Teams and paddlers came from as far as Auckland, Whakatane, Rotorua, Wellington, New Plymouth as well as Whanganui. There were many interests from NKOA registered paddlers that had associations with Whanganui as having whanau there or had once lived there and not returned for many years, but all efforts to leave the big cities for a weekend were in vain. As the NZ Masters Games in Whanganui is a bi-annual event the challenge is for long lost Whanganui-ites to plan now for 2013.
Thank you goes out to Toa waka ama for the use of their waka and trailer, Wanganui City College for their waka, W.E.H.E Trust and their proficient team for sharing their canoes, knowledge, skills, management, humility to support Whanganui's - Te Ringa Miti Tai Heke Waka Ama Club, which is 1 year old and in the process of affiliating to the Hoe Tonga region.
Medals were presented by Whanganui Kaumatua John Maihi, 2010 World Sprints NZ Womens Head Coach Howard Hyland, 2010 World Sprints NZ Womens Golden Master 3 times gold medalists - team Maranga Mai captain Gaylene Sciascia. Announces were co-race directors - the Secretary of Nga Kaihoe o Aotearoa National Organisation Charmaine Matiaha and local waka ama club secretary Anne Kauika.
Day 2 was planned to be a 5km novelty event however the organisers were overwhelmed with euphoria and impressed that competitors returned after a great night at the Games Village that prizes and medals were awarded.
Teams and paddlers came from as far as Auckland, Whakatane, Rotorua, Wellington, New Plymouth as well as Whanganui. There were many interests from NKOA registered paddlers that had associations with Whanganui as having whanau there or had once lived there and not returned for many years, but all efforts to leave the big cities for a weekend were in vain. As the NZ Masters Games in Whanganui is a bi-annual event the challenge is for long lost Whanganui-ites to plan now for 2013.
Thank you goes out to Toa waka ama for the use of their waka and trailer, Wanganui City College for their waka, W.E.H.E Trust and their proficient team for sharing their canoes, knowledge, skills, management, humility to support Whanganui's - Te Ringa Miti Tai Heke Waka Ama Club, which is 1 year old and in the process of affiliating to the Hoe Tonga region.
