Source: Radio New Zealand
Te Rau Oranga o Ngāti Kahungunu Waka Ama Club, J16 Men compete at the Waka Ama Sprint Nationals. Supplied/Waka Ama Aotearoa NZ
This years Waka Ama Sprint Nationals have seen 800 more paddlers take to the water than last year, which organisers say reflects the growth of the sport in Aotearoa.
The week long competition wraps up on Saturday at Lake Karapiro in Waikato.
Waka Ama Aotearoa New Zealand (WAANZ) chief executive Lara Collins told RNZ there are 4700 kaihoe at this years competition and she believes its the largest event Lake Karapiro has had.
There are some 100 waka ama clubs from Kaitaia to Invercargill in Aotearoa, with four or five new clubs getting started in 2025, she said..
“We’re just seeing an increase of clubs, an increase of paddlers and just a general wave of more people participating in Waka Ama, whether that’s competitively or socially, or just for their hauora (health) in their life. It’s certainly more than just a sport. It is a way of life for lots of people, and it’s very cool that lots more people are wanting to do it.”
There are also some 900 taitamariki paddlers, aged between five and 10 competing at Nationals, she said.
“There’s a lot of little kids running around, which is so, so good… They’re the future of our sport, and it’s just great to see so many kids happy, having a great time, and all of their whānau, because for every cute five, six, seven-year-old that’s here, they bring with them four or five or six whānau members to watch them.”
Collins said managing the growth of the sport is a good problem to have and WAANZ is working to ensure they can manage it in a way that ensures the capacity of the sport is sustainable.
WAANZ chief executive Lara Collins (left). RNZ / REECE BAKER
Spots at World Champs in Singapore up for grabs
The event is also a qualifier for the 2026 International Va’a Federation World Sprint Championships happening in Singapore in August.
“So we have a number of… club teams that are trying to qualify to go to the World Club Championships in Singapore. And that just adds another level of competition here at the event and a little bit more excitement,” Collins said.
Six teams in each age category, from Junior 16 to Master 75, can qualify for the World Championships and in for singles racing three people in each age category can qualify, she said. There are also three spots available in the double hull W12 per age division.
“We will end up with a New Zealand contingent of around about 600 paddlers going to Singapore in August, which is quite a huge contingent of people to be sending overseas. And it’s a great experience for those paddlers that are going and for some of them, really life-changing to be representing Aotearoa and their club and their community at a World Championship.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
