Last week the New Zealand Waka Ama national sprint championships were held at Lake Karapiro. The 2025 version of the event was the biggest in the history of waka ama with 3875 paddlers competing.

This was an increase of four percent on last year but, more encouragingly, it was a 19 percent increase in paddlers aged under 16.

Tarawera Outrigger Canoe Club from Whakatāne contributed with seven teams: Three taitama (6-9 years), one taitamahine (6-9 years) and three intermediate (10 -12 years).

On top of that, Tarawera OCC also had a J19 (16 -18 years) girls’ team participating, which hasn’t happened for some time in the history of the club.

The J19 girls team, coached by Mark Roozendaal, performed well above expectations, reaching the semi-final in the W6 500 metre straight race.

Even more impressive was their performance in the Premier Women W12 500m straight race where they teamed up with Autaikura, one of the two Premier Women teams from Tarawera OCC.

They reached the semi final in a very competitive class, but their most valuable experience was having a close look how a premier elite team prepares itself.

Intermediate paddlers Whakaari, coached by Hemi Wahapango and Kaedyn Thrupp, won their first W6 500m turn race during nationals and celebrated it if they were just crowned champions.

With the win, they progressed to the semi-finals in what was by far the biggest division of the championship with 60 teams competing. The other Tarawera OCC intermediate girls team, Tūrehu, coached by Tui McCaull, also qualified for the semi-finals.

In the W12 500m straight race, the girls marched on up to the final and finished 8th – impressive given they started paddling only two months ago.

The boys' intermediate team GeeOne, coached by Wahapango, teamed up with a Karapiro team and paddled their way into the semi-final of the W12 500m in which they finished 6th, just short of getting into the final.

For the four taitama and taitamahine teams, having a couple of fun days on the water was the main aim.

Some teams also picked up some prizes in the W12. The taitama team Mataatua, steered by Richard Thrupp, combined with Taumata from Tauranga to paddle to their silver ribbon.

The other two taitama teams, Toroa and Irakewa, came together very close by finishing just outside the medals in their final.

The taitamahine team Wairaka, steered by Thrupp, combined with Ngā Kahoe o Te Puaha to achieve a bronze medal.

Apart from racing in W6 and W12 teams, paddlers had the opportunity to race on an individual basis in W1 canoes.

Tarawera OCC paddlers participated in almost all age groups with Awa Thrupp being the youngest and Max Holder being the most senior competitor.

All progressed to their semi-finals with some reaching finals and winning some medals, such as McCaull’s silver in Master Women.

Most noteworthy was the performance of Awa. Participating in her first national championships in the intermediate girls W1 group, she went all the way to the final, finishing only 0.22 seconds outside the bronze medal.

Tarawera OCC also entered three adult teams in the nationals: two Premier Women and a Senior Master Men's team.

Autaikura, one of the Premier Women's teams, did extremely well by winning the W6 1500 (5) turns race in a dominant fashion and becoming New Zealand champion.

This team, built around McCaull, a Trident High School teacher, secured bronze in the W6 500m straight race.

Several members of Autaikura were also a part of the winning TPOTI regional W12 team.

The other Premier Women, Paewhiti, reached the semi finals of the W6 500m straight race, finishing 8th.

In the W6 1500 (5) turns race, they finished third in their heat but, unfortunately, this was still not good enough to reach the semi’s. This division was crowded with a lot of teams missing out progressing to the next round.

The Senior Master Men team called “Martin’s Team” in honour of Martin Vanderaa, who due to a medical situation was not able to paddle this year, reached, to their surprise, the finals of their W6 1000 (3) turn race and finished 8th. They said having a very experienced steerer was a win in the sometimes difficult windy conditions at Laka Karapiro.

Meanwhile, Raanj Rapana can call herself the Whakatāne golden girl of waka ama paddling after securing three golden medals with her Taupō-based Master Women team and as a part of the TPOTI regional W12 team.

And Thrupp, aside from steering the Wairaka Taitamahine team around, being a support for Whakaari and his younger sister, Awa, managed to secure a golden medal in the J 19 W6 500m straight race with his Horouta Tama Ki Te Rangi team.

Wahapango, Brandon Wilson, Richard Thrupp and Mark Roozendaal, along with all their coaching duties, paddled under the banner of the Ruamata Waka Ama Club and scored a bronze medal in the W12 500m. Wahapango also secured a golden medal as part of the TPOTI regional team.

From Waka Ama ō Whakatāne, Sonia Stewart and Rose Herewini, paddling for Horouta, secured bronze medals in the Golden Master Women Class.

Ivan Hindmarsh paddled this year for Ruamata and reached semi-finals in both the straight and turn races. Emma Thomas, Tracey Zander and Lilian Wharewera were paddling with On Whaea, a Master Women team from Opōtiki, Kura Ki Tai Waka Ama club.

After this succesful 2025 National Sprint Championship, the Whakatāne Waka Ama community will focus on long distance paddling by participating in a number of events organised within the Bay of Plenty region.

They include the annual Whakatāne Heads to Harbour Race on March 8, which the community is invited to come along and watch from Mataatua Reserve on Muriwai Drive.