Canoeing: From the surf ski to the outrigger

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The Dunedin Fire and Ice Outrigger Canoe Club crew trains on Otago Harbour. Pictured (from left) are Peter Haslemore, Graeme Ramshaw, Kelvin Williams, Rob Cunningham and Graeme Newton (stroke). Photo by Gerard O'Brien.

A team of old St Clair Surf Club-mates will face a new challenge when they compete in the 37km Around Rarotonga outrigger canoe race next week.

They are members of the Fire in the Ice Outrigger Canoe Club and will be competing in the masters aged 50 to 59 grade.

"We have been ocean paddling on surf skis all our lives and felt it was now time to try a few different things," stroke Graeme Newton said.

"Paddling in the ocean has been a popular pastime of ours. We are treating the race as another adventure."

The ocean race was first held in 2004 and is the largest annual sports event held annually in the Polynesian islands.

A total of 600 paddlers will compete in 70 crews over the different grades.

There are nine squad members, but only six can be in the canoe at one time.

"We will alternate our crew every 20 minutes and have been practising the deep water crew change at Karitane and Doctors Point," Newton said.

The crew is serious about the race and has trained on the Otago Harbour twice a week during the winter months.

All members of the crew have had a long connection with surf life-saving in Dunedin and are accomplished swimmers.

The team is: Graeme Newton (stroke), Peter Haslemore, Peter Laing, Greg Page, Brendan O'Neill, Murray Turner, Rob Cunningham, Kelvin Williams, Graeme Ramshaw.