In last month’s Ki Uta Ki Tai Challenge, in Te Anau, each one of the club’s teams finished on the podium — five of them in first place.
Team Matariki, a J16 girls’ team, had an impressive finish, winning the 1.5km race in their division, while also managing to beat the J19 boys.
Another J16 girls’ team, Team Mako, also topped the podium racing against the J19 boys’ and J16 girls’ and mixed crews.
Team Whai, the third Whakatipu J16 girls’ team, came second overall with a time of 17:35 — beating the J19 boys’ time of 19:45.
Additionally both the Tahuna Masters Mixed and Tahuna Masters Wahine won their 10km races, and Tahuna Men won the 15km race.
Whakatipu Waka Ama president Frances Piacun says she’s very proud of the result and continued growth of the sport, given 10 years ago she was the only one here who knew how to paddle.
She’s also proud of the way the rangitahi conduct themselves on the waka ama stage.
"They embody the waka ama values of manaakitanga (hospitality and generosity), whanaungatanga (kinship), hauora (health and wellbeing) and tu tangata (standing together)," she says.
The next major events for the club are the New Zealand nationals, next month, followed by the New Zealand secondary school nationals in March.
