Motueka hosted the second Top of the South Waka Ama Winter Series today at Kaiteretere. Crews from Onetahua (Golden Bay), Maitahi (Nelson) and Motueka clubs with a lone representative from Whakatu Marae Waka Ama club (Tracey Kingi). The weather has been so wet all week with flooding in parts. However, today we just had a perfect window for the races, flat calm and no wind.
The places were hotly contested but the home club came out todays winner on points by quite a long way. They had five W6 crews on the water; womens crew, a Rangatahi girls crew, a Rangatahi boys crew and 2 mens crews.
First race of the day were the oneman, twoman and 3 man waka. Second race were the W6 club crews and the third race was a mix it up race (altho’ one wonders just how ‘mixed up’ it was!) A lot of fun was had by all.
I’m not sure of all the results (exact points). I know :
- Maitahi won the womens double (Kilmeny & Mars).
- Zoe (V1) came second in the ladies oneman (First was Ronnie in an OC1)
- Jan and Linda came third equal (both in V1s) in the ladies oneman.
- Evan and Dean came 2nd and 3rd in the mens oneman paddling OC1s.
- Maitahi ladies won the W6 Ladies race by a couple of waka lengths in a very hotly contested race against Motueka ladies crew.
- John’s Maitahi mixed crew won the mixed W6 and the other Maitahi mixed crew came second.
- Motueka Men won 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the mens W6
It was the first race for both Zoe and Linda paddling V1 – well done ladies. A really good effort Maitahi. Well done.
If anyone else has the full results can you let me know please.
Bonus points went to the Onetahua W2 crew who found themselves without a waka and so they paddled one around from Stephens Bay just in time to start the race!
A huge thank you to the Motueka Waka Ama club for organising such a great event. As always they put on a veritable feast at the end. The kai was great – best of all was the hot soup and fried bread! Thank you to the wonderful cooks.
If anyone would like copies of the originals of these photos just let me know: [email protected]
Where’s Katie 
Ah – there she is 
And they are off 
Maitahi Ladies coming in just ahead of Motueka 
Its never too early or too late to start paddling waka ama
We always welcome new members to the Maitahi Outrigger Canoe Club.
We have social and racing waka ama crews catering for a wide variety of ages and abilities.