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Te Tohu Whakarewa Tāngata o Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa Te Tohu Whakarewa Tāngata o Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa

Te Tohu Whakarewa Tāngata o Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa

The Waka Ama NZ /Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa Board have great pleasure in announcing the establishment of a ‘virtual’ Hall of Fame on our web site to permanently recognise outstanding contributors to the sport of waka ama in New Zealand/Aotearoa. The concept of a Wall or Hall of Fame is commonly accepted practice in all nations that wish to honour people who have contributed and continue to contribute to the establishment and growth of particular sports, whether as competitors or administrators or both. However, rather than develop a physical address where recipients’ names, pictures and awards might be housed and displayed, the Board wishes instead to honour recipients with an award (tohu) that they or their whānau can keep, while also ‘publicly’ displaying the tohu in a special place on the Waka Ama NZ web site.

The Board has decided to begin the process by unilaterally selecting the first recipients of the award, which is to be known as Te Tohu Whakarewa Tāngata o Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa. The Board is therefore announcing the first recipients of the tohu at the end of this week’s National Waka Ama Sprint Nationals in 2015. The Board will continue to select the award recipients for the next 3 years after which the selection criteria will be reviewed.

Te Tohu Whakarewa Tāngata o Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa - Rationale for the Award

In line with the developing online web site historical record of the sport in New Zealand/Aotearoa, the award of Te Tohu Whakarewa Tāngata provides a further opportunity for us to preserve and honour those who have provided exemplary service to the sport, and to connect them with paddlers of today and paddlers of the future. In creating the award we declare our intention to build our own sporting legacy.

The first three recipients of this prestigious Te Tohu Whakarewa Tāngata o Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa are:

Kris Kjeldsen (Posthumously)

Matahi Brightwell

Pili Muaulu

 

The following is a brief overview of their contribution to the sport.

 These “3 wise men” are commonly referred to as the founders of the sport of waka ama here in Aoteaora/New Zealand, and together this unlikely trio’s individual strengths combined at the right place at the right time to achieve the start of the first three clubs in the country: Mareikura Canoe Club, Nga Hoe Horo Outrigger Canoe Club and Mitamitaga o le Pasefika Vaa' Alo Club – as well as the birth of Nga Kaihoe o Aotearoa Association

Kris Kjeldsen (posthumous award)

One of the founders of the sport in Aotearoa New Zealand, Kris Kjeldsen, brought the sport to Pawarenga and helped to start the Ngā Hoe Horo Canoe Club. Kris had paddled Outrigger Canoes in California in the 60’s prior to moving to New Zealand.

With his vision, his building skills, and his passion for canoes and the ocean, Kris drove the building of the first fleet of waka and the hosting of the World Sprints in 1990. He helped to start the Ngā Hoe Horo Outrigger Canoe Club and founded Moana Nui Canoe Builders, which remains to this day the main manufacturer of waka ama in New Zealand.

Sadly we lost Kris in 2011. His contribution to the sport was immense, and we are reminded of his legacy daily as we paddle Moana Nui waka on oceans, rivers and lakes throughout Aotearoa and around the world.

Here is a link to further information of Kris’s huge contribution to our sport: http://lb2.ec2.nxtbook.com/trade/pp/0811/index.php?startid=40

Matahi Brightwell: One of the founders of the sport in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Matahi’s vision was for Waka Ama to spread across the land and become common in every community in Aotearoa. He started the first club in Gisborne, New Zealand (Mareikura) and was the first President of our organisation.

His vision, shared with Kris, Pili and others, has been the back bone of our sport’s growth. He has attended every National Sprint Championship since 1990 and has continued to assist and develop new clubs around the country.  From the start of the 1st club there are now over 90 clubs throughout the land, from Kaitaia to Invercargill - an awesome achievement!  

Pili Muaulu (To be awarded in Sunshine Coast on 1st February 2015):
Another of our sports founders, Pili , originally from Samoa, moved to live in Ngunguru in the 1980’s and happened to meet  Kris Kjeldsen. They shared a passion for the environment and a love for canoeing and the ocean.  Kris assisted Pili and his family to carve a Samoan Pao-Pao (a small traditional two person fishing canoe.)  It was the first Samoan Pao-Pao to be built in Aotearoa.

Pili joined forces with Matahi and Kris to drive the bid for the 1990 World Sprints, and he worked very hard to secure the funding required to make the event and the building of the fleet of canoes happen.  Pili formed the Mitamitaga o le Pasefika Vaa' Alo Club in Ngunguru and he, Kris and Matahi really instigated the sport’s humble beginnings.  Pili proved to be a great mediator and organiser, and his skills in forming lasting relationships really rounded out the trio’s skill set.

Thank you Kris, Matahi and Pili. We would not be where we are as a sport today without you and your collective vision, drive and passion. We have great pleasure in awarding you the first Tohu Whakarewa Tāngata o Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa – the first contributors to the building of our own sporting legacy.

Ngā mihi nui,

Na Te Poari o Ngā Kaihoe o Aotearoa (Waka Ama New Zealand Board) and the national operational team.


THE DESIGN

The physical ‘tohu’ to be presented to the recipients were carved by Master Carver Korotangi Kingi (Whanau a Apanui/Tainui) and Ralph Ruka (Ngapuhi). The top of the figure represents the carved end piece of a waka taua (the taurapa, where the steerer stands), while the bottom of the figure symbolises the silver fern.  The design is, therefore, he tohu whakaihu waka – a phrase that describes the key qualities of leadership, bringing into play the notion of competition in battle on the water while also representing our country.

 


For further information please contact:
Lara Collins
[email protected]

Photo Gallery (click to enlarge)

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