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Poor Knights Crossing

Poor Knights Crossing

Power Paddlers Line Up For Poor Knights Crossing. Camaraderie may morph into rivalry when several members of the Aotearoa elite waka ama squad switch to their OC1 waka for this year’s much anticipated Poor Knights Crossing open ocean downwind race on September 3.


Billed as the ‘toughest open ocean downwind in NZ’ the Poor Knights Crossing has already piqued the interest with many of the Aotearoa elite paddlers who hauled home a bunch of gold medals from the World Sprint Championships held in Australia this year.

Sean Herbert, Tupu King, Richard Pehi and Stephen Roulston, who were all part of the gold medal winning OC6 500m crew in Australia, are all expected to line up for the Poor Knights Crossing along with many more of the elite mens and womens crews.

Many paddlers will use the event as a build up race for the Waka Ama NZ Long Distance Nationals to be held in Tauranga three weeks after.

Our elite waka ama athletes will also mix it up with some of the best surfski exponents who are also indicating they will be travelling from Australia to race, joining a cabal of Kiwi surfski paddlers including defending womens surfski paddler Rachel Clarke and Australian legend Dean Gardiner.

The third running of the New Zealand’s 30km Poor Knights Crossing Oceanski and Waka Ama downwind paddling is also giving diehard ocean paddlers the unique chance to experience two internationally rated events the south pacific waters on consecutive weekends.

The Poor Knights Crossing, which includes a 24km open ocean section on some testy waters on New Zealand’s northern Pacific Ocean coastline, is set for the first week of September, just seven days before the Maaramu race in Tahiti.

It is an opportunity Poor Knights Crossing race director Tim Eves hopes will tempt paddlers to venture from waters afar, with hopes of attracting paddlers from Australia top of his wishlist along with competitors from South Africa’s surfski hotbed.

“In tailwind conditions it won’t be a slog,” Tim explains, “I’ve been out there in conditions that are quite mind blowing from a downwind paddling perspective. There are ramps of waves just lined up and they just keep coming.”

“Really, I just have this desire to have paddlers from anywhere on the planet get the chance to dip their blades in these waters, and maybe having two top races on the menu could be the carrot to get them here.”

A growing list of paddlers in both disciplines (ocean ski, waka ama) are booking limited spots on the ferry craft as they eye the chance to paddle from an internationally renowned marine sanctuary back to one what has been rated by National Geographic as one of the top ten most scenic coastal settings at the finish line inside Tutukaka Harbour.

There is a unique list of prizes up for grabs this year, including Poor Knights lillies (a plant unique to the islands) from event sponsors Tawapou Coastal Natives and unique art work of the islands from Tutukaka artist Steve Moase.

 The Poor Knights Islands provides a mythical aspect to the race, including a race start inside the world’s biggest sea cave (Rikoriko Cave), a paddle through massive natural rock archways before the race fleet even start the 24km to the finish line. 

The history of the  Poor Knights Islands is fascinating - the site of an infamous 1820 Maori massacre, and a place shrouded in mystery and spiritual significance to this day, the Islands act as a focus point for all who live in the area.

Sponsored by Strongarm, Power in the Water, Dive! Tutukaka, Tawapou Coastal Natives, Yachtbot GPS Trackers and Moana Nui, the event is set for Saturday, September 3. Entries close on August 20.

 

Paddlers will be ferried out to the startline by Dive! Tutukaka and escorted home by the seven boats in the Dive! Tutukaka fleet.

 

All paddlers will be vetted before entry is accepted, with evidence of open ocean paddling a requirement for registration.  Paddlers can submit their names for registration by emailing racedirector@poorknightscrossing.com

The event has five different course options to ensure a majority of downwind racing, but all efforts will be made to stage the race over the preferred Poor Knights to Tutukaka course or, in a westerly, from Tutukaka Harbour to a finish line inside Rikoriko Cave at the Poor Knights.

Photo Gallery (click to enlarge)

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