Saturday’s events included a relay of four legs of 5km each (won by Ngati Rehia’s Seven Kidneys team, so called because one of the four paddlers gave up a kidney for a sick family member), midget races for the youngest paddlers, and mid-distance races (6km and 10km) in the W6 class.

On Sunday W6 were to complete a 25km race but due to conditions the course changed and it was 23km, this race is called Te Taiawhio o Ipipiri, a race founded 25 years ago by waka ama legend Kris Kjelsden and revived after a 17-year absence.  

Competitors for the Te Taiawhio o Ipipiri race were;

Team Toots (masters men, Parihaka Waka Ama Club, Whangarei)

Team Kina (Mitamitiaga o le Pasefika Va’a-alo Canoe Club, Tutukaka

Team Miti (masters women, Mitamitiaga)

Fat Oysters (J19,  Kaihoe o Ngati Rehia, Te Tii)

ACDC (senior masters men, Ngati Rehia)

Terminal Velocity (senior masters men, Ngati Rehia)

Guns n Roses (senior masters mixed, Waitakere Outrigger Canoe Club, Auckland)

Tai Tokerau Women (golden masters women, Ngati Rehia)

Make It Up (open women, Ngati Rehia).

Place getters were;

1. Team Toots (masters men, Parihaka Waka Ama Club, Whangarei);
2. Team Kina (Mitamitiaga o le Pasefika Va’a-alo Canoe Club, Tutukaka);
3. Team Miti (masters women, Mitamitiaga);
4. Fat Oysters (J19,  Kaihoe o Ngati Rehia, Te Tii);

For more photos and info head to https://www.facebook.com/BOIwaka/