Waikato Iwi U16 Team Heads To Waka Ama World Champs In Hawai’i

Waka ama has built respect for their awa in under 16-year-olds and under 19-year-olds training hard in the lead up to the world championships in Hawai’i, which start on 16 August 2024.

Each team of 6 from Raahui Pookeka / Huntly are on the water 6 times a week, each session lasting 90 minutes, in the lead up to leaving for Hilo in the Friendly Islands.

Coach Patrick Takoko who also teaches at a full-immersion wharekura, Rakaumanga school in Huntly, says of the all-Maori teams of U16 boys, and U16 and U19 girls, “We are as prepared as we can be.”

Teams have been in training for the world championships since November last year. Training on the water starts at 5.45am, when it’s still dark. On an average run, teams cover 8-10 kilometres. Paddlers also run a 10km circuit once a week, and for every training session, 4km to and from Lake Puketirini.

“They should do pretty well; they placed fourth in the national championships in their age group.”

The other coaches at Raahui Pookeka Waka Sports Club are Mark Salu and Hakopa Ngapo.

In Hawai’i, the elite championships start on Friday while the club championships in which the Huntly teams are competing start on Monday 19 August, and they fly out this Friday.

The world championships

Races are 500 metres and 1000 metres. The first distance takes around 2 minutes, and the second, 5 to 5.5 minutes.

The 500m is done in a straight run. The 1000m follows 250m course, so four lines interspersed with three turns.

“There is a lot of technicality in the turns”, Takoko says, with teams having to observe certain rules around marker buoys.

Competitions are run in heats, and a repercharge for unsuccessful teams in heats to try again.

“Generally, New Zealand teams compete well,” Takoko says.

Tahiti are the teams to watch for, he says. Also Hawai’ian teams, and those from elsewhere in New Zealand, and Australia.

Excelling at waka ama

Waka ama is a very popular sports in New Zealand; at a national secondary school level it is rivalled only by the Maadi Cup Rowing event, Takoko says. “To do well at waka ama requires commitment, a lot of fitness.”

Team members were able to play other sports until June when they had to full commit to waka ama.

As to the Maori cultural dimension, Takoko says, “It’s an integral part of what we do. The little things are important, what we do with the waka. We make sure they are facing the water. The nose will face the water.”

It’s about being consciously ready, he says. “Body language is important, how you present yourself, you need to be ready.”

“These messages get sent to our kids, translational skills from the water to the paddle to the waka, and to you, to use these skills to be ready in life.”

Takoko refers to a whakataukii - e hoki ki to awa koiora – which roughly translates as “go to your river for healing”, alternatively, “health resides in your river, so you need to return to it.”

“They learn that; they are immersed in our culture.”

To minimise costs, the Huntly team is spending as little time in Hawai’i as possible, 11 days away form school and work for parents and the support crew.

“One of those sacrifices that they have made, and their parents in terms of cost. It’s been a humbling experience.”

The Raahui Pookeka / Huntly waka ama team thank Bathurst Resources which operates the Rotowaro and Maramarua mines for its support in enabling participation in the world championships.

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