Kenny Mutton continued his love affair with the Wairoa River while fellow Okere Falls paddler Louise Urwin finally shed a run of bad luck at one of New Zealand's most prestigious extreme kayaking events.
The pair won the men's and women's titles respectively at the 2013 Wairoa Extreme, held near Tauranga on a stretch of river embracing the grade five Waterfall and Rollercoaster rapids.
For Mutton, it was a continuation of his ageless form in the event, which he first won in 2002. He also won in 2008 and his latest win left him in exalted company as one of only two men - with Donald Johnstone - to have won the race three times.
The 41-year-old beat Rotorua-based Canadian Tyler Fox in a dramatic final, which saw Fox forced left on the first drop and take several seconds to right himself.
"I wondered about paddling back and getting him out of the Waterfall so we could start the race again but then he popped out so I carried on," Mutton explained. "I wasn't thinking straight going into the next section and ended up getting stuck in there but luckily so did he. Luck definitely plays a big part in this race and I had it with me today."