Paddlers make a splash

Gus Kinsella was Poverty Bay Kayak Club’s only under-12 paddler racing at Tikitapu but he collected plenty of ribbons.

Poverty Bay Kayak Club paddlers made a big splash at their first regatta of the summer season, near Rotorua this month.

Tikitapu 1 is an annual event that draws top New Zealand paddlers from a wide area.

Tairāwhiti athletes won gold medals in distances ranging from 100 metres to 10 kilometres, and many produced personal-best performances on the body of water commonly known as Blue Lake.