Hastings 16-year-old Oscar Jarvis clinches gold at inaugural national secondary schools canoeing regatta

Oscar Jarvis became the first person to win gold in his section at the inaugural NZ Secondary Schools Canoe Racing National Championships.

Hawke’s Bay student Oscar Jarvis won big at the newly introduced Canoe Racing NZ secondary schools regatta, which could become the canoeing equivalent of rowing’s Maadi Cup.

Jarvis emerged victorious in two categories at the NZ Waka Ama and NZ Secondary Schools Canoe Racing National Championships regatta at Tikitapu Blue Lakes in Rotorua.

After a heated battle with top-tier racers, the Year 12 Lindisfarne student clinched the marquee under-18 250m championship title and anchored the winning Canoe Racing NZ (CRNZ) combined school 100m relay team.

The 250m competition had all the tension you would expect from an elite athlete race.

Jarvis gained an early half-length lead, but a steering error by fellow NZ kayaker Maxwell Kennedy, of Gisborne, in a neighbouring lane caused Kennedy to glance at Jarvis’ boat, interrupting his stroke rhythm.

But Jarvis was up to the challenge, regaining his composure and extending his lead to win by nearly a full length, with Gisborne paddler Maia Campbell second and Tahitian Manoa Foucaud Brander coming in third.

Jarvis was selected in the 2023 New Zealand team for the Asia Pacific regatta and is part of CRNZ’s National Pathway Programme and NZ High-Performance Hawke’s Bay Youth Programme under the guidance of Angus Warwick-LeBretton.

He is also a remote member of the North Shore Kayak Club in Auckland, coached by Gavin Elminger.

Jarvis said he was “immensely proud” to have won the first national U18 sprint title, representing Lindisfarne and Hawke’s Bay.

He was thankful for the support and guidance of Elminger, Warwicker-LeBretton, and those at Waka Ama NZ for allowing the canoe racing code to participate in the event.