Waka ama: Flaxmere's golden girls

The Flaxmere College waka ama crew which captured gold. From left are Yvonne Henare, Frances Huia, Gemini Henare-Hiki, Hope Teatuanui, Deborah Grant and Shannon Mitchell. Photo / Paul Taylor

For a short time last week the telephone at Flaxmere College went unanswered.

The school's administration staff were in celebration mode after the college won it's first gold medal after three years of participation at national secondary schools waka ama regattas. A J19 female 500m turns crew of Yvonne Henare, Frances Huia, Gemini Henare-Hiki, Hope Teatuanui, Deborah Grant and Shannon Mitchell won their eight-team bowl division of the Blue Lake, Rotorua-hosted nationals which attracted teams from 94 schools.

Head girl Henare pointed out the crew was the only Hawke's Bay team to capture gold. They stopped the clock at 2m39.12s, Wellington East Girls' College were second in 2m39.37s and Huntly College were third.

"Trust in each other, particularly our steerer was a key to our success,' Mitchell said pointing to Henare.

This is the first summer this team of 17-year-olds have been together. Last year Henare, Huia, Henare-Hiki and Mitchell were in a J19 250m crew which made a final at the nationals.

"We trained for six hours each week for the past four months at the Clive River and Awhina and Akuhata have to take a lot of the credit for our gold," Grant said referring to coaches Awhina Henare and Akuhata Hiki.

They are the parents of Henare-Hiki and have been in the Bay for four years and previously paddled for Gisborne club Horouta. Henare-Hiki, who has competed in waka ama for three years, has been selected in Kahungunu Taumata Rau J19 12 and six-person crews for next month's world championships on Australia's Gold Coast.

"It will be my first taste of world championships. Our 12-person crew finished second at the January nationals and we're wanting to podium at worlds to keep up our standard," Henare-Hiki said.

"It was great to get our school on the waka ama map. We're definitely the underdogs at this level," Grant said.

"In addition to our coaches we have to thank our teachers and our families for all their support. Mrs Huia was awesome too," Henare said referring to teacher-in-charge Raynor Huia.

While all the members of this crew will leave school at the end of the year they intend to continue with waka ama.

They are confident their success will inspire a commendable junior programme at the school which will produce successful senior crews in the future.

Henare paddles for the Napier-based Haeata Ocean Sports Club and the rest of the crew for the Heretaunga Ararau o Ngati Kahungunu Waka Ama Roopu. All six were in a 250m crew which finished third at the Hawke's Bay regionals for secondary schools.