All hail waka ama's crown prince

Tupuria King showed he was all class by winning the premier men's W1 500m event and the premier 250m dash.

Northland's Tupuria King once again proved to be unbeatable in an outrigger canoe at the 26th ActivePost Waka Ama Sprint National Championships at Lake Karapiro last week.

The 21-year-old recorded his third successive year of individual dominance with wins in the premier men's W1 500m event and the premier 250m dash.

Master women's W1 champion Ngaire Pehi, Kura Heke took out the Golden Master title, while Nyree King claimed the senior master women's gold. Photo / Supplied

The far north paddler beat Auckland's Brad Anderson and Marty McDowell in the W1 500 event, and Anderson and Turi Hodges in the 250 event - which saw fellow Northlander Sean Herbert take fifth.

King's sister Rose and Ngaire Pehi finished fourth and seventh in the premier women's 250 dash with Gisborne's Marama Elkington also achieving the double in both premier women's events. Rose King and Jacquline Apiata finished fourth and fifth respectively behind Elkington in the women's W1 500 race.

The King family continue to be regarded as the first family of waka ama, with mother Nyree once again winning the senior women's masters W1 500 competition, while dad David finished top of the senior men's masters competition in the W1 500. Not to be left out, Tupuria's twin sister Riana finished fourth in the U23 W1 500 final.

The northern clubs found success for Tai Tokerau paddlers too, particularly in the masters events.

Mitamitaga o le Pasefika Vaa' Alo crew Miti M&M were the first Northlanders to register a podium finish on Tuesday with a silver medal in the mid-men's W6 250 dash. It was back into the singles on Thursday with the women's golden masters title won by Kura Heke, with Sherie Carne sixth in the same race.

Ngaire Pehi powered home in the women's masters final to win the W1 500 by a big margin of more than three seconds, while Richard Pehi finished third in the men's masters final.

The teams were back in the water again at Karapiro on Friday and the Parihaka men's masters W12 team came third in the 500 and third again in the 1000 race. Kaihoe o Ngati Rehia Trust senior masters team also finished third in their W12 500 final. Rangaunu Sports Club finished third in the women's senior masters W12 500 final.

The Parihaka Tupu-a-Rangi team won the W6 500 women's golden masters final, with Ngati Rehia's Waitokerau W6 500 senior men's masters team winning gold, just like the Parihaka Pirate's masters men team who took out the W6 500 final.

The Nga Hoe Horo Outrigger Canoe Club's Herberts On Tour had a third placing in the men's W6 open premier final, while the Te Pu Ao crew were pipped for a medal in the women's final, finishing in fourth.