WAKA AMA - Rising outrigger star looks certain for future greatness

IT would come as no surprise to people when greeted with the news Charlotte Harrison has won another award - but news of Sean Herbert's elevation as a SPARC future star is more likely to draw blank stares.
Herbert hails from Pawarenga, north of the Hokianga Harbour, and attends Broadwood Area School but his waka ama or outrigger canoeing has put him on the area's sporting map.
He was named - along with Black Sticks star striker Harrison - as one of the two Northland winners of the SPARC Future Champions Award for 2007.
The 18-year-old is also the school's swimming champion and has captained the New Zealand Area School's rugby team for two years. But it is his paddling that impressed the SPARC judges.
Herbert was one of the vital cogs in the school's waka ama crew that was successful at the annual Vakaeiva championships in Rarotonga last week.
The side came second overall in the under-19 event, with a second in the 10km open water event, a 500m sprints win and a third in the 15km race.
"We did well and only got beaten really by the locals, and the Aussies in the 15km race, which was a really awesome result - everyone was pretty impressed with how a school team from a small place did. And now we're looking forward to nationals in January," he said.
Waka ama is a family sport for the Herbert family. Sean's oldest brother Conan returned recently from competing in the toughest ocean race in the world, the Molakai race, and Sean wants to take on the most famous of outrigger races himself sometime in the future.
But right now he is preparing for his first year at Hamilton's Wintec, where he will study Sport and Exercise Science.