Early-morning starts, nerves, hours of practice and school pride are all on the water this week as thousands of students from all over the country descend on Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) for the Waka Ama Secondary School Nationals.
The event brings 1600 paddlers from 105 schools to the shores of Tikitapu to compete in 163 races over four days.
This year marks the competition’s 21st year, after a year off in 2022 due to Covid restrictions.
Rotorua Lakes High School student Maraea Paul, 17, said it felt great to finally put their training to good use.
Paul said the cancellation of last year’s nationals just days before the competitions was “devastating”.
Image 1 of 11: Waka Ama Nationals at Lake Tikitapu. 28 March 2023 The Daily Post Photo / Andrew Warner
“Then this year, we were rushing around the school again and getting ready,” Maraea said.
Maraea has been in waka ama since she was in Year 11, when she came to the school as a new student.
“It encouraged me to become more a part of the school.”
Fellow Rotorua Lakes High School waka ama teammate Maraea Dewes-Green, 16, described the sport as “fun as”.
“Being on the water is beautiful. Wonderful. Amazing.”
Dewes-Green said waka ama taught her that practice and hard work paid off in the end.
Western Heights High School student Stephanie Curtis said it was her first year at the nationals. She was “a bit nervous”.
“I’m a bit nervous but excited to try something new,” Stephanie, 15, said.
“I want to see if we can win and work together as a team.”
Fellow Western Heights High School student Oasis Taiepa Hawkins said the team got up at 3.30am yesterday morning to be at the shores of Lake Tikitapu in time for the competition’s 8am pōwhiri.
“And we get up early on the weekends, too. I get up at 5am to be at training.”
Oasis said she joined waka ama because she had seen her friends enjoying the sport.
Teammate Ariana Whare, 15, said she was both excited and scared to compete against the other schools.
“There’s a lot of people who are well-trained here.”
Ariana said waka ama helped to strengthen the bonds between herself and her teammates.
Fourteen-year-old Violet Wilson, also from Western Heights School, has been participating in waka ama for six years.
“I got started because my friend wanted me to do it with her, and I kept it going through primary school,” Violet said.
“I love yelling at people, and I’m usually the caller, so I love doing that.”
Waka Ama NZ chief executive Lara Collins said it was exciting to have rangatahi (youth) from across Aotearoa come together again.
“We are looking forward to the racing on the water, as well as the whanaungatanga (kinship) off the water. It is going to be an awesome week.”
The remainder of the week from today onwards will consist of 250-metre and 500m racing in heats and semifinals, heading through to finals day on Friday.
Spectators can watch the action for free.
Additionally, the Secondary School Super 6 Kapa Haka event will take place at 6pm tomorrow at the Rotorua Night Markets, where participating schools will perform a six-minute kapa haka bracket.
Competing Rotorua Schools: