Canoe Slalom: Sisters do battle for North Island titles

Rotorua-based Ben Gibb. Photo / Glenys Travers

Tauranga sisters took the womens's titles at the Canoe Slalom North Island Champs on the Tarawera River in Kawerau.

Ella Nicholas won the K1W and Jane Nicholas the C1W North Island titles.

Ella, who paddles internationally for the Cook Islands, was second after the heats but picked up the pace to put down a flat time of 110.35 plus a 2 second penalty to finish just over 3 seconds ahead of Haylee Dangen, from Tauranga, in the final.

Sister, Jane Nicholas, who is in the NZ team for K1 and C1 took the C1 title by 0.28 seconds from fellow Canoe Slalom BOP paddler, Kelly Travers.

Jane, who finished third New Zealander in K1, said it was challenging having to use a borrowed boat as difficulties continue to present themselves flying with kayaks.

"If anyone is going to beat me I'm happier if it's my sister Ella," she said afterwards.

Number one ranked senior team member, Rotorua-based, Ben Gibb easily claimed the C1 men's title on a day that bizarrely saw three of his main competitors out with injury or illness. Gibb said afterwards he is making gains on performing more consistently and was happy with his three runs of the day that were all within a two seconds of each other.

The K1 men's title went to Alex Hawthorne of Tauranga, just 1.95 seconds ahead of NZ U23 team member Malcolm Gibson of Palmerston North.

Predictably the C2 title went to Dan Munro and Luke Robinson of Tauranga, who are looking to go one better than their 2014 silver medal performance at the Junior World Championships in Brazil next month.