Canoe Slalom: World champs a rapid ride

Rotorua's Zack Mutton goes over Huka Falls in Taupo.

To say Zack Mutton loves the river would be a gross understatement. The 16-year-old heads down to the Kaituna River most days, just a short walk from his home in Okere Falls, to test his canoeing skills on the rapids.

He will tell you spending time on the river is more of an addiction than anything else - an addiction that will take him to Europe this year to compete against the best young paddlers in the world.

He will represent New Zealand at the 2016 ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships in Poland in July, and is heading overseas with his family this weekend to start his build-up.

"I grew up around the river and just started when I was born I guess," he said. "Dad [Kenny Mutton] was a freestyle paddler ... and I've lived here all my life next to the river."

He said he started taking canoe slalom seriously around the age of 13, and had spent a lot of time with local Olympian Mike Dawson.

Canoe slalom is an Olympic discipline and sees paddlers go through gates while battling against rapids.

"I did my first race when I was 10 and started training properly when I was 13.

"I just paddled a lot with Mike Dawson and I've had heaps of people help me out over the years, and have just paddled with whoever was there [on the Kaituna River]. [Olympic silver medallist] Vavrinec Hradilek is another paddler who would always come here every summer and I would paddle with him and Mike."

Zack made his first appearance at the junior (under-18) world champs last year and said he was eyeing a top-10 finish this time around.

"Last year I didn't go super good, but it was a good time and a good experience," he said. "I'm feeling pretty confident for this year and would like to make the top 10 if possible. I would be pretty stoked with that and that is what I have been training for."

Zack comes from a family of athletes and his younger sister River Mutton, 14, is currently in Canada competing in downhill skiing.

Zack's mum, Amanda Mutton, said their family spent a lot of time on the ski fields during the winter, and River was doing really well in the sport.

"We have spent the last five winters in Wanaka and we used to do a lot of skiing on Whakapapa before that," she said.

Amanda, who works as a doctor in Rotorua, said they would be heading over to Canada this weekend to meet up with the rest of the family, before heading to Europe, where Zack will begin his preparation for the junior worlds.