Tikitapu alive with waka ama talent (+pics&video)

The bank of Tikitapu (Blue Lake) has been turned into a village of tents as more than 1500 students hit the water for the annual Te Wananga o Aotearoa National Secondary School Waka Ama Championships.

The atmosphere was buzzing this morning as the week-long event officially opened.

The competition is one of the largest secondary school sports events in New Zealand - second only to rowing's Maadi Cup, which is also running this week.

Students from the 96 competing schools were around the lake, playing music, warming up and mingling with their peers.

Rotorua Girls' High School waka ama manager Ngaire Tepania said students had been working hard in the lead up to the competition.

"The girls have been training for about seven weeks. It's been a hard time juggling all their other commitments but we've got a lot of really good paddlers who are excited to get involved in this year's competition."

Image 1 of 15: Rotorua schools participate in the opening ceremony. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

Schools will compete for national honours in one, six and 12-paddler teams over distances of 250m and 500m.

John Paul College waka ama manager and school board member Eugene Berryman-Kamp said his students were nervous but excited ahead of the racing.

"The sport has grown really well at the school and we have a strong foundation of students who are helping grow interest."

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Koutu student Waimanea Nuri, 16, said her passion for the sport was inspired by her mother.

"My mother was the Bay of Plenty champ for waka ama so I grew up hearing her stories and started doing it myself.

"I love the sport because it makes me feel like I am following the footsteps of my ancestors as they rode their waka from Hawaiki to New Zealand."

Waka Ama New Zealand chief executive Lara Collins said the event had "snowballed" since it started 15 years ago.

"Everyone is excited, there is a real great atmosphere. There is no cellphone coverage out here so once the kids realise that you see them start talking and interacting with each other which is really neat."