Girls ready to paddle waka

WAKA AMA: Rotorua Lakes High School is among the local schools competing at the National Secondary School Waka Ama Championships next week. Pictured are members of the school's under-19 team Kyra Mita (left), 14, Tetuhiwhakaura Taunoa, 14, Allison Brailey, 17, and Annaliese Heuvel, 17. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

A team of waka ama paddlers from Rotorua Lakes High School can't wait to compete at the secondary schools nationals in Rotorua, although they'll be hoping things go slightly different than last year.

Senior paddlers Annaliese Heuvel, 17, and Allison Brailey, 17, were both stung by wasps heading into the competition at Tikitapu (Blue Lake) last year.

"We both got stung on the lip as there was a couple of wasps in the Cokes we were drinking. We had to race with fat lips," Annaliese said with a laugh.

She said it didn't faze them too much though and they were looking forward to returning to the National Secondary School Waka Ama Championships on Blue Lake next week. The huge event, which started in 2002, will see more than 1500 teenagers take part from about 100 schools, with competition running from Tuesday to Friday.

Annaliese said the school's W6 (six-person) under-19 girls' team was gelling well despite only training together for three weeks heading into the nationals. "Half of us have been together for the last three years so we gell really well, and the younger girls that have come in are fitting in really well."

Three of the girls are still under 16 which means they are eligible to race in the younger age division, but they've decided to move up to the under-19s to help the school out.

Tetuhiwhakaura Taunoa, 14, will take on the important role of steering the W6 boat, and said she was looking forward to debuting at the secondary school nationals.

"I started waka ama a couple of years ago, about four years ago. My family down in Gisborne are really into it, so I started doing it," she said. "It is really fun."

The nationals include W1, W6 and W12 races across two distances, 250m and 500m. There is only two age divisions, under-16s and under-19s.

The competition will begin with an opening ceremony and pohiri at 8.30am on Tuesday with racing at 10am. There are no schools from the South Island competing, but a group from Tahiti are.

-The Rotorua Lakes High School U19 girls' team: Kyra Mita, Tetuhiwhakaura Taunoa, Allison Brailey, Annaliese Heuvel, Tenaya Chater, Kararaina Holloway, and Kimi Chater (coach).