Waka ama: Top paddlers pit skills for Tahitian places

The normally serene Kohimarama Beach will burst into life this morning with the staging of four waka ama races.

To the beat of Tahitian music, New Zealand's top single-person outrigger canoe paddlers will pit their skills against Tahiti's best in four races of up to 28km in the inaugural Air Tahiti Nui Aotearoa Aito. At stake are places in the national team who will race in Tahiti in July.

Today's races are also seen as the chance to further promote the sport which continues to gain in popularity in the country's secondary schools.

The event is being overseen by Tahitian Charlie Maitere who promotes the world's biggest outrigger/Va'a race which attracts 650 paddlers to Tahiti.

The women's race over 14km promises to be close with national sprint champion Vesna Radonich up against former national champions Bernie Murch and Leanne Haronga and Tahiti's Kinu Lucas.

One of New Zealand's leading hopes in the men's race (28km), Conan Herbert, has opted to race in Auckland rather than lining up in a race in Hawaii.

He can expect fierce competition from Rudolph Berking-Willams, national open champion Tyrin Thomas, Mark Malaki Williams and Tahitian Teihotu Dubois.

There will be 14km races for junior men and women along with an introductory race for novices (a 12-year minimum) over 7km.

WAKA AMA

What: Waka ama Air Tahiti Nui Aotearoa Aito
Where: Kohimarama Beach
When: Today, women 9.30am; men 11.45am