August 09, 2022
Thames gets taste of waka ama
Our paddlers in England are creating a sensation even before the start of the 2022 IVF Va’a World Sprint Championships.
Manukau Outrigger canoeing club founder James Papali’i, who’s competing in the masters’ race, says the 250-strong Aotearoa contingent drew crowds as they practised their opening ceremony haka in a London park.
They’ve also been training on the Thames before they move tomorrow to Eton College’s Dorney Lake in Windsor for the competition.
“They’ve got a waka ama club right on the Thames so we’ve been using their wakas and they’ve been awesome because they want to learn about waka and its history. Paddling down the Thames you’ve got all these pakeha on their boats waving out to us. Waka’s going to take off in this country after these Worlds,” Papali’i says.
He’s picking Aotearoa will take out the top spot this year with fierce competition from Tahiti and Hawai’i.