Two Big Events: New Zealand
Wairoa Extreme race: north island
by Sean Kinsella
The Wairoa Extreme race is one of the highest profile boater cross races in New Zealand, attracting many big name paddlers and a fleet of really fast slalom boys. All aiming for the first place prize of $1000, and hopefully a spot prize at the end of the event. Our intentions were to drive up form Hokitika on the south island, stopping to paddle as much as we can. And of course party!
We had a solid crew, myself(Sean), Barney, Benny, Eden and Pat. Mission on…
The Wairoa Extreme race is a two day event, with the first day being a time trial that would decide who would go against each other in the head to head the following day. The Wairoa is a perfect river for an event like this. The time trial section was from the put in below Mc Claren falls, to the top of the toaster drop. A solid 3+ section which took an average time of 5 minutes, everybody gave it there all so that they would have an easier opponent in the head to head the following day. But like all kayaking events, there are people there to win the race and there are people there to win the party.Not suprisingly the people who tried there hardest to win the party were showing there sign of weakness at the head to head the following morning.
The head to head was down a great section called the toaster drop and then down the rollecoaster, which has a really nice hole in the middle line which was the centre of all the action. Me and the boys paddled pretty well for the state that we where in from the night before. I got as far as the 3 round, getting knocked out by a slalom paddler, and the boys being knocked out in the first rounds.
Lots of people and loud music on the river bank provided a huge atmosphere to get all the competitors charged up.
With the $1000 prize going to local paddler Jarred Meehan, who fought off some big competition like Johann Roozenburg, Ben Brown and Kenny Mutten. And the womens final going to Heather Jull.
Alltogether it was a wicked event, great race, messy party and some really cool people.
Buller Fest 2007: south island
So we headed back to Hokitika to work on some raft trips, knowing that in 2 weeks we will be heading to Bulller fest in Murchison. Bullerfest is New Zealand’s white water festival which has grew bigger and bigger over the years. Over 3 days they have boater cross, slalom, raftacross and the big air ramp, attracting a large number of competitors.
The Bullerfest was one of the most enjoyable weekends I had in NZ. A really good DuB regge band called Wicked Draw played to a packed hall on the saturday night.
On the Friday they had the boatercross on the Matakitaki river, a very easy grade two section only about 800 meters long. But still a very challenging race that came down to fitness all the way. Then on the saturday the slalom and raftacross was on. With a lot of competitors attending the slalom, it was great event to watch from the bank with a beer in hand.
Then the raftacross, probably the most competitive event of the weekend, with nearly every raft company on the South Island entering a team. Sunday was a relaxing day for most but not for all the younger paddlers, that launched themselves off the big air ramp. It was my first time on the big air ramp and it was awsome. Really good fun for people to watch from the bank. The overall winner in the men’s was a guy with a broken leg, in a creek boat throwing huge kick flips.
Everything for a great white water event was there, all thanks to the boys at Ultimate Decents NZ.
