Novice paddlers’ great win

• Published date: 04 November 2021
• Publication title: Mountain Scene

At the second annual Labour Weekend regatta in Te Anau, all four teams from the Wakatipu Waka Ama Club took out the top spot in their races, going home with three trophies.

Coach Frances Piacun says each team took their wins ‘‘easily’’ in the rangatahi novice 5km, open ladies 5km, open men’s 15km, and open mixed 10km events.

Remarkably, this was the J16 girls’ first regatta and they’d only been training for five weeks.

The girls, all Wakatipu High students, originally jumped in the boat when their netball season ended, wanting to find a way to keep fit.

‘‘They were quite nervous because it was the first regatta ... they entered as a school team against James Hargest and Verdon College and they won so easily, it was just so wonderful to see,’’ Piacun says.

The sport’s had a ripple effect...