Waka ama – or outrigger canoeing – is a traditional sport in New Zealand. Internationally, it’s known as Va’a and, while outrigger canoes have always been big in the Pacific, it’s now a fast-growing sport here and worldwide.
“It’s a really accessible sport. There are two main waka ama clubs in Taranaki and you can be big, small, old, young – everybody can go down and paddle, so it’s an awesome sport to be part of,” said Anne Cairns, who captained the New Zealand team at the Ocean-Going World Championships in Brazil this year and also raced at the Va’a Sprint Championships in Hawaii in 2024.
Anne applied for Toi Foundation funding to assist with costs to the August event.
“We want to do all these events, but the reality is we can’t because of time off work and the costs involved. But it’s a big honour to be in the team, let alone captain, so I really wanted to do this one.
The race went 12km along the coast into the wind, turned and came back again.
“Our team is really strong in the surf, so the plan was not to push for the front in the first half to keep our energy for coming back. It was huge, choppy, rough water, and at one stage we were lying sixth, which freaked me out a bit,” said Anne.
“We got to the turning point and that’s when we really started pushing to surf, picking off the teams one by one. The Australians were too far ahead, but we pulled into second place with about 5km to go and then had to hold on.
“We paddled really strongly, and we’re super satisfied that our race plan came together.”
“Getting this grant relieved the stress of the financial side because one of the biggest worries is that you’ll put yourself in a hole if you overspend what you and your whānau can actually manage.
“It’s something I’ll always treasure – being part of something like that and winning a medal for your country.”
