After snagging a silver medal at this year’s Waka Ama World Championships in Hilo, Hawai’i, the Northland waka ama team, Te Hauāwhiowhio ki Taupeke, had major setbacks and flight delays following the competition.
The team, made up of teenage boys from across Te Tai Tokerau are a part of the Ngā Hoe Horo club. They were scheduled to depart Hilo on August 25 but due to heavy rain, major delays and cancelled flights, they were forced to stay on.
Club leader Jo Karena said despite the frustration it was an opportunity for the teenagers to gain new experience and connect with local kanaka Māoli.
“Inanahi rā i ara moata mātou ki te haere ki te hoki atu ki Honolulu engari kore taea mātou te heke i ngā maunga nā te kaha o te waipuke.”
“Yesterday we woke early to try to make our way back to Honolulu but we weren’t able to come off the mountain because it was flooding.”
The team wa finally able to leave Hilo to head back to Honolulu and are now staying with family friends in Nanakuli, 50km northwest of Waikiki.
“E anga atu ana tātou ki Nānākuli, O’ahu ki te taha o ngā hoa piri tata o Bo rāua ko Chrissy ki te taha o te whānau hoe waka o Leeward Kai. Kua whakaritea etahi mahi koa mo to mātou nei tīma.”
“We have our sights set on Nānākuli, O’ahu to connect with Bo and Chrissy’s friends from the Leeward Kai Canoe Club. They’ve prepared activities for our team.”
“E haere ana mātou ki te titiro ki to rātou kāinga, te ako hoki i ngā hītori o tō rātou karapu hoe waka”
“We’re going to their home, to learn about their stories and the history of their club,” she said.
Ngā Hoe Horo was founded by the late Bo and Chrissy Herbert who have been remembered as legends in waka ama in Aotearoa and in the world. Jo Karena says the competition will always remain a positive event for paddlers from around the globe.
“Ehara i te mea i tae mai mātou ki konei mo te whakataetae nahe, he nui ake to mātou nei tirohanga mo tēnei o ngā kaupapa. Kia whai hononga o tātou nei tāne o tātou rangatahi Māori ki ngā iwi taketake o te ao”
“It’s not as though we came here just for the competition - our sights were set much higher for this event - for our young men to connect with other indigenous cultures of the world.”
