On Saturday, 7 March, we were proud to host the 2026 Regional Secondary School Waka Ama Sprints at Onepoto Domain, Porirua.

We had great conditions for racing which allowed the event to run smoothly. Minimal Northerlies and plenty of sun was a blessing compared to the usual windy Wellington weather, which has now set in.

There were 22 schools registered, anticipating in excess of 500 paddlers and spectators, and it certainly felt like it on the day. The energy both on the water and around the park was incredible. It was fantastic to see so many rangatahi competing, supporting one another, and enjoying the day, creating an atmosphere that truly reflected the spirit of waka ama.

Massive shout-out to our incredible volunteers. These events simply would not happen without your ongoing support, commitment, and willingness to give your time for our rangatahi and the waka ama community. To the coaches, managers, kaiako and sports coordinators, thank you for supporting our rangatahi in the build-up to this event and contributing to the growth of waka ama in our region’s schools.

We are truly grateful to our amazing support crew:

• Marinna for leading the results team and finish line processes

• Thomas for welcoming everyone to Porirua with the opening event karakia to start the day

• Tewera, Jeff, Mika, Lawrence and Papa John who were out on the support boats managing the flags, race starts and ensuring our rangatahi were safe on the water

• David from CSW for the event photography, we look forward to sharing these photos over the coming days

• Our Hoe Tonga Board members – Anita, Ani, Claire, James and Matai and Regional Development Coordinator, Jasmine. Tēnā tātou!

We would also like to acknowledge

• Porirua City Council for their support in helping us secure the venue just one week out from the event

• Porirua Rowing Club for allowing us access to their club facilities

• College Sport Wellington for managing the entries, comms with schools and providing the speaker system

• Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira for providing the generator to support the event

• Nuku Ora for running the rangatahi activation station and capturing participants whakaaro with event interviews

A special thank you to TOA Waka Ama, Hawaikinui Tuarua Waka Ama Club and Porirua Canoe Kayak Club for allowing us the use of their waka for the event. Your willingness to support the event is a great reflection of the strength and generosity of our waka ama community across the region.

Events like this are only possible because of the collective effort of our community. It was inspiring to see the strength of waka ama across our region and the spirit of whanaungatanga throughout the day.

To ensure we continue to improve on the delivery and performance of the Secondary School Regional Sprints event, your feedback is invaluable! We invite you to share your whakaaro with us by completing the feedback survey – https://forms.gle/1P9QTNvmBKYu8ctk6

We hope everyone enjoyed the event as much as we did and look forward to seeing you all again on the water soon.

Ngā mihi nui

Hoe Tonga Pacifica Waka Ama Association