2015 Motorway Classic....the Countdown is on

We actually started using the Motorway course as one of our surf ski & waka ama series events that we started back in 2003/2004 Season of summer paddling.

Here's some times from the 2009 event and some photos of one of the events we ran in the 2012 Season out at Petone.

Every few day we'll post photos from events following these one's and also results right up to last years event.

Don't forget "Motorway Classic" Event flyer is on the right hand side of this page you can enter early and choose your personalised number by e-mailing wellypaddlers@gmail.com

The Motorway Classic 2009 (13km)

waka ama O.C.1 Men: 

75:55 Rob Taggart 

77:00 Peki Emery  

78:10 Chris Mike 

79:57 Royce Gray  

84:42 Star Olsen 

85:45 Pere Gray 

waka ama O.C.1 Women: 

80:12 Anita Taggart 

80:58 Mereana Mike 

87:58 Kris Dahl 

waka ama O.C.6: 

63:13 Kokiri  

73:30 Hikoikoi 

74:14 Kokiri Chicks 

waka ama O.C.2: 

79:28 Sara Snow/Michelle Warren 

sea kayaks Men: 

86:23 Trevor Mc Donald 

multisport kayaks / surf skis Men:

65:30 Chester Burt SS

66:04 Glenn Muirhead MK 

67:27 Les Morris MK

68:13 Craig Anderson 68:13 SS

70:26 Dave Rudge SS

72:28 Lyall Reedy SS 

72:42 Jeff Booth MK 

73:20 Brent Harrison MK 

74:22 Eric Barber MK

75:42 Dave Ryde SS

75:43 Sandy Winterton MK

75:46 Dave Fisher MK

76:27 Mark White SS 

76:34 John Allen MK

77:09 Kevin O'Connor SS

83:20 Wil Van Breda SS

Multisport kayak woman: 

Dianne Morgan 82:21

Click on any photo to enlarge

SUP demo cancelled......"Paddling Connections" continues

The SUP demo tonight from Fergs Kayaks has been cancelled....but on the flip side the regular Welly Paddlers "Paddling Connections" continues from Hataitai Beach from 5.30 pm.

Over the next few weeks this page is going to be all about the 25th Anniversary of  "The Motorway Classic" celebrating past efforts... in the form of photos......from previous Motorway Classic events from waka ama, kayakers and stand up paddlers.

We also have Sean Rice over from South Africa so we want to market his clinics well and engage paddlers in what he is all about as a World Champion Ocean surf ski paddler and a great ambassador for his sport.

Of course the Motorway Classic is about all Paddlers and craft the event shows no bias to the Racing or recreational groups.....it truly is "An Event for Everyone" and it';s main purpose is to grow everyone's paddling communities and encourage the best possible in actions between the various Sports and engage the Community in what all paddlers are about.

This event is not about Welly Paddlers...it's about you as people and as paddlers, and we will only have truly great events in Wellington...... when we have everyone's support......and this means a large visual presence on the water

Stand up demos.......and Sean Rice Coaching Clinics

This Thursday "Hawaiian John Scanlon" from Fergs Kayaks is coming down to Hataitai Beach to run some stand up demos from 3 pm to 7 pm.

We'll be down there also as it's "Paddling Connections" night and you should see a whole pile of stand up paddlers on the water amongst our regular kayakers as well.

It's nice and sheltered close to the shoreline at Hataitai Beach in the Northerly....but if  a windier southerly comes through we will head down to the Marina off Cobham Drive....both venues are accessed from Evans Bay Parade.

John will have plenty of boards there from "Art in Surf", "SIC" and maybe some Naish boards also there will also be some inflatables, paddles and maybe some accessories.

Pop down and try a SUP board out......don't knock it till you've tried it.

SEAN RICE is coming....

Coaching Clinics on the Sunday March 15 straight after "The Motorway Classic" and "one on one's" from the ICF World Champion.....just e-mail Sean about what will work for your needs.

Sean has come all the way from Capetown, South Africa book a session by inquiring at info@yourpaddlelife.com

Saturday Summer Paddling

We caught up with Traci again on Saturday morning and also finally met Darryn. Traci & Darryn have set up SUP NZ and based in Petone and there aim is to introduce more people onto stand up paddling around the Wellington region.

It's pretty hard to be unbiased when it comes to any equipment especially when you run a retail operation and then the obvious thing is to sell you one of the boards you stock. I guess with these two they are not a retail so their has to be more neutrality.......they simply get people paddling stand up boards. Traci and Darryn both did their instructors courses in the United States and that's something schools ask nowadays as they want to know the standard you've been trained to....Safety First !

Here's there Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/supnz they also have a website which is SUP.NZ I believe....it's down currently so I can't copy the goggle link.

Here 's some pictures from yesterday we we started opposite the Giant Oars.

While Sharlene paddled stand up I obviously hitched a ride and did some downwind across the Harbour to try and prep myself for the King & Queen of the Harbour in Auckland on March 7/8, an event that Dave McKnight are paddling ski and Hans Wannemacher is paddling SUP....it's a 24 km International Downwind event......to find out more www.pacificoceanpaddlers.com

Anyhow my session yesterday lasted 1 hr 40 mins I obviously took some photos from the Giant Oars to the Petone Wharf of the stand up activity....but from there I paddling up to the start venue for "The Motorway Classic" opposite Honiara Te Puni Reserve then checked out the wind angle which was very NW, so I decided that another 500 metres up to Horokiwi Road would give me a good track down the Harbour.

I pretty much sliced halfway between Matiu Island and Point Halswell then zoned in on  Scorching Bay Beach to get some nice swells down the Seatoun Beaches to the Seatoun Wharf.....a lazy 55 minutes across the harbour....so I headed back upwind to Scorching Bay again with one last downwind rip to Worser Bay.

The next bit is a trick from the old days.....fire the wheel on the front than portage the ski back home over Ava Road...which takes about 12 to 15 mins running and walking. Short cut up the steep walkway to the Summit of Awa Road through the trees here you look across to Eastbourne and Petone.

Made it home...quick pic of my event number for the next few years.....I use to love basketball at High School....NBA player Larry Bird (33) Boston Celtics was one of the stars back in the day.

One last thing we have a black TYR lycra long sleev top that was left in our van at the Matiu Island/Sladden Park event....please claim by giving Sharlene a call on 027 4581 005

Chester's old school mapping system:

Centre right of the picture green pin = start point opposite Cuba Street....to the left green and red pins denotes Horokiwi Road...then red pins downwind to Seatoun wharf.....blue pins upwind to Scorching Bay then back exiting at Worser Bay....Black pin is home.

click on any photo to enlarge

Connecting people with paddling

We had the regular Paddling Connections gig on Thursday and Sharlene and myself broke out on the Stand up paddle boards for the first time in ages.

Though the wind was up around 30 kmh and gusting to 50 kmh the shelter offered inside Greta Point made life easy for us....and the down wind swells from Greta Point were coming through at a nice angle making a good challenge out running one of the local multisport kayakers. Trevor McDonald and Murray Fowke were out doing the hard yards in the sea kayaks and I guess everyone else might have had there fill of kayaking for the week and enjoyed a break or were busy out on the Petone and Porirua waterways.

Today I watched Chris Fox coach some new paddlers in a W6 Waka ama (Outrigger Canoe) outside Fergs Kayaks. Chris is one of many tireless workers involved in Waka Ama in the Hoe Tonga region for more info on Waka Ama www.hoetonga.co.nz (the Regional site) and the National site www.wakaama.co.nz

click on any photo to enlarge

Monthly Summer Paddle Series in the Wairarapa

Former Coast to Coast Top 3 competitor from the late 80's early 90's Brian Sanders Organises this series for the locals are are predominantly from the local Wairarapa Multisports club. The Club members are very active with cycling, duathlon and multisport mainly so to get more out on the water a few changes have to be made around various waterways.

Henley lake is a base for many paddlers particular around Masterton, though in the warmer months the lake can be closed due to poor water quality due to algae blooms etc. In the Summer Gladtstone on the Ruamahanga River has been a base for some of the monthly meets but lower water levels make navigation and equipment damage a kayak repairers delight....or is simply too hard on the gear.

Last night they shifted to Tuhitarata and based themselves approx 1 km downriver from the Tuhitarata Bridge access off East West access road.

It was areal treat the cut at Lake Ferry was blocked off so this lead to a higher than normal water level which was great, clear freash water it was a nice change from a layer of salt on the face (from paddling in the sea) afterwards.

Rueben Hill and myself headed over the Rimutaka range to get to the event taking 1 hr 40 to get there from Evans Bay through pre peak hour traffic.  Great to catch up with Brian Sanders, Local Kayak doyen Les Morris, Lance Hayes (2 nd in the Coast to Coast in the late 80's) Derek Cox and last but not least Eric Barber. Really missed not seeing local Waka Ama supremo Paddy Rimene who would have fired around this course in quick fast time.

Anyhow the course was 3 x 2.5 km laps heading North and around the Tuhitarata bridge back past the start/finish then around a down stream buoy. We had balmy warm conditions with a 20 kmh westerly with flat smooth water.......shallow on a number of corners but then move to the centre to grab the fast deep stuff and all was good...a little further to paddle but a faster line in the end.

click on any photo to enlarge

Thank you everyone for your hospitality and Rueben for your good company on this trip. The next event over there is March 19...anyone else keen to join us ?

Mini Road trip

The good people over in the Wairarapa have a twilight kayaking/Paddle event every three weeks.

This afternoon Rueben and Chester are heading over to give the numbers a boost over there.

The Series is run by one of the original "Coast to Coast" Icon's, Brian Sanders and generally the support comes from Wairarapa Multisport Club members.

Tonight we start 1 km from the Northern end of the East West access road by the Ruamahanga River at Tuhitarata.... it'll probably be a 7 km circuit course in typical hot breezy Wairarapa summer conditions. The forecast is for a 20 kmh South Westerly and 29 degrees C...we'll take plenty of sunscreen !

Looking forward to paddling again with Paddy Rimene, Les Morris, Eric Barber, Doug Aplin and co.
For more details on the local scene over there www.wmsc.org.nz

More Photos from Sundays event

Go straight to the Facebook link below to view 40 more photos from yesterday

https://www.facebook.com/WellyPaddlers?ref=hl

Coming up this week :

Tuesday - Kupe Canoe Club Twilight series continues 6 .30 pm start
Wednesday - Wairarapa Kayak Series Tuhitarata Bridge
Thursday - "Paddling Connections" Evans Bay



March 15 "The Motorway Classic" 13 km 6 km & 3 km (flyer right hand side of this page)
ICF World Champion Sean Rice Coaching Sessions after "The Motorway Classic" event info@yourpaddlelife.com to book a session....here's a sample flyer from the Auckland announcement....Wellington flyer out soon

click on the photo to enlarge

Also if you'd like to choose your choice of event number for "The Motorway Classic"...numbers up to 150......email wellypaddlers@gmail.com to enter..... then follow the bank payment instructions from the reply back....it'll save you time mucking around on the day.... as registration will be super busy this year....you can pick your numbers up from Chester at the "Kupe Twlights" or "Paddling Connections" and number your craft early

Matiu Island transfer event....to Hutt River

Thanks to everyone for being patient with our change of course today.

Two days of wintery weather in the peak of our summer....and bosses don't want employees getting colds mid week so we choose the best option.

Well Sladden Park had a super low tide and the Hutt River was suitably low in patches and I think we all know where the channel is now after the revised 3 lap 7.5 km course we paddled on today.
Yes there was a head breeze and there were heaps of shallow spots out there so don't take you times too seriously, it seemed more like paddling 8 .5 km than 7.5 km.......good training and that's what it's all about....getting out there blowing a few cobwebs out or simply catching up with paddling mates.

Great mix of craft and people on the water and thank you to Paddy and Kathleen, Eric and Debs, Les and also Mike from travelling over and down to get to the event. Sharlene and Debs for taking times and photos and Shane for yelling out heaps of support each lap.......I heard a rumour we may be getting cray fish for spot prizes at the next event :-) :-)....and yes the spot prizes were a bit rushed and there was too much sugar!.......I promise there will be more clothing, and useful paddling equipment at the next event we hold.....and we are purchasing some high viz buoys progressively as well as funds permit.

We were going to hold a down winder on Mar 1.... but we will look to hold this back to the end of April...... and focus on putting more time into 25th anniversary of the "The Motorway Classic" which is on Sunday March 15.

43:31 Chester Burt SS
43:42 Mike Tate SS
44:34 Dave McKnight SS
45:35 Paddy Rimene W1
45:55 Les Morris SS
46:51 Blake Dyer SS
47:04 John Toomath SS
47:11 Neil O'Brien W1
47:23 Colin Crampton SS
47:59 Robert Futter SS
48:13 Rueben Hill SS
50:16 Eric Barber MK
51:21 Iain Gillies SS
52:17 Karl Timu W1
54:51 Susan & Sandy Winterton SK double
55:19 Clark Townsley MK
55:57 Trevor McDonald SK
60:34 Paula Napier W1

Below are a few pics of the start...we'll put more photos on here tomorrow once we've edited through the remaining 100 or so shots...so in the meantime here you go....

click on any photo to enlarge