Welly Paddlers - The Motorway Classic - times

Well that was a really nice way o come back to The Motorway Classic with 87 paddlers on the water.....not as many as the event was held last time in 2015 when we had 115 paddlers but still a great day amongst some awesome people from the wider Paddling Community.

Massive to have 12 x Molokai Ocean surf ski champion South African Oscar Chalupsky (but now Portugal based) on our local waters and running 5 x really popular paddling clinics while he was here. We also had the New Zealand Nelo and Jantex paddle Agent Terry Newsome from i paddle n Auckland. Other notables were top ranked International Ocean Paddler Andy Mowlem (Auckland), Samoan Sprint Kayak Olympian Ann Cairns (Clive, Hawkes Bay) Top ranked Whanganui Sprint Kayaker and Coach Toby Brooke and last but not least Canadian Seth Putnam-Rea.

We really love seeing the local Waka Ama Clubs out in the W6's with 6 craft this year speciall thanks to all the efforts Hawaika Nui, Tu Nui and Hokoikoi Waka Ama Clubs by entering the big waka and also Mana Pasifika and Toa Waka ama club who consistantly proved a good number of W1's to the local events

Thanks to Terry Newsome from ipaddle and Oscar Chalupsky from Nelo for providing $400 of Spot prizes including Nelo tops and pants and high viz caps and also really well designed cellphone pouches, adding to the $1600 worth of spot prizes from the Event entries where the Vaikobi & Hiko PFD's, Adrenalin Thermal tops and pants, Ocean Paddler leg leashes, Think Kayak caps, spot prizes were sourced from Kayak HQ's online store (Nelson based) Bunnings (tie downs) & also Rebel Sports (caps)

Thanks Sharlene Winiata, AJ Barty (camera 1) Laurelle (camera 2) & Daniel (spotter) Maximus (runner) & Michelle Smart (timing system 1) & Terry Newsome (Webscorer back up and training) (who assisted us for the full day through to 5 pm) for helping with photos and timekeeping. Rhys and Sheryl Vibert on the motorboat for tail end Charlie and collecting the buoys.

Thanks to all the people who travelled long distances to make the event and also just as importantly all the people in our wider paddling community for your awesome support of this long standing event on top of those mentioned above Wairarapa and Palmerston North were represented.

As mentioned at the Spot prizegiving our other Premier Wellington multisport event is less than 2 weeks away www.poriruagrandtraverse.co.nz and and you can choose to do the paddle section only (10 km) in any waka ama, kayak, surf ski or stand up paddle board.

Keep an eye out for the events calendar on the left hand side of the page on www.wellypaddlers.blogspot.com

Coming up...... 

Event 4 of the Summer/Autumn series April 21 The Matiu Island Event

Cold Kiwi Series June -Aug...an event every three weeks.....to snub our noses up at winter....like it is just another paddling month.

Welly Paddlers is also hosting the "3 Rivers Paddle Event" in Clive on June 7......and also we have restarted "The Foxton Loop Race" and that's back on August 31

The Motorway Classic - Results

3 km course
33:19 Rob Futter Prone paddle Board
33.40 Ann Bondy SS
34:46 Riki Ellison SUP
41:03 James McKnight SS (Jnr male)

6 km course
47:04 Les Morrris SS
49:45 John Toomath SS
51:49 Clark Townsley SS
52:17 Glenn Warner MK
54:10 Mike Robbers SS
54:24 Trevor McDonald SK
1:06:44 Chris Lowden SS
1:07:15 Le'Aniva So'o W1 (Jnr female)

10 km
56:19 Keila Bowling MK

14 km course
1:02:34 Andy Mowlem SS
1:02:35 Toby Brooke SS
1:06:49 Matt Archer MK
1:06:59 Glenn Muirhead MK
1:09:21 Jonno Alsop SS
1:10:51 Oscar Chalupsky SS
1:11:05 Robert Askew SS
1:12:04 Whai Repo W6 (Mens)
1:12:20 Paul Moreno SS
1:12:22 Anne Cairns SS
1:14:37 Chester Burt SS
1:16:18 Seth Putnam-Rea SS
1:16:22 Henry Lee SS
1:16:26 Iain McIver SS
1:16:41 Nico De Wet SS
1:17:36 Ryan Drake / Mataiawhea Tekere W2
1:17:47 Blair Simpson SS
1:19:15 Karl Timu SS
1:19:31 Kyle Christensen SS
1:19:47 Rodrigo Azubel SS
1:19:59 Jay Garden SS
1:20:12 David McKnight SS
1:22:22 Va'a Roa W6 (womens)
1:23:25 Joerg Bungert SS
1:23:49 Ross Heald SS
1:23:50 Piki Emery W1
1:24:12 Hikoikoi (Master Womens)
1:24:53 James Sadler W1
1:25:53 Lizzy Bunckenburg MK
1:26:37 5 Two 6 W6 (Male 50+ 60+)
1:27:47 Chris Pirini W1
1:27:49 Murray Fowke SK
1:28:09 Nicole Ranger / Nick Lowe AR double kayak (mixed)
1:28:13 All Sorts W6 (mixed)
1:28:46 Tim Kerr SS
1:30:30 OJ Rodda SS
1:30:54 Chris Maika W1
1:30:55 Terry Gardiner W1
1:31:16 Makaro W6 (Womens)
1:32:14 Michael Fox W1
1:34:04 Bailee Stratton SS
1:41:48 Richard Lawrence SK
1:42:43 Dennis Ngatai W1
1:50:42 Jack McKenzie K1

Leading club $500 cash - participant entry fee formula

Kupe Canoe Club 17 points
Welly Paddlers 15 points
Hawaika Nui Waka Ama Club 11 points
Hikoikoi Waka Ama Club 6 points
Tunui A Te Ika 6 points
Mana Pasifika 2 points