The dates are set for the 2024/25 Darcy Price New Zealand Ocean Ski Series and organisers have made some exciting new changes to further boost an already exciting and growing summer series.
Eight events across Aotearoa will once again make up the Darcy Price Series, the national ocean ski series comprising of the premier ski races each summer, which runs from September through to May.
The series events for 2024/25 season are:
- Tawhiti Rahi Coastal Challenge, Tutukaka – Saturday 14th September 2024
- Windy City Downwind, Wellington – Saturday 2nd November 2024
- Deep South Downwind / 2024 NZ Ocean Ski National Championships, Queenstown – Saturday 14th December 2024
- Paddler Virtual Champs – 1st to 31st January 2025
- Queen and King of the Bay, Tasman – 25/26 January 2025
- James Moore-morial “Bhutty Moore” Race, Tauranga – Saturday 1st February 2025
- Heads to Harbour, Whakatane – Saturday 8th March 2025
- Auckland King & Queen of the Harbour, Auckland – Saturday 3rd May 2024
A change to the points structure of series this coming season aims to create more buzz around the series, make the series more competitive across all divisions and reduce barriers to allow more paddlers to take part in the series.
The first change is that a competitor’s series points will be the total of their best THREE race points, which is a reduction down from 4 events in previous years.
Additionally, events are now weighted so that some events are worth more points than other events, based on significance or size of the event.
The event that is allocated the National Championships each year and the Auckland King and Queen of the Harbour will be worth 400points (for the winner). All other races are worth 300points, apart from the Paddler Virtual Champs will be worth 250points.
