The 2025 Kahawai Champs could be heard across the length of Takapuna Beach as the music, laughter and squeals of excitement from the over 60 paddlers and their supporters echoed across the bay. After several weeks of wild and stormy weather across Auckland, the morning couldn’t have been better as the sun beamed down, the sea sparkled, and the atmosphere was alive with energy and excitement as paddlers of all ages took to the water.
From the moment the first paddle hit the water to the last photo snapped, there was a real buzz of joy and community spirit in the air. With many participants donning tutus and fairy wings and the thrill of watching their parents take part in a parents race, there was lots of extra fun to the occasion. It was a true celebration of paddling and the joy of being out on the water to farewell the summer season.
A special highlight came in the form of a surprise visit from none other than Dame Lisa Carrington, our inspirational 8-time Olympic champion. Her presence added an unforgettable spark to the day, especially for the younger paddlers who were thrilled to meet their hero. Lisa took the time to chat with the kids, share words of encouragement, and pose for photos—creating memories that will last a lifetime. Her message of “just have fun” was embraced at this event.
It was awesome to see paddlers of all abilities getting involved, from regular club paddlers to those tackling their very first event. It’s always fantastic to see the courage and enthusiasm of newcomers taking to the water, giving it their best shot, and enjoying the supportive, inclusive environment that Kahawai events are all about.
Kahawai events are a new event format by Canoe Racing NZ to build a community of paddlers and grow opportunities to connect paddlers to learn, compete, achieve and enjoy being on the water. These events are designed to be easy to run in any waterway or weather, and bring together paddlers from all disciplines. The elements of a Kahawai event aspects across a range of paddling disciplines, mainly sprint, ski/surf and marathon, with Paddler-X races aiming to be around 2 mins long around buoys off the shore, and aim to have low barriers to entry through the provision of equipment.
CRNZ are looking to grow regional Kahawai events across all of Aotearoa so more paddlers can access and experience the thrill of paddling at low-barrier event. If you want to have a Kahawai event at your club or region, please reach out to CRNZ for support to run one next summer! CRNZ can provide the templates and resources including equipment need to run an awesome event in your town.
A massive thank you goes out to all the parents, whānau, and incredible volunteers who gave up their time to help make this event such a success. From helping with registration and boat set-up to cheering from the shore, your support plays a huge role in bringing this event to life. Well done to all participants and thank you for making this event such a cool way to send off summer!
2025 Kahawai champs results
Photos thanks to Conrad Owens. There were lots more photos so if you or your paddler are not featured in this gallery, please let us know and we can search through the rest!
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