Our Members The Club boasts over 50 active paddlers and has a membership of over 70. To join the Club, membership is $190 per annum with access to: to all club equipment to training sessions 4-8 times a week to world class trainers and coaches at all levels Membership is due in June each year Our Club - Gisborne The Poverty Bay Kayak Club has been active since 1978 and has seen top class paddlers train and compete for the Club then go on to win on World and Olympic stages. The Club is ideally located right on the banks of the Waimata River. The Club occupies land adjacent to Anzac Park and is just 5 minutes to the city centre. The typography of the river means that conditions are manageable all year round and there is very few times that training is not possible. The official racing calendar season is September to March and the winter season March to September. Our Facility The Club is well equipped with boats for the members and school groups. There are a range of kayaks for learners, for junior racing including K2 s & K4 s and in total over 35 kayaks to select from. Regular maintenance on the gear is carried out and replacement with new stock is on-going. All boats meet international standards and are regularly transported to competitions around the country. The Club has changing facilities on site and a meeting room which doubles for warming up sessions in inclement weather. The Poverty Bay Kayak Club is also located next to the Gisborne Rowing Club, the Schools Rowing Club and Scout Club. Anzac Park offers amply room for car and bicycle parking plus is an ideal warm - up ground for paddlers. The Club offers potential paddlers the opportunity to compete in: National Regattas Be selected to National Age Group Squads Be selected to Teams to Australia in Under 16 s and U18 s Be selected to Junior, U23 and Open Teams for World Championships Gisborne is situated on the shores of Poverty Bay where the Taruheru and Waimata Rivers join to form the Turanganui River. The fabulous climate means that training and access to the river is practically 12 months of the year. Gisborne has a very active water sport culture and participation is extremely positive in the region. 1 2
Our National Organisation The Poverty Bay Kayak Club is affiliated to Canoe Racing New Zealand ( CRNZ ). This organisation was established to promote, advance and manage the canoeing disciplines of; Flat Water Sprint Racing Marathon Racing Surf Ski Racing Our Origins The kayak has been around for over 4000 years. It was created almost out of necessity by the people of the Arctic in order for them to be able to hunt and fish away from their frozen landscape on which they lived. The first kayaks were constructed out of driftwood as there were no trees that were in the areas from which to get the wood that would make the frame. The kayaks were made by stretching animal skins over a frame of wood. As you can see many changes have been made from the first kayaks. Each design is now specialized for specific markets as well as the many different styles. They originally were a single purpose craft which has been turned into an extreme sport and leisure activity and any other type of water adventure that one can imagine in a man powered craft. Gisborne was the first point of land in New Zealand on which Captain Cook set foot, 8 October 1769. His reception was so unpromising that he called the place Poverty Bay. CRNZ is about bringing people together for the development, practice and achievement in canoe racing. CRNZ is affiliated to the International Canoe Federation and the New Zealand Olympic Committee through its membership with the New Zealand Canoe Federation. www.crnz.org.nz Our History In New Zealand, Maori canoe races or Kaipara waka hoehoe were, a common feature at local sports meetings. The earliest recorded canoe race was between two waka taua (war canoes) which were paddled by full crews from Te Aro beach to Nga Uranga, round a flag boat and back to the starting point. One canoe was under the command of Wi Tako, the eventual winner, and the other that of Honiana Te Puni. A regatta organised by Wanganui settlers on 27 February 1843 featured waka races in which Maori and Europeans competed. The first club in New Zealand was the Tainui Canoe Club established in Wellington in 1881 as a branch of the Royal Canoe Club of London. Prior to Word War II clubs did not collaborate and soon after the war the last of them wound up. In 1950 a group of 23 Aucklanders, mainly university students formed the New Zealand Canoeing Association which became incorporated in 1958 and reconstituted as a federation in 1961. The foundation President from 1950-59 was J D Mason. The first National Championships were held in 1955 at the Aramoho course in Wanganui and slalom events were contested in the Manawatu Gorge. Crews from Auckland, Wanganui, Te Awamutu, Palmerston North and Wellington took part. 3 4
Our School Programmes The Club is very active within schools offering the Kiwi Kids Paddle programme. The Intermediate schools have complimentary physical activity time on a weekly schedule within their curriculum that offers a pathway to full participation with the Kayak Club. These take place in terms 1 & 4 and are fantastic drivers for the club membership. Our Heroes Gisborne has a great history of hero s to boast and the Olympian s honours list today dating back 40 years has paddlers and coaches who hailed from the Poverty Bay Kayak Club. Olympians Grant Bramwell Robert Jenkinson Liz Thompson (Australia) Darryl Fitzgerald John Grant (Coach) Benny Hutchings (Coach) Brian Wilson (Coach) 1980, - GOLD / GOLD, 1988 - GOLD, 1988 2012 1980, 1988 World Championship Finalists Grant Bramwell Peter Duncan Paul Green Gavin Elmiger 1981-87 - SILVER / SILVER / BRONZE 1983-87 BRONZE 1981-83 1998 1998 In 2003, was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. Grant, Alan and Liz are now heavily involved with the club at management and governance level. Our latest Olympic hero is Darryl Fitzgerald, a member of the K2 1000m crew that finished 7th at the London Olympic Games. Partnering up with another national hero Steven Ferguson whose father also features on the Olympic winners list. Coaching & Training The Club has a very collaborative culture that supports a paddler with a whole of sport programme and training sessions are managed around paddlers other commitments and abilities. Sessions are offered daily with a team of very qualified coaches and support of top paddlers in the club: Liz Thompson Andras Szabo Beginners (TYROS) 3-4 times a week Mid Age Group (medium ability) Elite High Performance Group 6 days a week/potentially twice a day The sessions include technique drills - fitness training - endurance training and strength training interspersed with ocean ski paddling in summer. The Club is aptly resourced to manage high performance competitors. Nationally, Gisborne is one of three selected High Performance Regional Centres (including Christchurch and Auckland) because of the facilities and coaching it can provide. Elite paddlers come to Gisborne through the summer months to train by invitation and they certainly recognised this as a real privilege. Contacts For membership forms and consent forms please contact : Gary Stevens - MANAGER P O Box 763, Gisborne Ph 06 8689943 x 711 027 339 2495 gary54@xtra.co.nz For further information about training please contact : Liz Thompson - COACH P O Box 763, Gisborne Ph 06 868 9223 021 114 9347 lizandalanthompson@xtra.co.nz Gisborne-connected Lisa Carrington, now an Olympic champion, stands as a fabulous mentor for the next Olympic hopefuls from the Club and New Zealand wide. 5 6
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