Colourful fleet greets world's rowing champs

International visitors at the World Rowing Championships have been treated to some unique action on New Zealand's Lake Karapiro - from an historic fleet of Māori waka at the opening ceremony to fierce challenge in the first days of competition.

It’s 32 years since the first World Rowing Championships were held in New Zealand and the 2010 event, which opened on Saturday (30.10.2010), included a nostalgic look back at the 1978 championships.

The year’s event is the biggest international sporting fixture in New Zealand since the 1990 Commonwealth Games, and more than 800 athletes will represent 50 countries during the week-long competition.

Official opening
New Zealand’s Rob Hamill got the opening ceremony underway by rowing his ‘Ocean Boat’ across Lake Karapiro to transport Kiwi comedian Dai Henwood to the stage.

Henwood was wearing a 1978 World Rowing Championships one-piece and led entertainment, which included performances by pop opera group Lyrica and acrobat Zach Washer, as well as highlights from the 1978 event.

Local school children were flag bearers for the competing nations with Mahé Drysdale and Eric Murray leading New Zealand as host country.

Powhiri and waka salute
The local Māori iwi / tribes, Ngati Koroki Kahukura and Ngati Haua, performed a traditional Māori powhiri / welcome starting with a conch calling, followed by a haka, wero / challenge, karanga / call (performed by a female elder), waiata / song, hongi greeting and a kapa haka / dance.

The powhiri finished with four waka or traditional Māori canoes, powered by more than 150 waka taua / paddlers, making a dramatic salute to the FISA officials.

FISA president Denis Oswald acknowledged that the best warriors in the world were assembled at Lake Karapiro to compete, before declaring the 2010 World Rowing Championships open.

2010 biodegradable balloons were then released to fly across the lake.

Rowing NZ and World Rowing Championships chairman Bill Falconer said he wanted athletes, federations, sponsors and spectators, to all go away saying they’d had a great experience at Lake Karapiro.

First races
During the opening days of competition, mostly favourable conditions allowed for exciting competition on the water, with Britain and New Zealand dominating day two and taking 10 wins each.

Reigning world champion, New Zealander Mahé Drysdale, who progressed directly to the semi-finals, said it was "good to blow out the lungs and the legs, and remember what it feels like to be out there racing at the international level."

Adaptive rowing crews made their debut at the championships using a fixed start recycled from old pontoons used in 1978.

Set up at the 1000-metre mark, the start means the adaptive rowers finish in front of the main crowd and have a wheelchair accessible victory dais - all of which met with approval from Kathryn Ross, stroke of the Australian TA mixed double sculls.

"It's absolutely fabulous how this has all been set up. It’s one of the best courses I've ever seen and I'm lucky to be competing in it," Ross said.

Melbourne Cup
The popular eights took to the water on day 3 with two heats for both the women and men’s teams.

But, at the close of competition, attention turned to a different style of racing with coverage from the Melbourne Cup playing on the big screens around the Karapiro Domain.

The region has a strong focus on the equine industry with nearby Cambridge at the heart of New Zealand’s main horse breeding district. A number of Melbourne Cup winners have been bred in the area, as well as famous thoroughbreds like Sir Tristram and champion sire Zabeel.

A full programme of off-the water activities including the cultural attraction ‘Experience Māori’ will offer the thousands of visitors entertainment by day and night during the championships which are due to finish on 7 November.