There was no time to be nervous. The rope lifted and I had a great start. Bernd's effort to derail me missed narrowly and I got a clean line down the right. How he got down
the left of the chute and pulled up stroke for stoke going into the Waterfall drop, I still don't know. Luckily this was not an advantage as he couldn't make a stroke going
over the lip and got buried in the Waterfall's recycle. My right stroke cleared me from the drop and quickly I hit the line through the flats. To my own surprise I was well
clear, charging to the top of the Rollercoaster.
"I've got him," I thought and that's the moral of the story, really, save the Bull until the Bull's been had. Not being in great shape somehow caught up with me. I cleaned
the Cauldron, careened down the Right Line out of control and out of oxygen, fell off the drop's right side, leaned back, missed both a boof stroke and an exit stroke and
flipped, leaving me surfing upside down against the rock wall.
"F#*k, need air, I'm going to swim in front of the entire paddling world." A grovelling hip snap, I felt Bernd's boat collide, then I was up gasping for air, backwards
scrambling for the eddy but Bernd's smiling face was all too easily connected to the Bull. He knew I could have had him, but he also knew he helped correct my upside down
boat - heÕs the King, a kind and just ruler at that!
"All efforts, including Jo Lucas' semi-final, fell to the
might of Mandy Planert, the German Slalom Ace, who never got behind and never made a mistake..."
Photos were my next calling, and the action was non-stop as the field was whittled away. Bernd drew Steve Fisher, who was in the lead as they entered the Cauldron. Bernd
changed tactics, trying the Chicken Chute to no avail, but he was close enough to try a tactic he must have picked up from emmigrating here. If you can't beat South Africa,
try taking their head off: Bernd's boof stroke thrusted his bow directly at Fisher's head, who was making for the flag. Glancing off the back of Steve's helmet and narrowly
missing decapitation, Fisher advanced to the quarterfinals and not to the hospital.
The women's field of 14 saw tight racing and some great paddling from youngster Olivia Meehan, who fought her way into the quarterfinals. Top Kiwi of the day was slalom hotshot
Heather Jull, who, in the semifinal, ousted Kelly Wood, who had previously beat out the famous Mariann Saether of Norway. All efforts, including Jo Lucas' semi-final, fell to the
might of Mandy Planert, the German Slalom Ace, who never got behind and never made a mistake, an inspiring effort in consistency and a well deserved and impressive winner.
The men's quarterfinals were all hotly contested displays. My favourite race was Jarred Meehan's entering the Cauldron behind Allan Ellard. Throwing caution to the wind, he leaped
his boat over the Cauldron hole, staying hard left and nailed the line. He flew off the next little drop and passed Allan, who came down on the normal Cauldron line. Allan reacted
by flinging his boat off the last drop with all possible effort, landing perfectly and passing Jarred in the impossible space between the drop and the eddy, progressing to the
semifinals. This was nothing short of spectacular!
Kenny Mutton dethroned the normally unstoppable Donald Johnstone in a nail biter. It all happened after the last drop of the Rollercoaster, where there are holes and lateral
waves and it's all about line and luck. Steve Fisher led Mike Dawson all the way and looked in a clinical mood, but in the speed of a splash, the hole above the home eddy
spun Steve (maybe Mike's boat helped too, who knows?), allowing the young fella a better entry line to the eddy and the flag. The crowd went wild as the underdog ousted the
biggest name in extreme racing. Johann Roozenburg, #1 seed, meant nothing to Toby Roberson. Toby got a better entry line into the last eddy, winning from behind.
Allen took Toby in the semis with another cliffhanger, and photos showed Toby's boat on top of Allan's entering the last eddy, but the Brit scrapped all the way up the eddy
to etch out a split second touch ahead to win. Kenny Mutton drew Mike in semifinal #2. The 2001 champion Kenny might have been able to regain his crown as he led into the
bottom drop, but Mike chanced the run down the middle Rollercoaster drop. Both boats endered out simultaneously, and damn if the kid who got Fisher from behind didn't do it
again to Mutton man.
So there they were: Mike "I'm-to-young-to-legally-drink" versus Allan, seasoned Pyranha and TEVA sponsored professional. Allan, who'd paddled with noticeable poise and a
singular purpose all day, appeared above the Waterfall in the lead (again), that made Mike behind (again), but the moral of the story is, this is the Wairoa Extreme Race,
and without question, it has the wildest finishes anywhere and it's not over till you know when. They ripped through the Cauldron, with Mike tight behind Allan, who flung
himself off the Rollercoaster drop for the 6th time this day. Not his best stroke, maybe he's fatigued, but his line was good. Mike "never-say-die" decided the middle drop
worked for him against Kenny and went there again. His line was perfect once more and it proved that the line, above all else, is what this sport is about.
Mike's orange Huka landed right on the British star's bow as he entered the eddy, giving the inside line to the Bull's eye. Allan was not giving an inch, and scrambled his
stroke off Mike to stay upright and hold his position. They were clamouring, fighting the eddy and each other, while all eyes were glued and voices screaming. Tenacity won
the day and the come-back kid did it again.
Mike Dawson became $1,000 richer care of TEVA. Huge thanks to Andi Uhl race organizer, a feat of German mechanical precision, from pre race day all the way down to the prize
giving, where he stripped Mike of a spot prize and Jo Lucas of Bliss-stick kayak (sorry Jo, but you DO paddle for Bliss-stick!). So the Bliss-stick sponsored kayak went from
Jo to Olivia Meehan who may well choose the boat she raced, the new Bliss-stick river/expedition creeker. At 17 she kept up with the pros in it. Both winners were in Huka creek
boats which says a lot for stability and control over raw speed.
Thanks to all other event sponsors, TEVA, Adventure Magazine, Eskimo, Palm Equipment, Robson, Fourth Element, Red Bull and anyone I have forgotten, and my own personal sponsor
Sunspots kayak shop. Most of all I'd like to thank all the paddlers who showed me New Zealand extreme racing is not only of a truly excellent standard but as fun as kayaking gets.
Like many race losers on the day, all I can say is, "next year, next year..."
