Crowds at the Manu World Champs competition in 2025. Photo: Supplied / Scott Rice
From popping manus in the Dunedin Harbour to staple-styled bombs in Whangārei, the Z Manu World Champs is back for its third year.
What started as a "pisstake", naming it the world champs', is now becoming legitimate with the inclusion of the Gold Coast, Australia as a qualifier event.
Event organiser Scott Rice said he and organising crew are excited to have their first international manu competition.
"We're really stoked to have it on the Gold Coast knowing that there is a big community of Kiwis that have moved over there who would be pretty stoked to see a manu comp pop up on their shores over there and the chance to come to our grand final in Auckland."
The first of 12 qualifying and super qualifying events begins on 30 November at Dunedin's waterfront.
Competitors will have the chance to enter age-group and adult manu and freestyle divisions, vying for a spot in the finals held at Auckland's Viaduct Harbour on 14 March. There is $40,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs.
For Aussie finalists, flights, two nights' accommodation, and spending money is included. A parent or caregiver of young contenders will also be paid for.
Q Splash - the Australian stint of the competition - is held at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre on Waitangi weekend, Saturday 7 February.
There will be manu training at pools across the Gold Coast and South East Queensland.
Scott Rice and Eelco Uri from the Manu World Championships. Photo: Supplied
There is a special technique to the perfect 'v-shaped' manu, which Rice puts down to practice.
"It helps that you have someone alongside you that are pointing out the do's and don'ts, what you're doing well and what you can work on, and slowly but surely you get better at it.
"It's where all of these champions that we've had, that's where they started."
Rice encourages anyone and everyone to give it a crack.
"It's not just for the best people, we have all shapes, sizes, genders, abilities taking part."
"It's the celebration of the manu, and we encourage anyone to either participate or to come down and watch one of the qualifiers or the final - we also encourage a lot of the wāhine, the girls, the women to give it a go."
He admitted that women tend to shy away from a male-dominated competition and hopes to see wāhine making a splash.
There are four women only heats at Super Qualifiers in Hamilton, Wellington, and Auckland.
"We have equal prize money, everything's equal with male and female, so we'd love to have more women taking part."
Registrations are now open.
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