20 Jan 2014

Record turn out at Waka Ama champs

8:23 am on 20 January 2014

A record number of paddlers have taken part in the 25th National Waka Ama championships in Waikato.

The outrigger canoe competition wrapped up on Saturday, with 2600 people taking to Lake Karapiro during the six-day event.

Tiupu King took out the Premier Men's Championship and Kiwi Campbell won the Premier Women's Championship for the second year in a row.

Waka Ama New Zealand chief executive Lara Collins says the sport keeps drawing people in.

She says the youngest paddler was 5-years-old, and the oldest was 74-years-old this year, saying there aren't too many sports that allow entire families to compete.

About 10,000 spectators turned out over the week.