Nyree on top of waka world

WAKA KINGS: Nyree and David King with daughters Rose and Hannah (right) who collectively won six gold medals, one silver and one bronze at the World Waka Ama Championships. 089061AD

By Colin Thorsen

Nyree King (nee Libline) is feeling ‘on top of the world’ after winning the senior master women’s V1 500m at the 12th World Waka Ama Sprint Championships at Karapiro.

The Te Awamutu College old girl took out the title on Friday, a day after celebrating her 46th birthday.

Nyree was one of the host nation’s best performed paddlers throughout the week, winning three titles in all.

She was an integral part of both the victorious Aotearoa New Zealand senior master women’s V6 and V12 teams over 500m.

For the uninitiated, V1 is a single seater outrigger canoe, V6 a six strong team, and V12 a double hulled, 12-seater canoe.

It was a magical week for Nyree, her husband (ex Cambridge man) David and two daughters Hannah (16) and Rose (14). Rose emulated the feat of her mother by winning the J16 (junior 16 years) V1 500m world championship, along with the J16-V6-500m gold, J16-V6-1000m gold and J16- V12-500m silver. Hannah collected a bronze medal in the J19 (junior 19 years) V12-500m. David was second New Zealander home and finished with a world ranking of fifth in the senior master men’s V1 500m.

David and the children have been paddling for about eight years, with David having competed at world events in Australia (2002), Tahiti (2002) and Hilo, Hawaii (2004).

“Prior to the worlds in Tahiti, I was content to be on the bank watching,” recalls Nyree. “I only took up paddling in October 2002 after David returned from Tahiti.”

She quickly made an impression competing in master women’s W6 (team events) at her first nationals in January 2003. By the following nationals, she entered her first singles competition - qualifying for the World Sprints in Hilo Hawaii in 2004. She gained a silver medal in the master women’s V1 500m at Hilo.

David, Hannah and Rose also competed at Hilo, with David gaining a silver and bronze in teams events.

Two younger members of the King family, twins Tupu and Riana (12) are following in their footsteps. They are good paddlers, but are too young yet to compete at a world event.

The Kings live in Kaitaia, where ex Cambridge rugby player David is a builder and Nyree is an RTLB teacher for the far north region. Nyree’s mother Bubs Libline lives at Parawera.

Others with Te Awamutu connections to the fore at the Waka Worlds were Adele Haberfield (wife of Gary Haberfield) and daughter Lisa, who collected bronze medals in their grades in the double hull 500m.