More than three and half thousand competitors from over 60 clubs from Kaitaia to Invercargill will converge on Karapiro for six days of intense racing.
Teams compete over 250m, 500m, 1000m and 1500m distances with races for single paddlers, teams of six and teams of twelve paddlers.
The first three days of the event are races for tamariki and rangatahi from 5-16 years old.
Finals day is Saturday 21 January, when the corporate challenge race will also be held.
The National Waka Ama Sprint Championships have been held annually – except 2021 – since 1990. At the first event there were 43 teams competing from 17 clubs.
In 2019, at the 30th annual Waka Ama Sprint Championships, a record number of paddlers – more than 1,700 teams from 61 clubs – raced for national sprint titles.
More than 10,000 spectators will add to the excitement of the event, with dozens of vendors serving everything from food to health advice.
