Culture and history at World Champs opening

30/10/2010 06:55 CET

“We are especially pleased to come back here to Lake Karapiro,” president of the International Rowing Federation, FISA, Denis Oswald stated at the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Rowing Championships in Lake Karapiro, New Zealand. Amongst the 6,000-strong crowd gathered along the shores of Lake Karapiro was a contingent of those who were part of the 1978 championships – as athletes, as volunteers, as rowing fans or as young kids watching rowing for the first time in their life - the last time the World Rowing Championships were in New Zealand. The opening ceremony paid tribute to these people with a look back to events 32 years ago including footage of 10s of thousands of people watching the racing. A sampling of athletes from the 49 nations, represented at these championships, were then led across the stage in a Parade of Nations. New Zealand was represented by Mahe Drysdale (men’s single) and Eric Murray (men’s pair) who both train on the waters of Lake Karapiro. Both of these athletes will be aiming for gold in front of their home crowd. Representatives of local Maori tribes, Ngati Koroki Kahukura and Ngati Haua then performed the challenge and welcoming ceremony to the visiting officials from FISA. This ceremony invited visitors to the Karapiro region. It culminated in the very popular haka made famous by New Zealand’s rugby team. A history of the Karapiro region by Hemi Rau explained the origin of the name Karapiro, which translates into ‘foul smelling rock’. The name comes from a battle between two warring Maori tribes in the 1830s when dead bodies were burnt on rocks now submerged by the formation of Lake Karapiro – a man made hydro lake. Then came the arrival of a flotilla of war canoes called “Waka”. Royal decree by the Maori King, Tuheitia Paki authorised these four royal war canoes which usually only come out once a year. The chant of hundreds of warriors paddling the canoes could be heard long before they came into sight. Oswald then declared the 2010 World Rowing Championships ‘open’. Rowing begins at 10.05am (New Zealand time) on Sunday 31 October. For live race tracking, race reporting and more look at worldrowing.com. Από worldrowing.com