// Rangitikei River Raft Race
Ohakea’s annual Raft Race once again started off the Physical Education and Recreation Training (PE&RT) calendar for 2009.
However, this year there was one big difference. The old days of the raft race being held on the local rivers were brought back to life with the race being conducted on a 3-4km stretch of the Rangitikei River. This added a whole new dimension to the race as teams had to throw the old strategies out the window and adopt new ones to navigate the mighty river.
Race day brought out perfect conditions with 12 teams of 8 people fronting up for an afternoon of ingenuity, racing and most importantly some fun. The event started off with teams being given 20mins to construct a vessel out of a restricted amount of tyres, planks, and rope. This was the start of a very long day for admin as the provisions they were entitled to were somehow deflated (at no fault of the PTI’s of course) and a submarine was constructed rather than a raft. 20 minutes proved to be ample time for construction and after some great kiwi ingenuity and a few “that will do” remarks the teams were ready to race.
The race consisted of four team members navigating the first half of the river and swapping at half way with the remaining four team members finishing the race. The start was very aggressive with all 12 teams contesting for 1st position. After a lot of splashing, paddle waving and tip outs it looked as if the Captain Americas (3SQN) had made the best of the start.
The first half of the race was completed in record time with faster flowing water being the catalyst for the Supermans (Armourers) to quickly take the lead. At the back of the field it was a slightly different story with a few teams having to make some quick repairs in order to stay afloat. Admin's little yellow submarine had to be abandoned at the halfway mark and the remaining team members were left to swim the last half of the race. The second half of the race proved to be the hardest as the slower flowing water meant for more paddling. Teams needed to pull together and be consistent with their paddling in order to make good time. The Greatest American Heroes (S&S) must have missed the memo on that tip as they were spotted with three members paddling down stream and one paddling upstream. At the front of the field the race wasn’t decided until the final 400m. The view from the finish line was outstanding as the Supermans (Armourers) and the Caped Crusaders (DAC) flowed around the final corner neck and neck. After some gutsy and veracious paddling, yelling and sweat, DAC eventually took the win and the glory. The armourers, however, gutted with their defeat, can still hold their heads up high as they were the leaders for the majority of the race. The middle of the field was also tight as there were constant sprint finishes for positions on the intersection sports board.
Overall the event was a huge success with the new home of the raft race being back on the river. The enthusiasm and competitive spirit of all the participants involved really made this event and sets the standard for future events in 2009. A huge thank you must go out to all those involved in assisting PE&RT with the setup and conduct of this event because without your constant help we would not be able to organise these sorts of activities.