An Alexandra family that lives and breathes kayaking is set to dominate the national team at an international freestyle kayaking challenge in Argentina.
Members of the Rayner family will occupy four of the six spots in the New Zealand team when it competes at the ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships in San Juan, Argentina.
Lotte (16), Otis (18), Max (21), Gordon and Mary Rayner left Alexandra yesterday for the November 27 to December 2 event.
Lotte, Otis, Max and Mr Rayner will be competing in the event and Mrs Rayner, who also kayaks but decided not to compete at this event, will be team manager. The other two members of the New Zealand team are Courtney Kerin, of Oamaru, and Matt Hansen, of Christchurch.
The trip is the latest episode of a lifetime of kayaking for the close-knit and high-profile Rayner family, who have kayaked many international rivers through competitive, training and personal trips.Mr and Mrs Rayner met at a rafting and slalom kayaking rally in Russia in 1989, when Mrs Rayner was in the United States women’s team and Mr Rayner represented New Zealand.
Their three children have all been kayaking since they were about 5, going on to compete at various national and international events. All three have been in the New Zealand development team for slalom, and have collected a variety of national podium finishes between them.
Mr Rayner was also one of the founding members of the Central Otago Whitewater Club almost 30 years ago. The club’s members generally make up about a third of the national junior development team each year, and 16 Dunstan High School members of the club have gone on to compete at world championships in slalom and/or freestyle kayaking.
Mrs Rayner said the Argentinian trip came about because of Lotte’s goal to attend, following mentoring of Lotte and others by eight-times world freestyle kayaking champion Clare O’Hara, who has been coaching week in Alexandra for the last few summers. But then the whole family decided to go to the Argentinian event.
"We just decided life is short and it would be a great thing to do," Mrs Rayner said.
Her husband said the family enjoyed both slalom and freestyle kayaking but they were very different disciplines.
"Freestyle is about flair and expression. Slalom is more regimented."
They were yesterday cutting it fine for their departure for Argentina, doing it immediately after Lotte’s NCEA level 1 maths exam. She had already completed another four NCEA exams, and will miss just one because of the Argentina trip — her French exam, for which her earlier practice exam will instead form her examination grade.
But the hard work and scheduling was worth it to take advantage of the "incredible" opportunities kayaking presented, and the thrill of facilitating opportunities for others continued, Mr Rayner said.
