For the 10th straight year, the South Island Secondary School Canoe Polo Championships are being held in Oamaru.
The three-day competition started yesterday at the Waitaki Aquatic Centre.
Waitaki Aquatic Centre co-ordinator Simon Terry said it had been great to see Oamaru become a mainstay of the relatively young tournament.
There are 16 teams competing in this year’s event.
Mr Terry said the championships had only been going for 14 years, so it was a big deal Oamaru had held it for 10 years in a row.
Oamaru was "a pretty central place" for all the travelling teams, he said.
"We’ve got people coming from Invercargill and Christchurch, so it’s relatively equal travel times for them all, so that’s always a bonus."
Having hosted the tournament for a decade now, both organisers and competitors were very familiar with one another, he said.
"They’re an easy bunch to get along with.
"We’ve held it for a long time now, we know what we’re doing.
"[The teams also] know what they’re doing when they get here, they know the facility."
More than 100 athletes and a further 150 coaches, managers and supporters were expected to come to town for the event.
These visitors provided a "great economic benefit" to the town, he said.
Mr Terry said he would love to see the local community come and watch a few of the games, as it was "a great spectator sport".
"It’s a good, fun sport.
"I’d certainly encourage anyone to come down and watch it.
"It’s pretty fast paced."
The main pool was closed to the public from noon yesterday and will remain closed until 4pm tomorrow.
The learner pool and spa are still open to the public during normal operating hours.
