Hundreds of waka ama competitors took over Takapuna Beach today to compete in NZ's biggest long distance paddling event, the Takapuna Beach Cup.
Even though the misty morning wasn't a perfect start to the races and resulted in a re-route, it didn't damper the spirits of the paddlers.
There are over 30 international teams competing this year, featuring some of the Pacific's best open teams.
The big race was a total of 42km long distance paddling event, testing the athletes' endurance and stamina.
Part of the growing attraction of this competition is that it now features sections for children and novices and it's clear that this is one of the reasons why the competition keeps growing.