Police Rafting

Coordinator

Aaron Holloway
Location: Rotorua
Extn: 75608

Overview

Welcome to the Council of Sport Rafting Page. This page provides a summary of Police Rafting.

Events

The first ever Police National Raft Race was held on the Kaituna River on 28 March 2008. The race is open to New Zealand Police staff ,sworn and non-sworn also there will be a guest teams from outside agent. The race was a very social event with only one class this year with the hope of expanding the classes and number of teams in the following years.

The 2008 race was won by the Tauranga Section 4 team who seem to do just enough to get through their heat. Once in the final they stepped it up a gear and just managed to get through the last rapid in front!

In 2009 we are looking at expanding the race to accommodate at least 20 teams for the rafting and add two new categories of Kayaking and Riversurfing so if you are keen to enter in these new categories or want some info on them drop us a line as we want to gage the interest.

The Race

The race will start at the bottom of Tutea Falls, but each team will meet at the top the river with their guide to take the raft down to the start point. This section of the river has three waterfalls and includes coming down the Tutea Falls the WORLDS HIGHEST COMMERICAL RAFTED WATERFALL 7M OF FUN!!.

The Course

The course will be the lower section of the Kaituna River from the bottom of Tutea Falls to the Play Hole rapid at the bottom of Trout Pool Road. This section of the river is classed as a grade 3 on a scale of 1-6 where a six is Huka Falls. There are seven rapids from the bottom of Tutea Falls to the finish and the race will take about 5 mins for the top teams. This section has been chosen as it does not include any of the big waterfalls the Kaituna River is world famous for but still includes some fun and interesting rapids.

The Rules

The rules are very simple there will be seven rafts starting at the bottom Tutea Falls with four team members and one Qualified Whitewater Rafting Guide in each raft. The winner is the raft with all its team members and guide who crosses the finish line at Play hole rapid first. For safety reason there will be no grabbing of rafts or members during the race but contact between two rafts is encouraged!!.

The Start

The start will involve one member of each lining up on a rock ledge situated on the side of Tutea Falls. The members will be then given a 3.2.1. Go countdown on which they will jump about 1m, feet first, into the large pool of water at the bottom of the falls. The rafts will be at the other side of the pool in a staging area which they are free to move around in. As soon as the countdown is given the rafts are allowed out of the staging area to chose whether to go and pick up their other member or wait for them to swim to them(your guide will give you more advice on this). The member in the water must be in the raft before the raft can leave the pool to continue down the rest of the course.

Heats and Final

There will be two heats in each heat there will be six police teams and one fire service team. The first, second and third police team through the last rapid with all their members and guide in the raft will go to through into the final race.

What you need

1. Togs.
2. Thermals or wetsuit.
3. Old pair of sneakers, sports sandals or wetsuit booties.

Links

List of links to sites that are related to this sport