Arthur shares his love of the Kathmandu Coast to Coast

In the early morning of Saturday 12th February 2011, Wellington’s Arthur Tompkins stood on the banks of the Waimakariri River at Mt White Bridge, and watched his son paddle his kayak off into the bright sunrise. He thought to himself, as so many Kathmandu Coast to Coast support crew before and since, I wonder what’s down that river? And, maybe I could do this …

Fast forward to now, and with 7 Coast to Coasts behind him, Arthur is mentoring two student teams from Aotea College in Porirua who will again compete in the 2020 event. His involvement with Aotea College began in mid-2018, when he approached a university friend, Kate Gainsford, now Aotea’s principal, with the suggestion that he spearhead an effort to get a student team (and, as it turned out, a staff team also) to the Coast to Coast start line in February 2019.

Having found their team members and pulled together a team video, including a short support appearance from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the Aotea College 2019 student teams were successful in gaining the Kathmandu Academy support package. Despite their runner taking a couple of serious falls coming down from Goat Pass during the 2019 event and limping the last few kilometres to the finish at Klondyke Corner their team came out winners in the Boys’ Student category.

Building on the momentum from that, Aotea College will, in 2020, have two student teams – one girl’s and one boy’s – lining up on Kumara beach at 7:00am on Friday 7th February 2020. With generous sponsorship from, amongst others, Rutherford & Bond Toyota and Yakima Roof Racks, the team’s kayakers headed to the Rangitikei River at Mangaweka last weekend for their first on-river training day. The students are looking forward to their Grade Two kayak assessments at the same location shortly, and then the whole group will be heading south in mid-December (thanks Interislander for your help!) for the Rasdex Classic River Race on Saturday 14th December. Whilst the kayakers are paddling the Gorge, that same day the runners will be heading over Goat Pass, and the cyclists will be reconnoitring the cycle stages.

In addition to the six students competing in the 2020 event, two of the successful 2019 Aotea College team are returning in 2020, as members of two separate Two-Day two-person teams. So, Aotea College in Porirua will have, in February 2020, a large and enthusiastic contingent of athletes and support crew at the 2020 Kathmandu Coast to Coast.

By Arthur Tompkins