Eight of the world’s finest water sportsmen have gathered in Auckland for the second annual Ultimate Waterman contest.
The nine-day event will shift venues around the country. The athletes face competition in eight different disciplines ranging from long boarding, shot boarding, stand up paddle boarding, waka-ama and underwater endurance races with weights.
Last year’s first event had only six disciplines but organisers asked contestants and they came up with the two new disciplines to give a bigger mix than similar competitions overseas.
New Zealander Daniel Kereopa won the title of The Ultimate Waterman last year and hopes to repeat that performance this time.
The event begins on Saturday with a waka-ama race from Arkle’s Bay on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula to Takapuna Beach on Auckland’s North Shore.
It ends on the 20th of March at Auckland’s Viaduct after a series of events on South Island beaches.