This Labour Weekend's Twizel Hard has reached its 40th birthday with three events to choose from across the long weekend, a mountain bike, kayak and off-road run.
Dean Nelson is the chairman of the event and he spoke with Adam about what's in store this weekend.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well we continue we have a further look around the
country with some other sporting events happening across the weekend,
and in Twisel it's a special celebration actually the fortieth
anniversary of what's become a synonymous multi sport event there,
the twysele Hard Event, and initially just a running event,
it now involves kayaking and mountain biking as well. So
(00:32):
some of our top multi sport competitors in town there
for the weekend. Let's head there in Our chair of
the organizing committee is Dean Nelson, who's with us. Morning
to you, Dean, and firstly, but a wild weather around
the country these last few days. Have you guys come
through unscathed.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah, we're we're pretty enthusiastic that everything's gonna go ahead
according to plan. We certainly have hit some higher river
flows that are causing issue issues, but we will be
able to run some you know, some sort of event,
even if your change the courses a little bit. Ye boy,
(01:08):
river crossings here.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Oh well, hopefully it all goes to plan and that
the rest of the weekend, the weather plays ball. And
I love this history, Dean, because you look back in
nineteen eighty five when this event was sort of started
in a very downscaled form to what it is now
a half marathon. It was a fundraiser for kids' sport.
Now it's got a whole bunch of different disciplines. You
(01:31):
must be stoked and everyone in the community must be
stoked with just how far it's come.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah, it's become a real institution here and it's a
major fundraiser for kids sport team community groups. We managed
to raise between twenty five and thirty thousand dollars a
year for those voluntary groups. So it's pretty cool and
everyone gets on board and helps out.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
And Dean, right the way back in nineteen eighty five,
let us know how many competitives there were, and I
believe one of them is back this time around.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Yeah, there was fifteen competitors in that first half marathon,
and that a couple of people that were in that
first one that are still living in twisl One of
them is still running. Her name is Liz Murray, and
she's back again this year. I think she's competed in
everyone we've had so it's pretty cool. We're going to
(02:28):
celebrate who being in the event this year.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
What is the biggest event out of the mountain biking,
kayaking and off road run in terms of competitive numbers.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Probably the mountain bike. The mountain bike seems to be
the most popular. But we really like the fact that
we're able to use the canals. It's the only time
of the year that the kayakers can use the canals
and we get around about ninety odd kayakers on the canals,
so that's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, I mean a lot of people, I guess listening
that may take a sort of you know, an on
and off interest in sports like that. How challenging as
it say, in the kayak compared to like, you know
what we see in that the Coast to Coast or
other big events like that.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, well, it's essentially a flat water kayak, but having
said that, it's it's you know, you've got wind, you've
got currents from the top of Lake Rau Tanifa, and
it also has it's twenty kves of peddling and it
also has a couple of portages around the two power
stations on the Oha Canals. So that's a bit of
(03:37):
a challenge for kayakers that they don't normally have to
deal with.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Oh great, and I mean it's sort of the best
scenery in the country, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Absolutely From the kayak, you can if you look back
over your left shoulder, you can have a look at
Kingcock up in the distance, and it's just a magic places.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
It ranged in everything from people just wanted to have
a bit of fun, a bit of a go with
a family and stuff, or is it serious athletes. What's
the sort of mix of people taking part this year?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
No, we have a whole lot of opportunities, from the
very young. We've had little four year olds with their
parents doing the little kids run and kid's bike including
a little kid on one of those little push on bikes,
right up through to guys for guys and girls who
are training for likes of coast to coasts and things
(04:29):
like that. So yeah, we have the whole range.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Great and I see you call them timely for labor
weekend hard laborers, the guys doing and guys and girls
doing all three. How many people are doing all three
disciplines this weekend.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
We've got just over fifty at this stage, so that's
sort of about normal and some of them come back
year after year to think they do it all again
for the pretty keen individuals.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
How important is that that fundraising side of things for
you dean to sort of be a crucial part of
some community organizations.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
It is really important for the particularly for the kids sports,
because most of the kids in the various tis of
clubs have to travel down to either Tamrou or Omoru
to compete in Saturday morning sports. So there's there's quite
a cost involved with travel and it just helps those
(05:24):
clubs with that fundraising.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
And speaking of travel, how many people from out of
town do you get for this? There are a lot
of locals taking part. Whereas sort of how how wide
is the net cast for competitors for this one?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Well, it probably our main areas are you know a
Cristi Temrou, Omoru sort of Wanaka area, but because of
the kayak events quite unique, we get a few kayakers
from further afield and you yeah, obviously a lot of
locals get involved as well.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Obviously, as I mentioned at the start, of tough weather
during the week, but for the rest of the weekend,
how's that forecast looking?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It's looking better. We would like the one to drop
a wee bit more, but yeah, hopefully we'll get through it. Okay.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Brilliant well Dane. Great to hear about the event. Congratulations
on pulling another one together with that added bit of
extra stress I'm sure from the weather during the week,
but congratulations. It's all involved on a special anniversary and
hope it goes really well across the weekend.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Many thanks, you appreciate the coverage.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Cheers For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
Listen live to News Talk said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well we continue we have a further look around the
country with some other sporting events happening across the weekend,
and in Twisel it's a special celebration actually the fortieth
anniversary of what's become a synonymous multi sport event there,
the twysele Hard Event, and initially just a running event,
it now involves kayaking and mountain biking as well. So
(00:32):
some of our top multi sport competitors in town there
for the weekend. Let's head there in Our chair of
the organizing committee is Dean Nelson, who's with us. Morning
to you, Dean, and firstly, but a wild weather around
the country these last few days. Have you guys come
through unscathed.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah, we're we're pretty enthusiastic that everything's gonna go ahead
according to plan. We certainly have hit some higher river
flows that are causing issue issues, but we will be
able to run some you know, some sort of event,
even if your change the courses a little bit. Ye boy,
(01:08):
river crossings here.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Oh well, hopefully it all goes to plan and that
the rest of the weekend, the weather plays ball. And
I love this history, Dean, because you look back in
nineteen eighty five when this event was sort of started
in a very downscaled form to what it is now
a half marathon. It was a fundraiser for kids' sport.
Now it's got a whole bunch of different disciplines. You
(01:31):
must be stoked and everyone in the community must be
stoked with just how far it's come.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah, it's become a real institution here and it's a
major fundraiser for kids sport team community groups. We managed
to raise between twenty five and thirty thousand dollars a
year for those voluntary groups. So it's pretty cool and
everyone gets on board and helps out.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
And Dean, right the way back in nineteen eighty five,
let us know how many competitives there were, and I
believe one of them is back this time around.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Yeah, there was fifteen competitors in that first half marathon,
and that a couple of people that were in that
first one that are still living in twisl One of
them is still running. Her name is Liz Murray, and
she's back again this year. I think she's competed in
everyone we've had so it's pretty cool. We're going to
(02:28):
celebrate who being in the event this year.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
What is the biggest event out of the mountain biking,
kayaking and off road run in terms of competitive numbers.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Probably the mountain bike. The mountain bike seems to be
the most popular. But we really like the fact that
we're able to use the canals. It's the only time
of the year that the kayakers can use the canals
and we get around about ninety odd kayakers on the canals,
so that's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, I mean a lot of people, I guess listening
that may take a sort of you know, an on
and off interest in sports like that. How challenging as
it say, in the kayak compared to like, you know
what we see in that the Coast to Coast or
other big events like that.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, well, it's essentially a flat water kayak, but having
said that, it's it's you know, you've got wind, you've
got currents from the top of Lake Rau Tanifa, and
it also has it's twenty kves of peddling and it
also has a couple of portages around the two power
stations on the Oha Canals. So that's a bit of
(03:37):
a challenge for kayakers that they don't normally have to
deal with.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Oh great, and I mean it's sort of the best
scenery in the country, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Absolutely From the kayak, you can if you look back
over your left shoulder, you can have a look at
Kingcock up in the distance, and it's just a magic places.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
It ranged in everything from people just wanted to have
a bit of fun, a bit of a go with
a family and stuff, or is it serious athletes. What's
the sort of mix of people taking part this year?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
No, we have a whole lot of opportunities, from the
very young. We've had little four year olds with their
parents doing the little kids run and kid's bike including
a little kid on one of those little push on bikes,
right up through to guys for guys and girls who
are training for likes of coast to coasts and things
(04:29):
like that. So yeah, we have the whole range.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Great and I see you call them timely for labor
weekend hard laborers, the guys doing and guys and girls
doing all three. How many people are doing all three
disciplines this weekend.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
We've got just over fifty at this stage, so that's
sort of about normal and some of them come back
year after year to think they do it all again
for the pretty keen individuals.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
How important is that that fundraising side of things for
you dean to sort of be a crucial part of
some community organizations.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
It is really important for the particularly for the kids sports,
because most of the kids in the various tis of
clubs have to travel down to either Tamrou or Omoru
to compete in Saturday morning sports. So there's there's quite
a cost involved with travel and it just helps those
(05:24):
clubs with that fundraising.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
And speaking of travel, how many people from out of
town do you get for this? There are a lot
of locals taking part. Whereas sort of how how wide
is the net cast for competitors for this one?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Well, it probably our main areas are you know a
Cristi Temrou, Omoru sort of Wanaka area, but because of
the kayak events quite unique, we get a few kayakers
from further afield and you yeah, obviously a lot of
locals get involved as well.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Obviously, as I mentioned at the start, of tough weather
during the week, but for the rest of the weekend,
how's that forecast looking?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It's looking better. We would like the one to drop
a wee bit more, but yeah, hopefully we'll get through it. Okay.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Brilliant well Dane. Great to hear about the event. Congratulations
on pulling another one together with that added bit of
extra stress I'm sure from the weather during the week,
but congratulations. It's all involved on a special anniversary and
hope it goes really well across the weekend.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Many thanks, you appreciate the coverage.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Cheers For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
Listen live to News Talk said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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