Making a splash in Nelson

Pauly Kauri’s 15-year-old son talked him into it.

The Ashburton meat worker had not been planning to take part in the Z Manu World Champs qualifiers in Nelson at the weekend, but his son Reino, who won the youth category at the Palmerston North event earlier this month, begged him to.

He told his dad it would be great if he could join him at the grand final in Auckland on March 14.

“Please just give it a try and we can do it together,” Pauly Kauri said his son told him.

So on Friday he made the long drive from Ashburton to Nelson – the first time he had visited the city – for the regional qualifiers at the Nayland Park Pool on Saturday.

Kauri senior, 37, had grown up doing manu at pools in South Auckland and in the Waikato River. He had taken part in the Z Manu competition a couple of years ago.

On Saturday, he nailed his two jumps, including the “cheesegrater”, where the jumper gets horizontal and scissors their legs before tucking in for the splash.

It was a move built on painful practice: “You end up learning real quick when you land on your back,” Kauri said.

“It’s all about timing.”

Kauri said his experience as a competitive skateboarder had helped with his mid-air manu moves.

He can’t wait to join his son at the Auckland grand final.

The category winners at Nayland who will go on to Auckland are: Tamariki (children) Male: Yassine Wardi, Natanahera Hedley, first equal; Female: Kororia Hedley; Rangatahi (youth), Male: Tione Haruru, Female: Bailee Hall; Pakeke (adult), Male: Pauly Kauri, Female: Kaleigh Rangihika; Anything but a manu, Male: Kohon Wirihana, Female: Alexis Bezett.

By Warren Gamble, Nelson Mail