Three siblings are making a splash in the world of competitive manus, with Tūmanako, Korōria and Nātanahira Hedley shaping up as contenders for next month’s World Manu Championship.
The trio are fine-tuning their technique ahead of the world championship qualifiers at Nayland Pool on Sunday, 21 February. All three are seen as strong chances to earn a spot at the World Manu Championships, to be held at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour in March.
The manu, or dive bomb, is synonymous with the Kiwi summer. For the Hedley whānau, it is a chance to compete and connect with others around the country.
Korōria, 12, qualified for the world championships last year and is itching to return.
“It was awesome. Mum and I were flown to Auckland to compete, and it was so much fun. I got a heap of free merch, and a medal for giving it a go. I’d love to make it back there.”
The siblings are well-known faces at Nayland Pool over summer. Tūmanako says the atmosphere created by the pool staff keeps them coming back.
“I remember we used to count down the days to when the pool would open for the summer. Even when it was raining, we would still go.”
So what makes a good manu? Eleven-year-old Nātanahira says it is all about nailing the timing of the pop.
“When you lean back under the water, it makes a pop and makes the splash go higher. The other secret is to do a trick. I like doing a fade away where you do a backflip into a manu. It looks cool and not many people can do it.”
Spaces remain available for the Nelson qualifier. To register, visit worldmanuchamps.com/nelsonsignup.
