Finn Butcher has been named at Whitewater New Zealand's 2024 Paddler of the Year!

Blake Luff sent in this nomination for Finn:

I have been privileged to watch and be part of Finn Butchers paddling career since the very beginning. It was a fateful weekend under Alexandra’s Shakey Bridge, when as the slalom season began, a deal was made with the legendary Sarge to procure an old fibreglass slalom boat that his boys had outgrown.

Finn took to kayaking like a duck takes to water, taken under the wings of some of the best paddlers in Central Otago Finn became a sponge of knowledge learning from Sarge, Gordon Rayner and Roy Bailey, and many more. Soaking up all these learnings turned a weedy little ginger into the lean mean kayaking machine we all know and love.

Finn juggled University in Dunedin with his burgeoning slalom career before making the call to venture north to the big smoke of Auckland to make the most of the Vector Wero in Manukau.

The kayaking community in New Zealand is small and tight, and we all back each other when the competition is on, but Paris 2024 was something different. New Zealand and the world now know 'The Butcher' and rightfully claim him as a sporting hero. New Zealand has a proud Olympic kayaking history, and now proudly has a whitewater kayaker from Alexandra in company of the likes of Ferguson and Carrington. It is truly special.

I believe this is the beginning of Finn Butcher, the humble champion who has proudly come from Alexandra to stand with the best in the world.

- Blake Luff

Article added: Wednesday 23 October 2024