Hayley Whiting will be wearing the silver fern once again when she competes at the Mini Pacific Games in December. Photo supplied.Mid Canterbury’s Hayley Whiting is looking forward to getting the chance to prove herself in her second international event when the Mini Pacific Games come around at the start of December.

The weightlifter is coming off a busy winter of competitions, which included a trip to Melbourne, as well as competing at the South Island Championships, the North Island Championships and the National Championships.

After winning the South Island Championships for her weight class (under 75), and putting in a strong performance at the North Island Championships as a guest competitor, the national championships did not quite go to plan.

Whiting missed all three of her snatches, ending her competition there and then.

“Sadly it is that kind of sport where you only get three chances and I missed three and that was my competition over,” she said.

The trip to Vanuatu will be her second international event, and she has her eyes set on hitting the New Zealand international grade, which will see her needing to hit 192kg combined across all the disciplines.

“Any chance you get to represent your country is a massive honour,” she said.

While next year’s Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast are out of the question, Whiting said that the Commonwealth Games in 2022 are a long-term goal.

“Realistically I am not at an Olympic level and that is something you have to be honest about, but I haven’t been doing this for very long and to already be involved with several New Zealand teams is really special,” she said.

Only 24 years old, Whiting regularly finds herself competing against women older than herself, and hopes to have plenty more years left competing.

Getting to the top of the weightlifting scene does not come easy.

“I train five or six times a week and that is on top of working a full time job and trying to get some sleep in there somewhere,” she said.

“It is pretty focused work, doing a lot of stuff to work on technique and stuff like squats, so I guess it is pretty specific.”

By Jaime Pitt-MacKay © The Ashburton Guardian - 16 November 2017

New Zealand Sock Company international sales manager Gabrielle Simpson and head of research and development Tony Jessep check socks on the factory floor. Photo Linda ClarkeSailors in the round the world Volvo Ocean Race are subjected to some brutal weather, but at least their feet will be warm and dry.

Ashburton sock-manufacturer The New Zealand Sock Company has supplied specially-engineered merino socks to several crews in the nine-month race, calling on their research and technology department to come up with a sock to suit the extremes of ocean racing.

The sock company uses unique technology on all its socks, with specifically-positioned padding to cushion pressure areas and promote blood flow.

Their socks are worn all over the world, by soldiers in Afghanistan and mountain climbers as well as diabetics and those with foot problems.

Owner Euan Sparrow said the company had moved from selling socks to selling sock technology, and customers all over the world were seeking socks fit for purpose.

The socks are all made, tested and packed at the company’s Ashburton factory, where 56 Italian-made machines whirr almost 24 hours a day.

Sparrow said the technology was exciting and the company relished new projects.

The company was approached in March by high-end wet weather yachting gear supplier Zhik to make socks for the Volvo ocean racing teams AkzoNobel and Dongfeng.

Long and short socks were needed for a boat shoe and a special boot worn by the sailors.

Sailors experience temperature variations between -5 and 40 degrees and are allowed only a few clothes.

NZ Socks international sales manager Gabrielle Simpson said the socks needed to be quick drying and able to wick moisture away from the foot, as well as being comfortable and snug-fitting.

Samples made of merino wool, processed using a unique yarn patented technology NuYarn, and incorporating an elastic support system were made and shipped off for the crews to trial.

Simpson said the socks needed to lock to the sailors’ feet, not slip or slide and cause blisters.

The specially-engineered black socks were a hit, the only request was to incorporate a bright colour so they could be easily found in the dark.

Sparrow said the other advantage of using merino was the socks could also be worn for several days without becoming smelly.

Head of R&D Tony Jessep said people spent hundreds of dollars on specialty footwear but often teamed it with illfitting socks.

Speciality socks that worked with specialty footwear were key for healthy, high-performing feet.

The company’s socks are worn and loved by athletes including snowboarder Freeman Andrews, recently named in the New Zealand Winter Olympics team, and ultra-runner Hollie Woodhouse.

The same sock science could be handy when New Zealand defends the America’s Cup in 2021.

The Volvo Ocean Racing fleet is due in Auckland in March, half-way through the 72,000km race.

By Linda Clarke © The Ashburton Guardian - 15 November 2017

The Ashburton High School bell has acquired a new lease of life. Photo Katie ToddA familiar soundbite from times of old has returned to echo through Ashburton College.

More than five decades since the original Ashburton High School bell last tolled, it has been restored and mounted on a wooden stand for use at special events and assemblies.

The restoration project utilised the brains of the student executive, the expert handiwork of hard technology teacher Chris Thompson, and recycled materials from the school’s science block renovations in 2011.

“Everything in it has got a connection with the college,”  Thompson said.

The bell was used at Ashburton High School to signal a change in periods, but ceased to be used when Ashburton High School merged with Hakatere College in 1965.

“It was mounted on a tower, and it used to be the task of a senior student to ring the bell to mark a change of periods,” Thompson said.

“I heard one story in which some students climbed up the tower, wrapped cloth around it so the sound was muffled and no one would hear it … they actually had to get the fire brigade to go up the tower and remove the cloth.”

College management administrator Sheena Tyrell said since its redundancy, the bell had floated around the administration block, and had even been used as a doorstop to the principal’s office.

Student executive members then came up with the idea of restoring the bell for use at special events, and Renato Poienar drafted a design.

“They came and saw me and explained they’d designed a stand but didn’t have time to complete it,” Thompson said.

“I decided to create it using timber from the old science block … then they told me it had to be done by November 6.”

He said the hardest part was laminating and sorting the usable from non-reusable materials.

“That took quite some time.”

Thirty-five hours of hard grafting later the bell was ready for unveiling, at this week’s Ashburton College Senior Prizegiving ceremonies.

“I’m sure it will go on for another 50 years,” Thompson said.

By Katie Todd © The Ashburton Guardian - 10 November 2017