Public cops eyeful as police don undies
Relay a favourite with the crowds at Warm Up Party
Police made an addition to their uniform at the Waih¯ı Warm Up Party. Officers from Paeroa and Thames jumped in and saved the day when organisers called for more eager participants in the Mitre 10 Undie 500 relay race at Wednesday’s rock and roll festival.
The officers happily volunteered and donned the leopard skin undies required for the task and belted along Seddon St with two other teams in drag and various costume.
Go Waihi introduced the Undie 500 relay last year — a relay race involving a rapid undie change at each end of the race.
Anyone could dress up and enter in teams of three.
This was the 21st birthday celebration for Repco Beach Hop and organisers were keen to run the hop event again — wanting to stick to the date of the last weekend in March — hot on the heels of November’s event.
The Warm Up Party is the first leg of the five-event festival, which continued in Whangamata¯ and headed up to Thames and Onemana.
Go Waihi turned on a great day showcasing the town to Hop visitors.
Go Waihi’s Greg Whyte said they were “pleased with the way the day turned out”.
“It was like a big jigsaw with lots of pieces, hoping they would all mesh together on the day and luckily they did. The ambience around town was amazing — a great vibe.”
The day started about 10am with classic cars and hot rods rolling into town to park up along Seddon St.
Petrolheads were welcomed with an impressive kapa haka performance by local schools, headed by Waih¯ı East School.
About midday, the Mitre 10 Undie 500 was held followed by the fashion show.
Among the visitors was Diane Kruse, who divides her time between Whangamata¯ and Texas.
“I come over every six months of the year to spend time with my grandchildren. We coincide it with Beach Hop and I’ve been coming here for the past eight seasons. I wouldn’t miss it.”
Because of Covid-19 they were able to stay on in New Zealand longer.
Festival favourites John and Carol Harwood and Brian and Colleen Pascoe from Hawke’s Bay also attended the Warm Up Party in their 1956 pink Cadillac.
The four are regulars to the festival and are known for their daily costume changes.
This year saw a theme. Waih¯ı’s get-up was the Rydell High cheerleaders from with John and Brian
Kenickie.
Local Dar Palmer combined her love of fashion-making with a fundraiser at the Warm Up Party. She donned her “Dotty” outfit (head to toe in pom poms) she’d made herself to raise . money for Waih¯ı Towncats. playing
Danny and