Three generations of the Otumoetai-based Ryder family will race across the Tauranga Harbour in outrigger canoe crews this weekend.

Seven-year-old Matthew and his brother Cameron, 9, will be paddling along with their parents, Alex and Becs, and 63-year-old grandmother Shirley in the Omokoroa Dash waka ama event on Sunday.

Hundreds of paddlers will compete in the waka ama event this weekend.

'There are few sports where everyone in the family can compete no matter how old they are,” says Becs.

'We really love the atmosphere and the family friendly nature of it.”

‘The Dash' is one of the biggest events of the year for Tauranga Moana Outrigger Canoe Club.

The main event is a 10km race starting from the Omokoroa Domain and paddling to Rangiwaea Island where one crew member must get out and retrieve a special brick from the beach before the return leg to the domain.

Hundreds of paddlers from around the North Island are expected to race in womens, mens, mixed, whanau, juniors and midgets' divisions, using six-man, one-man and two-man outriggers. There will also be stand-up paddleboard and surf ski races.

Competing in the sprint nationals at Lake Karapiro two weekends ago, Becs' women's team clocked up TMMOC's best result for any women's team in years placing fifth out of 40 teams from around the country in the 1500m race.

Her husband Alex was up in the stands running the time-keeping software for the whole event while nine-year-old Cameron and his younger brother Matthew competed in the midgets division.

Grandmother Shirley competed in the over-60s division at the World Sprints championship in Canada in 2012 and in Hawaii last year.

The Ryders are racing in the event at Omokoroa Domain, from 8.50am to 11am, on February 2.

Seven-year-old Matthew and his brother Cameron, 9, will compete in the event.