Kai and camaraderie: behind the scenes at The Golden Shears

Paua fritters, whitebait, crayfish and venison are on the menu for shearers and supporters at the three-day Golden Shears championship in Masterton.

Shearing ace Nathan Stratford (runner-up in the Open section) isn't too serious during downtime, although behind the sledging and laughter there's the serious science to selecting the correct gear, using the right combs in the handpiece at different times of the day, and selecting the best sheep.

Nathan says that when it comes to selecting combs and grinding them ready for competitions he's "pedantic" and it takes a team of dedicated supporters to help him make those calls.