Aussies going for gold

Australia is bringing its best this year.

Joining the Crown Beach Kings are the Crown Beach Belles and like their male counterparts, they plan to raise the bar.

Comprising the Crown Beach Kings are some of Australias best paddlers Todd Cohen, Travis Grant and Greg Long. The father-son duo Gold Coast chief lifeguard Chris Maynard and Noosa ironman champion Jackson Maynard is back again this year and again repping Crown Beach Kings.

These five open mens paddlers reign in Australias outrigger world.

Steering is Danny Sheard of the Sunshine Coast, who paddles with Cohen in Mooloolooba. Most of the Crown Beach Kings are from Outrigger Australia Canoe Club, which is this season undefeated.

Theyre here to win every race, photographer Harvie Allison said of his countrymen. Last year the (mixed Round Raro) took too much out of them before the big race the mens Round Raro, the blue-ribbon race.

The Cook Islands national mens squad has named Crown Beach Kings as their biggest threat.

Allison, who has been part of the Vaka Eiva action since the events inception, expects that this year the mens races will not be cut and dried. He reckons both crews have a shot at the gold, and says the mens races this year promise to be extremely exciting.

Most of the Crown Beach Kings arrive today, and will get straight into the individual races tomorrow. The Crown Beach Belles also arrive today. With the exception of Natalie Anderson, the women havent competed in Vaka Eiva before. But this year theyre bringing their A-game theyre in it to win it.

The crew Jasmin Kelly, Bobbie McGrath, Rachel Smith, Natalie Anderson, Sonia Adams, Paula Sparling, Alison Olander, Sharlene Kelly and Lynwen Birch trains with Surfers Paradise Outrigger Canoe Club.

They form the core of the womens Surfers Paradise crew that finished third at Molokai Hoe last year.

They were all sick of me raving about (Vaka Eiva) and said they want to come this year, Allison said. Australia-wise, these two crews being here lends great credibility to (Vaka Eiva).

Allison intends to send photos and media content to Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast publications, thereby raising Rarotongas profile down under.