It will be a bitter sweet Vaka Eiva for Denne’s Boys, a crew of paddlers from various Queensland clubs who have teamed up to travel to Rarotonga and race in the memory of their friend Denne Bourke who tragically went missing in May last year while paddling between islands in the Torres Strait.

Bourke was a popular local identity on Thursday Island where he lived with his partner Cook Islander Georgia Bourke and their infant son Kiva.  He was also very fondly known in Rarotonga where he and Georgia resided for a number of years, while she worked as a Fisheries officer for MMR, and he managed the Reefside Rarotonga.  Both were avid paddlers and split their attentions between the two clubs in Rarotonga, Denne with Ngakau Toa Vaka and Georgia with Te Tupu o te Manava.

Rees Davies, from the Torres Strait canoe club, says “Denne was my best mate and the reason I loved paddling to be honest.” Over the years of living on Thursday Island he and Bourke raced with a number of Queensland clubs, and then started forming crews for bigger races such as Australian nationals, Sydney harbour challenge, Takapuna Beach Cup.  “That core group became our closest friends and we just want to keep his memory and vibe alive with Denne’s Boys,” he said.  

Vaka Eiva will be their first major international event together, but they are definitely a team to watch for having placed first in the gruelling Heikili outrigger canoe club 45km Great Barrier Reef Ocean Challenge (GROCC) race in july.

The crew includes two Cook Islanders Glenn Nooroa of Coral Sea OCC and Beal Vogel Beal of Hekili OCC, as well as Australian national singles champ Matt Abbott of Coconuts OCC.  As one of their team couldn’t make the trip they have roped in Romani Katoa to join their Round Rarotonga crew.  Beal, who represented the Cook Islands last year at the Samoa IVF World distance champs raced with Denne at both Takapuna Beach Cup and Sydney Harbour Challenge, and said “Its a real honour to be part of the group and a huge effort by everyone to make sacrifices to train and race together in the leadup to Vaka eiva.”

Dennes partner Georgia will also be making the trip to Rarotonga for Vaka Eiva, participating in the mixed fun race on Saturday with paddlers from her Torres Strait Canoe Club, and in the sunnport boat for the crews Round Raro race on Friday.