Ngakau Toa’s J19 girls will be the only junior crew racing in the Round Rarotonga changes race on Friday.

The girls have been training hard together this year, and represented the Cook Islands at the Hilo IVF world sprints in August.  The original core team raced in Samoa last year at the IVF world distance champs winning a bronze in the J19 marathon. The girls are pictured here in their respective island teams in the CI Games.  

Junior paddlers can look forward to two days of exciting paddling action at Muri lagoon during Vaka Eiva.  J14 and J16 paddlers will battle over 4k and 6k circuits respectively on Tuesday morning in Muri, followed by 250m/500m sprints on Thursday.

Local clubs Te Tupu and NTV are both fielding teams in the J14 and J16, both boys, girls and mixed teams.  The juniors have gained good experience and development this year training and racing in ocean conditions, with both clubs junior crews racing in some of the open races during the season, and culminating in their junior nationals last month which saw Ngakau Toa take the title.  Paddlers in both clubs also participated in the CI Games sprints events held in Nikao. 

Mapu oe vaka organizer Vaea Melvin said that due to the lack of experience in ocean paddling among the junior overseas teams and to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all, the junior event will take place in beautiful Muri lagoon.  Melvin says the goal of including a junior programme as part of this year’s Vaka Eiva was to have something for the junior paddlers in both clubs to look forward to after months of training and racing locally.  “It provides a fantastic opportunity for our mapu to race against junior paddlers from NZ, and will be a great experience for them especially in the sprints events learning and competing against experienced sprinters,”said Melvin.

Head NTV junior coach Jakub Postrzygacz who can be seen out on the water every week pushing his junior crews along in ocean training, said the core of group has been together 3 years, some competed in Vaka Eiva last year, which generated interest and an influx of new kids joining the club this year.  Postrzygacz is impressed with the commitment shown, with his juniors training since February and competing in the local calendar as well as a number competing in CI Games.   “I’m really proud of the kids for sticking around the whole year, we haven’t dropped a single child, and its great to see such a great number joining the sport bringing friends and sharing passion for the ocean.  Vaka Eiva provides a great opportunity for kids to compete against peers from overseas and make new friendships.”

Te Tupu’s junior coach Emilene Taulu also has J14 girls crews and J16 boys and girls crews competing and said its exciting to see the enthusiasm displayed by the juniors, and she looks forward to many of them experiencing racing against overseas teams for the first time.

Ngawiki Dickson of Te Warekura o Mauao club is returning this year with a team of U14 boys and girls, the first time to Rarotonga and indeed out of the country for most of the children.  “The experience of paddling in another country as well as the culture is what makes this a memorable occasion for our tamariki, not only the paddling but making connections is what the kids love most,”said Dickson.

The juniors will wrap up their event with their own awards night on Thursday night at Margaritas.