Paddling
Sailing vaka pit their skills
Wednesday 10 November 2010 | Published in Paddling
The Sailing Cook Islands National Tangaroa 18-foot Class Vaka Championships recently competed for the magnificent Koteka Trophy in a reasonable breeze of six to seven knots. Seven races were contested by five sailing vakas, the competition was keen and saw hotly contested rights of way, with all protests ruled on the water by Judge Jeff […]
Vaka Eiva greener!
Saturday 30 October 2010 | Published in Paddling
Vaka Eiva 2010 is not only going to be another fun filled and action packed event – it’s going to be greener than ever before. Organisers of Vaka Eiva aim to make the hugely popular paddling event as environmentally friendly as possible and to achieve this – they’ve signed up ‘Eco Partners’ for the week-long […]
Round island race a Vaka Eiva tester
Thursday 28 October 2010 | Published in Paddling
For local paddlers, Saturday’s Round Raro Race (RRR) was a good pre-Vaka Eiva challenge. The race started from the Boiler at Avarua Harbour and proceeded anti-clockwise around the island. At the start line, the sun was out and the sea was calm. Mixed teams and Ngakau Toa Vaka women started first, and men’s teams set […]
Tough conditions at oe vaka
Tuesday 12 October 2010 | Published in Paddling
Saturday’s oe vaka race proceeded despite rough seas and strong winds. Nine crews battled it out for 18 kilometres – from the harbour to Matavera, then back down to just before Black Rock, and into the harbour for the home stretch. Ngakau Toa open men took first with a finish time of 1:34:33, followed closely […]
Long distance oe vaka races
Tuesday 31 August 2010 | Published in Paddling
It was first and second place to the Ngakau Toa Vaka open men crews in the first race of the oe vaka long distance race series that got underway on Saturday afternoon. Finishing in 55 minutes there was less than three minutes between the first four crews. Te Tupu o Te Manava open men’s crews […]
Corporate oe vaka all set to go
Saturday 14 August 2010 | Published in Paddling
The Cook Islands Canoeing Association is gearing up for the second Corporate Oe Vaka Race of the year which promises to be doubly fun and fantastic. The fun filled oe vaka day gives businesses the opportunity to treat the staff and tighten up units in a social and competitive environment. The next corporate races will […]
Special blessing for Live Free vaka
Friday 30 July 2010 | Published in Paddling
The Live Free paddling club gathered in Muri on Saturday for the special ceremony for their Tai-Mana V6 vaka. The three-year-old paddling club are grateful to vaka sponsor Jetsave Travel and vowed to represent the company to the best of their ability – both on and off the water. The club has around 30 registered […]
Ngakau Toa take top vaka spots
Friday 14 May 2010 | Published in Paddling
Ngakau Toa Vaka club came out tops in Wednesday’s 8km mixed V6 race, taking out first and second place. Paddlers lined up at the boiler in Avarua harbour and paddled towards Tupapa for the first turnaround at Club Raro, in what were described as a ‘washing machine’ conditions. In fact, the race was more of […]
Oe vaka in Avarua action
Tuesday 11 May 2010 | Published in Paddling
Around 30 oe vaka paddlers gathered at Avarua harbour on Saturday for an afternoon of OC1 and V1 racing on a dead calm ocean. Twenty one paddlers tackled the 10km iron race while four teams of two tested their skills in the 5km relay. Local male champion Reuben Dearlove blitzed the 10km course in his […]
Crews line-up for Vaka Eiva
Friday 16 April 2010 | Published in Paddling
Over 100 oe vaka crews have registered to race in the hugely popular annual Vaka Eiva Festival with many more on a waiting list. Local crews preparing for the festival are reminded to pay their non-refundable deposit of $500 before May 15 to secure their spot. Failure to do so will see teams on the […]
Close racing as oe vaka ends
Tuesday 13 April 2010 | Published in Paddling
Some close racing was seen as the oe vaka sprint series came to a close on Saturday with the grand finals hosted at Muri by the Te Tupu O Te Manava club. The 1500m turns race, especially, provided some great action on the water. Conditions on the day was perfect for racing but Marc Cowan […]
Schools paddle for vaka iti dominance
Saturday 10 April 2010 | Published in Paddling
Over 200 students battled it out in Muri lagoon on Thursday for vaka iti oe vaka supremacy. After an afternoon of sprint races, dancing and fun, Nukutere College successfully defended their champion’s title to take out this year’s races. Nukutere earned a total of 40 points thanks to their 52 paddlers in 16 teams across […]
Oe vaka race party time!
Monday 29 March 2010 | Published in Paddling
Local oe vaka clubs should experience a surge in membership this week after one of the most exciting and fun Corporate Oe Vaka racedays on Saturday. First time paddlers got a taste of the thrill of being on the water and no doubt they will want more. A total of 36 teams – more than […]
Takapuna abuzz over Traders vaka
Tuesday 23 March 2010 | Published in Paddling
The Trader Jacks oe vaka crew, made up of top international paddlers and local Boiler Boys paddlers, was placed second at the annual Takapuna Cup race in Auckland last month. The crew raced in the black Trader Jacks six-men vaka, normally on display in the Avarua harbour restaurant, which was shipped to Auckland for the […]
Vaka sprints in Muri
Saturday 20 March 2010 | Published in Paddling
Te Tupu O Te Manava oe vaka club members new and old were out in force last Saturday for the first sprint races of the season. Not only was the club out in force, they also dominated the day’s 500m V1 and V12 races on the Muri lagoon. But a big showing from the Ngakau […]
Entries closing for corporate oe vaka race
Tuesday 16 March 2010 | Published in Paddling
If you haven’t registered for the popular oe vaka V12 corporate races yet – you’d better paddle your vaka quickly as registrations close on March 19. The annual corporate race, hosted by the Cook Islands Canoeing Association, is scheduled for March 27 and promises to be a day full of fun – both on and […]
New thrills at Vaka Iti
Thursday 4 March 2010 | Published in Paddling
Rain and rough seas haven’t stopped Rarotonga secondary school students hitting the lagoon for their Vaka Iti oe vaka lessons. The junior oe vaka schools programme began this week with hardly a first time paddler in sight thanks to the successful programme which has been running in Rarotonga schools for three years or so. And […]
267 teenagers to try oe vaka
Friday 26 February 2010 | Published in Paddling
The oe vaka in schools programme starts on Monday March 1 with 267 secondary school students registered for the seven-week programme. Junior oe vaka programme coordinator Teina Taulu says that the Vaka Iti programme aims to give Cook Islands youth the opportunity to give paddling a go and those bitten by the paddling bug can […]
Te Tupu makes oe vaka fun
Thursday 18 February 2010 | Published in Paddling
Muri lagoon and beach was a sea of red last Saturday when Te Tupu O Te Manava oe vaka club members held their open day for registered and new members. Fun was the aim of the day with novelty races providing lots of laughs and bonding among the paddlers. There was some paddling coaching as […]
Oe vaka recruiting
Thursday 21 January 2010 | Published in Paddling
The oe vaka season officially gets underway in mid-February with the three clubs on Rarotonga now recruiting new members – especially in the junior division. Te Tupu O Te Manava oe vaka club is holding an open day on Saturday January 30 for its registered members and those intending to take up outrigger canoeing in […]