Pacific

Clarkie enjoys paddling off the river

Rod Clarkie Clark of Echuca is taking on Vaka Eiva for the first time this year. A leading senior constable of the Victorian Police, he has been on the force since 1979 but the start of his paddling career predates the year he became a policeman. Clarkie says he has been canoeing since he started […]

Round Raro Relay results

The men’s Pacific Cup results (below) are only the top three teams in each of the race divisions. The full men’s results were not readily available last night due to the tragic death of Cook Islands paddler Alan Maki during yesterday’s race.

20 crews in mixed race

Around 20 mixed crews will race around Rarotonga today in hot pursuit of the Bob Worthington trophy. Judging by their performance this week, the Crown Beach mixed crew an amalgamation of yesterdays winning mens crew Crown Beach Kings and winning womens crew Crown Beach Belles have a good shot at the top spot. Two other […]

Lisa Townsend wins Boiler swim

The winner of Tuesday evenings Trader Jacks charity swim, Lisa Townsend, was not wearing a cow costume as a caption in yesterdays CINews indicated. She finished first in a time of 10:02 but was not pictured.

Crown Beach Kings reigned

Kings squad. “/> What they say about self-fulfilling prophecies must be true. Even before arriving in Rarotonga, Australias Crown Beach Kings were named the top contenders in yesterdays open mens Round Raro Race and as predicted, they finished six minutes ahead of the Cook Islands national squad to claim the coveted Pacific Cup. With a […]

Belles steal lead by skipping changes

Australian womens crew Crown Beach Belles are this years queens of the Pacific Paddle Round Raro Race after blitzing 16 other crews to win the race in 3:14:45. The Belles crossed the line just over 2 minutes ahead of the tough Cook Islands national squad who spent the morning hunting down the Belles. The Belles […]

Paddler dies during race

An Aitutaki paddler died yesterday afternoon while competing in the Vaka Eiva Round Rarotonga Relay. Alan Maki, a starting-six member of the Te Tupu O Te Manava masters crew, was brought ashore at Avana during the race and could not be resuscitated. He was taken by ambulance to hospital. The cause of death has not […]

80 swimmers round the boiler

Eighty hearty swimmers took to the Avarua harbour for the Trader Jacks charity boiler swim as part of this weeks Vaka Eiva activities. Visitor to the island Lisa Townsend was the first out of the water in 10:02 while Gold Coast chief surf lifesaving guard Chris Maynard was hot on her tail finishing a second […]

Paddlers get a taste of the Cook Islands

A swath of Rarotonga schools yesterday put on an all-singing, all-dancing welcome for paddlers currently stationed in the Cook Islands. Paddling teams from Australia and New Zealand stopped by Takitumu, Avarua, Arorangi, St Josephs and Imanuela Akatemia schools yesterday to exchange gifts and goodwill as part of the Vaka Eiva competition currently underway. The paddling […]

Crown Beach Kings go bush with Rakei Toa

The Australian Crown Beach Kings paddling crew went bush yesterday to discover what the kids of their adopted school Rakei Toa get up to. The Kings, favourites to win todays Pacific Cup Round Raro, were treated to a coconut climbing and coconut husking session before a grand umu feast set down by the students of […]

Mapu give it their all

It was success all round for junior paddlers at yesterdays Mapu Oe Vaka races in Muri with clubs from New Zealand, Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Australia all sharing wins. The junior paddling event got started with a moving turou (welcome) ceremony along Muri beach where some 250 paddlers walked to the paddling base next to the […]

Paddlers take care of pets

Vaka Eiva paddling crew Rogz for Dogs including (from left) Peter Watson, Kylie Young, Lauren Grant and Don Gaschk delivered over $20,000 worth of pet food, medicine, leashes and toys for the Esther Honey Animal Clinic in Nikao. Check out tomorrow’s Cook Islands News for the full details of funds and sponsorship.

Red Hot Chicks on fire, Super 8 doing great

The fifth round of the Edgewater Saturday Premier Womens Championship saw some great action over the weekend with the temperature not the only thing heating up on the field. Arorangi Red Hot Chicks were seeking to move to the top of the table and guarantee themselves a finals berth and home advantage against the girls […]

Sport VE open division V6

The Crown Beach Kings oe vaka crew from Australia are proving to be as good as their fighting words after easily taking out yesterdays open mens V6 12km iron race to Avana. It wasnt all cruisy work though for the Aussie boys who were left in the wake of the Cook Islands National mens squad […]

2 wins to Natives

The Aotearoa Natives were at it again in the masters mixed V6 12km race yesterday with the crew pulling off their second win for the day. After winning the masters mens division Aotearoa Natives called in their Wahine for the mixed division which they cleaned up in 1:07:09 two minutes ahead of second place-getters the […]

Aitutaki girls win U19 V6

The island of Aitutaki will be celebrating long into the week after the islands talented under 19 womens crew took out yesterdays V6 12km race ahead of their fancier counterparts from the Sunshine Coast. It was anyones race from start to end with the three canoes in the race paddling stroke for stroke. But with […]

Masters make it look easy

Less wind and sea chop made for smooth paddling on Monday morning in the first race of the day for the masters and senior masters men 12km V6 iron races. The uniting power of oe vaka came to the fore as crews coordinated their strokes to get their vaka across the line. It was the […]

V6 teams racing results

Local paddlers to the fore on first day

Unique Cook Islands carved pearl shell pendants and wooden trophies were presented to the top three paddlers in each race category on Saturday night. After a big day of racing, paddlers gathered at the Avarua harbour for the official opening of the 2011 Vaka Eiva festival and to celebrate the success of paddlers through the […]

Outrigger sport unites people as one

The uniting power of outrigger paddling was highlighted at the opening ceremony of the Vaka Eiva festival at Avarua harbour on Saturday. In her address, Cook Islands Canoeing Association president Janet Maki talked about the sport of paddling being one of unity. As a paddler you are told to feel the canoe, feel the ocean […]