Canoeing hands out awards

The Cook Islands Canoeing Association (CICA) recently held its year-end awards ceremony at Trader Jack’s to celebrate the end of Vaka Eiva and the beginning of a hard-earned rest period before sprint season kicks into gear.

Te Tupu O Te Manava won the CICA Sprint Season Club Award, while Ngakau Toa Vaka (NTV) took home the CICA Ocean Distance Series Club Award.

In the juniors division, Te Tupu took out all the awards categories except for the U19 girls V6 500 metre sprint, which went to Ngakau Toa. Te Tupu won the U19 mixed and U16 mixed 500 metre sprints, and all the 1500 metre V6 sprint categories.

Junior female paddler of the year went to Emilene Taulu and Andre Tutaka won junior male paddler of the year.

Te Tupu U19 boys got special recognition for paddling with the ‘big boys’, or the open men, during the Vaka Eiva Round Raro Race.

Results were a bit more across-the-board for seniors and open paddlers in the sprint category.

Live Free masters women took out the 500 metre V6 sprints, while Te Tupu open women won their 500 metre sprints. The open men 500 metre V6 sprints award went to NTV.

In the 1500 metre V6 sprint category, Live Free masters women swept their class, while NTV won the open women award and Te Tupu won for open men. All V12 sprint awards went to Te Tupu.

In the V6 Open Ocean series, NTV took out all three categories – mixed, women and men – and Te Tupu masters men got special recognition for putting up such a tough fight during Vaka Eiva.

Graeme Whitfield was awarded the Mens Masters V1 Sprint award and Paiao Short won the Womens Masters counterpart. Paiao Short also won the Womens Open V1 Sprint award and Reuben Dearlove took out the Mens Open V1 Sprint.

Reuben also won the Mens V1 Ocean award and Emilene Taulu won for women. For OC1, Johnny Raita and Marc Cowan tied for the open men award and Serena Hunter won for women.

Novices were recognised for an ‘excellent first season of oe vaka’, and the three Aitutaki clubs – Toa Moana, Aitutaki Oe Vaka and Te Mana O Utataki – got special mention for participating in and developing the sport of oe vaka on Aitutaki.