Carvers and engravers make trophies

Island Craft is churning out more than 800 pearl-shell pendants and engraved trophies for this years Vaka Eiva festival.

The pendant design is a bit different this year upward-facing triangles for women competitors and downward-facing for men.

Director and womens national squad coach Fletcher Melvin, whose company is making the trophies, says that in past years pearl-shell pendants have been circular, but this year they are triangular or diamond-shaped so as to encourage recipients to wear them as jewellery.

Were just mixing it up its a different take on the medal this year, he said.

The pendants will go to individual paddlers, and the larger carved trophies to winning teams. Junior paddlers who come out on top will win pearl-shell medals.

The boys in the Island Craft factory are this week working hard sanding wood, hand-carving Cook Islands motifs into pre-cut trophies and engraving pendants ahead of next weeks oe vaka festival.

The Bob Worthington Mixed Round Raro trophy is the same model as in past years.