For fun and friends

The Vaka Eiva festival is more than just paddling its about lots of fun and building lifelong friendships based on the common passion and love for outrigger canoeing.

New friendships have already begun and the festival hasnt started.

Canadian paddler Esperaza Smith (left) wasted no time making new friends while her crew wrapped up a great day of paddling on the ocean this week.

While her crew mingled and mixed, Esperaza forged new links with Australian paddlers (second from left to right) Deb Coward, Jude Papesch and Letitia Field who are all looking forward to the competitive Vaka Eiva racing as well as making more new friends while having loads of fun on and off the water.

In fact having heaps of fun, re-connecting with old friends and making new ones was the dominant answer to an online questionnaire on the Vaka Eiva facebook page asking people what they looked forward to most during the festival.

Vaka Eiva is not just for paddlers its for the whole community and everyone is encouraged to get in amongst the action and show our visitors the best Cook Islands hospitality.