Reuben’s remarkable race

PAPEETE – A remarkable race by oe vaka national champion Reuben Dearlove won him a coveted podium place among Tahiti’s elite paddlers at the 34km Super Aito open ocean race on Saturday.

The 37-year-old Rarotonga athlete smashed his personal goal of making the top 50 in the race for Tahiti’s top 100 outrigger professionals.

He did the 22km channel crossing from Moorea to Tahiti right at the front of the field, turning the first buoy off Fa’a Airport in Papeete in seventh place and finally finishing 15th ahead of untold professional paddlers with big records and reputations.

His incredible time of 2.56.37 was just five minutes behind the winner and turned heads as he sprinted over the finish line at Point Venus, ahead of many top contenders and previous race winners.

It stunned commentators including race organiser Charlie Maitere who praised Dearlove at the prizegiving as ”etranger“ (a stranger) who had taken it to the Tahitians and beaten the vast majority at their own game.

The local Va’a News magazine and website immediately posted an online comment on Dearlove’s effort: ”Note the beautiful delivery of the rower from the Cook Islands that ranks among the best.“

Dearlove was elated with his race, and thrilled to have chosen the best line for the windy crossing against side currents and soupy conditions caused by hundreds of support boats chasing the paddlers.

It was the churning side waves caused by support and spectator craft that bugged him after the Fa’a buoy – with one support boat blocking his turn and bringing him to a brief standstill – enabling a handful of seasoned paddlers to overtake him on the final 10km beat to the finish line.

The race started in the tranquil home bay of Moorea, and for the first 1km out through the lagoon Dearlove quickly seized his place in the front line of the field. The pack dispersed in all directions outside the channel, many chancing themselves by heading south away from the pack to find tailing seas and waves for surfing through the course.

For the entire crossing Dearlove was alongside the yellow, green and red shirt paddlers who were ranked as the favourites based on their previous race records.

It was thrilling for the Cook Islands support boat, flying our national flag, to see and hear the disbelief among radio operators and media commentators who could not believe the Cook Islander was up there with the best, powering through the ocean currents to run with the leaders.

Even French Polynesia’s Minister of Sport Taihiti Nena gave Dearlove his personal congratulations and encouraged him to return with more competitors from the Cook Islands for future va’a racing.

Dearlove completed a gruelling training regimen in order to compete in Tahiti this year, and three weeks ago qualified for the Super Aito with a 42nd place in the massive Te Aito Tahiti in a field of 722 paddlers. His Te Aito campaign was sponsored by Cook Islands News and Pacific Resorts, with the support of the Cook Islands paddling community, family and friends. He pays special thanks to his trainers Dr Oxana Makhno and Ray Preston, and to all who supported last week’s quiz night fundraiser.

A full report and photo feature on Dearlove’s Super Aito campaign will be published on Saturday.