V1 for women

A training programme has started for women oe vaka paddlers wanting to master rudderless V1 single canoes.

Led by passionate paddler and Ngakau Toa Vaka Club president Vaea Melvin – the workshop is into week three of a six-week programme and the number of women taking part is steadily growing with more room for beginner and experienced paddlers to join.

Melvin, with the help of husband and Cook Islands Canoeing Association president Fletcher Melvin, and top local V1 paddler Reuben Dearlove will be running the workshop again this evening.

This weekly session starts at 5pm on Fridays at the Avarua harbour and all women wanting to take part must be confident swimmers, have had some paddling experience and borrow or bring your own V1 canoe.

Melvin believes that workshops like these will help local women become stronger and more confident paddlers by learning proper paddling technique and the basics of steering.

The popularity of V1 is growing as more people switch from the OC1 rudder canoes to the more challenging rudderless vaka as used in Tahiti.

Because of annual events like the Vaka Eiva Festival and Te Aito Cook Islands, there has been much interest and hype surrounding V1 paddling.