The logs have been positioned in the park, right beside Avarua harbour, race HQ, the carvers have flown in from the outer islands & Vaka Eiva fever is building.
A kava ceremony on Monday will signal the beginning of the carvers’ labour of love.
The first week is dedicated to actually producing the canoes, & the second to carving in the unique designs symbolic of each island.
Spoke with The Master Carver Mike Tavioni this morning, & all being well he also hopes to add a hand carved OC6 to the list, his dream is to eventually have a small fleet for an exclusive race each year, but when he hinted there could even be prize money prize money, I respectfully suggested that paddlers would actually cough up some bucks just for the privilege of twice round the harbour in one ! … Harv
The Paddlers are here & the excitement building, tomorow is the oc1 18k races with some pretty hot fields in all divisions .... official proceedings started with a blesing of new canoes, pics below show Toa Moanas' blessing with Nappy Napoleon supervising, at the conclusion, Hollywood Marcus was invited to cut the ties of Toa Moana with the land and free her spirit to the Ocean .... Harv
Thanks Rambo, I figured that much out my self but I see that there is a Masters Team Hawaii and I know that a lot of the guys in the OC1 aren't Masters age. Must be a bunch of Hawaii guys there.
The weather cleared, but he strong trades are still blowing, with building swell the junior teams showed maturity beyond their years in testing conditions that were right on the limit ….. Our kids performed admirably, but in the boys division were no match for the firepower of local club Ngakau Toa who had a runaway win, Sunny coast boys outgunned a classy Kiwi unit to take the silver home. In the girls race another nail biting finish saw a reversal of Tuesdays result with the Sunny coast chickies hanging on by a mere 3 sec for GOLD. I take my hat off to all the junior crews who would have made many a senior team look average.
This is Junior Racing ?????????
Friday morning & the weather had cleared enough to consider the Round island course, but after a quick drive to the danger areas, the decision was made to run the course from Avarua Harbour (Vaka Village) in an anti clockwise direction half way round & return … This course had it all & more …. A 3km downhill slide followed by reasonably smooth conditions for another 4k in the lee of the island… then 11km of the most challenging water you are likely to race in …… 4-5m swells & wind gusts up to 25km …. Hack & bash to the turn Buoy, but so worth it for the return slide … amazing ! ….. the last 3km back to the harbour was torturous to say the least! … and completing the course was a feat in its own right. Ladies first & the Tahitians were in a class of their own, cruising through the rough stuff & flying on the bumps. Of the Aussie crews, Maata’s Team Xylo was the stand out battling all the way with last years winners they had the horsepower for the final push into the heavy chop & a fantastic second…the remaining crews all handled the conditions, some surprising themselves but a big gap between front & back and all teams paddled admirably .
Game on & the boys took to the water … I really thought I had seen racing at its fastest & most frenetic, but what an amazing sight … off the line the pace was on ….. Team Hawaii out in front with Mooloolaba in hot pursuit .. they were surfing so fast we could only keep pace with them in our safety boat .. I saw the Forbsey’s on a wave so steep that 1 & 2 buried & the canoe liked like it was off to visit Tangaroa in the depths, but the nose popped & they were flying at the turn, Mooloolaba were challenging the classy Hawaiian rig but the gap widened to 500m after the first few Km of surfing home ….. HOWEVER the Hawaiian’s liked the look of the deep ocean swells out wide that they so love & chased them home while Danny & the boys ran the reef. I could see Mooloolaba’s line was better & by the time they came together for the last muscle home they canoes were together …. Hawaiians victorious but seriously pushed … The gang were pretty quiet party wise as most were on the midnight special & back in Oz today …… Harv ..
Back Tuesday & will load harvpix with all the action .. Results http://www.vakaeiva.com
Live Results here http://www.vakaeiva.com/results.php
Cheers Rambo
#1 Tue, 11/20/2007 - 9:07am
And some reports and pics from Harvie Allison
re tarai Vaka
The logs have been positioned in the park, right beside Avarua harbour, race HQ, the carvers have flown in from the outer islands & Vaka Eiva fever is building.
A kava ceremony on Monday will signal the beginning of the carvers’ labour of love.
The first week is dedicated to actually producing the canoes, & the second to carving in the unique designs symbolic of each island.
Spoke with The Master Carver Mike Tavioni this morning, & all being well he also hopes to add a hand carved OC6 to the list, his dream is to eventually have a small fleet for an exclusive race each year, but when he hinted there could even be prize money prize money, I respectfully suggested that paddlers would actually cough up some bucks just for the privilege of twice round the harbour in one ! … Harv
The Paddlers are here & the excitement building, tomorow is the oc1 18k races with some pretty hot fields in all divisions .... official proceedings started with a blesing of new canoes, pics below show Toa Moanas' blessing with Nappy Napoleon supervising, at the conclusion, Hollywood Marcus was invited to cut the ties of Toa Moana with the land and free her spirit to the Ocean .... Harv
#2 Tue, 11/20/2007 - 9:26am
Anyone know who is on the Team Hawaii crew?
#3 Tue, 11/20/2007 - 9:37am
The results of the OC1 races may give you some clues.
http://www.vakaeiva.com/results.php
Cheers Rambo
#4 Tue, 11/20/2007 - 9:50am
Thanks Rambo, I figured that much out my self but I see that there is a Masters Team Hawaii and I know that a lot of the guys in the OC1 aren't Masters age. Must be a bunch of Hawaii guys there.
#5 Tue, 11/20/2007 - 10:43am
Hawaii guys it is with the exception of Raven.
Nate Hendricks
Seth Copes
Masepa Tanoai
Jerry Bess
Mike Fields
#6 Tue, 11/20/2007 - 8:34pm
Some more reports and photos from Harv.
Junior 15km
The weather cleared, but he strong trades are still blowing, with building swell the junior teams showed maturity beyond their years in testing conditions that were right on the limit ….. Our kids performed admirably, but in the boys division were no match for the firepower of local club Ngakau Toa who had a runaway win, Sunny coast boys outgunned a classy Kiwi unit to take the silver home. In the girls race another nail biting finish saw a reversal of Tuesdays result with the Sunny coast chickies hanging on by a mere 3 sec for GOLD. I take my hat off to all the junior crews who would have made many a senior team look average.
This is Junior Racing ?????????
Friday morning & the weather had cleared enough to consider the Round island course, but after a quick drive to the danger areas, the decision was made to run the course from Avarua Harbour (Vaka Village) in an anti clockwise direction half way round & return … This course had it all & more …. A 3km downhill slide followed by reasonably smooth conditions for another 4k in the lee of the island… then 11km of the most challenging water you are likely to race in …… 4-5m swells & wind gusts up to 25km …. Hack & bash to the turn Buoy, but so worth it for the return slide … amazing ! ….. the last 3km back to the harbour was torturous to say the least! … and completing the course was a feat in its own right. Ladies first & the Tahitians were in a class of their own, cruising through the rough stuff & flying on the bumps. Of the Aussie crews, Maata’s Team Xylo was the stand out battling all the way with last years winners they had the horsepower for the final push into the heavy chop & a fantastic second…the remaining crews all handled the conditions, some surprising themselves but a big gap between front & back and all teams paddled admirably .
Game on & the boys took to the water … I really thought I had seen racing at its fastest & most frenetic, but what an amazing sight … off the line the pace was on ….. Team Hawaii out in front with Mooloolaba in hot pursuit .. they were surfing so fast we could only keep pace with them in our safety boat .. I saw the Forbsey’s on a wave so steep that 1 & 2 buried & the canoe liked like it was off to visit Tangaroa in the depths, but the nose popped & they were flying at the turn, Mooloolaba were challenging the classy Hawaiian rig but the gap widened to 500m after the first few Km of surfing home ….. HOWEVER the Hawaiian’s liked the look of the deep ocean swells out wide that they so love & chased them home while Danny & the boys ran the reef. I could see Mooloolaba’s line was better & by the time they came together for the last muscle home they canoes were together …. Hawaiians victorious but seriously pushed … The gang were pretty quiet party wise as most were on the midnight special & back in Oz today …… Harv ..
Back Tuesday & will load harvpix with all the action .. Results http://www.vakaeiva.com
Cheers Rambo
#7 Sat, 11/24/2007 - 8:10pm
aloha Rambo,
how do you post the pictures betwen your text???
mahalos
Mariano.
#8 Mon, 11/26/2007 - 3:01am