Does anybody know how long Tahiti has had organized races? I mean with clubs, associations, officials, etc. We can somewhat trace the early organized Hawaii races to the early 1900s, so did Tahit precede us or catch up?
Submitted by mbsski on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 6:53pm
I think I remember reading somewhere that Tahiti's paddling association was only a couple of years old when they smashed in the channel in 1976. I would be surprised to hear that they hadn't been racing from earlier on though.
#1 Wed, 02/27/2008 - 7:56pm
I think they started racing around 2,000 B.C. beginning w/ the Solomon Islands to Fiji Iron Challenge. Things really started heating up in A.D. 500 with the Samoa-Tahiti relay, the Hawaiian Discovery Race, the Rapa Nui Run, and finally the Aotearoa Classic of A.D. 1200.
#2 Thu, 02/28/2008 - 5:55am
Our club's oldest trophy 100 years old, were in Vancouver Canada area. I read once that our paddling was sparked from a book called Rob Roy in 1870's. I could only guess that when they had to be the first to the fish or faster while in times of war, it would become a speed thing. In this area I have heard stories of games were a form of entertainment. and one of our oldest coins is a two man canoe. Canoe were always raced.
#3 Thu, 02/28/2008 - 9:01am
As I recall when Outrigger Canoe Club won the Molokai Race the first time Tahiti showed up it was supposed to have been the first major loss for their then strongest team in over 25 years. Judging by how fast they were in 1975 it would be hard to believe that they had only started organized paddling a few years before that.
#4 Thu, 02/28/2008 - 9:50am
There are records of Va'a races for July 14 (National Day) 1881.
Anyway, does it really matter who was the first to organise races ?
#5 Thu, 02/28/2008 - 10:33pm
this topic came out just in time the maovie 10,000 b.c. will be out soon.
#6 Fri, 02/29/2008 - 12:01pm
Mulus,
I'd like to pick your brain if I could at some point outside of the forum. My tribe had informally started a competitve race with our cousins in Coos bay OR and now we are starting to have other canoes from up North (grand ronde) come down...and we need to start being a little more formal in term of rules. We are not a formal racing club...just beginning canoe family none of our tribes have ties to Coast Salish Canoe racing. So we aren't really sure we want to be that formal....but it interests us all the sam.. I'm thinking about trying to include 1 or two man in the future but don't have any. What are some pitfalls of trying to do this (other than having to purchase or make them). Still want to keep the race friendly...emphasis on culture, but make it exciting, encouraging, and approachable for all of us Southern West Coast Canoe Pullers and newbies to pulling. Let me know what you think.
#7 Sun, 03/02/2008 - 7:15pm