Following Race and Social reports from Photographer Extraordanaire Harvie Allison on the spot at Rarotonga
Further info
http://www.cookislandscanoeing.com/
http://www.hoehoro.com.au/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=1344
Racing Day 1 .. OC1 Iron Events
Most of the Oz paddlers have arrived on the island & are already making their presence felt in the local watering holes ..
Racing on day 1 saw the OC1 events.. each visiting team is allocated an OC1 for each race, but there were a few non starters as the Ocean started to build with a big northerly swell … a course change was necessary as the wind was gusting to 30 knotts & some ….. out of the harbour, up hill for 1.5k, then a big down hill slide for round 4.5k …. Then the nasty bit … after flying on the sometimes 10 foot pluss swells …. You had to muscle your way back up to the first turn, before a final surf back to the harbour & the finish line, packed with paddlers enjouing the refreshments at Trader Jacks.
Race 1 .. Master Women with team Gurlfriend’s Di Clancey on fire the strong wind suited this powerful paddler, sitting near the lead most of the race, she started to feel comfortable on her Pahoa powered to the front on the upwind & was never headed … a great win & start to the event for the OZ competitors. one poor girl from Fiji who had never seen a big swell, paddled up to the first turn, & we had to pull her into our boat & put Ben Bob on the canoe to surf it home …. He had a blast with no work to even earn it !!!! … GO GURLFRIEND (cost me beers of course )
Race 2 .. Master men .. the swell had increased again & we had to send a couple of paddlers back in from the start line as they just shouldn’t have been there … a head to head tussle the whole way between one of the local boys Alan & a Tahitian paddler, saw the Tahitians experience win out in the final surf to the line. Outstanding paddle of the day was one of the big Italian boys .. he just slugged it out with the ocean & was ecstatic to finish as he had never seen waves anything like the Raro mountains.
Race 3, Open Women women a field of 15 slogged round the course with few not having a huli … Team Gurlfriends Kiri Hunter was sitting in 7th for most of the race, but her strength showed through & she started to reel in the lead pack on the tough up hill leg …. She pulled into 3rd, (after 3 hulis) & passed the second placed paddler as she came off, broke her leash & had to have the rescue boat catch the canoe…. Local girl, Serena Hunter was in a league of her own at the front & had a crushing lead of 12 minutes to win the crowds accolades at the finish, meanwhile Kiri had a titanic sprint over the last 500 to just be pipped into 3rd place ….
Race 4 .. Open Men .. again locals dominated, & not to be outdone, local hero, Tiger Canoe’s Reuben Dearlove, demolished the field, powering in the up hill & outsurfing all to emulate Serena’s 12 min win, on his OZ built Pahoa of course.
Racing .. OC6 Iron Events
Another fun filled day … Although the swell had eased slightly, it was still a solid 3m & the weather dry but overcast …. The ROC girls were still finishing building the last OC6 which meant one canoe short so the organisers threw in an extra race for masters crews as the morning starter … a great success as it meant even more paddlers got a ride that would otherwise have missed out ….. the wind was still round 30 knots so the course was shortened to a 12k circuit in front of the harbour … all races were a 4k uphill battle followed by a magic 6k downhill slide … link up after link up …. My highlight was a surfing duel with Nappy & the Anuenue boys, & surprisingly Nappy showed me how it was done !!!!! … we were 50m behind when the ama popped.. the local boys weren’t sure what the tip rope was for & over we went …. Lovely swim.
The Womens race was spaced out more with the local girls from Na Kau Toa demonstrating great surfing skills & throwing down the challenge for Friday’s big race.
Next the Mixed race… got some great shots, but every time I looked at Steely’s lot from Kai Puna they found a huge swell to push through… No1 spent as much time in the air as in the water …. Just before the start Team Xylo (I won’t divulge who was steering, but it wasn’t Marty or Maata) … didn’t heed Louis words… got to close to the boiler break & got sucked over the falls .. the canoe was washed over the reef with 4 paddlers & we picked up the other 2 (the lucky ones) …. Plenty coral cuts from saving the canoe !!! … the ama was ripped off & Tangaroa now owns it.
Last for the day .. the open Men & it was on from the start .. the lead seesawed from one boat to the other … Kiwis Team Goodyear, the Fijians Kai Wai, locals Na Kau Toa …. Team Goodyear coming out on top, by a boat length.
Highlight of the day though Was as usual the unstoppable Nappy Napoleon …. He steered 3 races .. 36k total … & had Oz paddlers in 2 of them … Lez & Lynne from Nothcliffe got a float it his mixed crew & recon it was better than sex….
Recovery was at the RSA with a huge crowd doing their best to provide the hospital with more cases of alcohol poison …. Vikki went to the airport to pick up the last of her team & said the place was full of dribbling Aussie nutters … hangovers all round today… AGAIN !!!! ... Harv
FURTHER REPORTS TO FOLLOW
