“The best ever,” was the verdict from one paddler and echoed by many others following the 2009 Steinlager Vaka Eiva held on the beautiful island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands in November.
Over 800 paddlers plus their families and supporters from NZ, Australia, Tahiti, Hawaii, and Guam hit Rarotonga for a week of sun, fun and outrigger canoeing races in the 6th running of the event. The event has grown hugely since the inaugural event in 2004 in which around 200 paddlers participated.
Some of the races saw the biggest lineup of canoes the island has seen, thanks to the expansion of the fleet of V6 canoes on the island due to the construction of a number of new canoes for the Pacific Mini Games which was held on the island a couple of months earlier.
The Hawaiians came in larger numbers than ever before, with Nappy who has not missed a Vaka Eiva returning with his golden masters crew, and two Hawaiian women’s crews; Team Makana Ali’i led by Denise Darval Chang, and the Big Island girls, most of whom competed the previous year as Team Livestrong.
The sun was out for the entire week, and added to the festive vibe, unlike previous years which has seen varied conditions throughout the week’s racing. The OC1 races were first up, with local champion Reuben Dearlove having an impressive win and doing the host country proud in the open men's 18km race, coming in first in a time of 1.27.02 with Team Excel Mooloolaba paddlers taking out the next five spots including Travis Grant only 29 seconds behind in second and Todd Cohen in third.

Top Australian paddler and swim legend Lisa Curry, in her first trip to Rarotonga, came in first overall in the women's race just ahead of New Zealand’s Claire Sykes. The open, masters and under-19 women raced over the same 12km course. Curry took the masters women's title while Sykes took the open women's title. Hawaiian women placed in the top three, with Shien Lu Stokesbury placing 2nd in the masters division and third overall, and Jane McKee second in the open women's division. Top Cook Islands junior Emilene Taulu took line honours in the U19 division. The masters, senior masters and under-19 men also raced over a 12km course, with the Sunshine Coast’s young gun Nic Wendt showing impressive form to come first home overall with top Aussie paddler Danny Sheard just a minute behind him to take out the masters; and the new senior masters division was won by Toa Moana’s Chris Grant.
The first day of V6 racing on Monday saw a full day of exciting racing action, over 12km and 18km distances. The masters and under-19 women’s 12km race was first up with the Big Island girls taking out first place followed closely by Australian crews Toa Moana and Mooloolaba. Local club Te Tupu Boiler Babes took out the under-19 women’s race with New Zealand junior crews Niwa and Tirikawa in second and third.
In the open women's 18km race, the Australian combination of Toa Moana and Mooloolaba paddlers cruised in for a comfortable win, with Waitakere Oiwi, a NZ/Tahitian and Hawaiian combination taking out second and NZ crew Manawa Kaha in third.
28 canoes lined up for the start of the masters, senior masters and under-19 men's race. The Sunshine Coast under-19 juniors showed very impressive form going head to head with Toa Moana Forbes, the top Australian masters crew who won this year’s Molokai masters race. Toa Moana Forbes managed to take the win, just 4 seconds ahead of last year’s masters champs Team Phoenix, with the Sunshine Coast juniors finishing in third overall. NZ Spartans and Te Tupu o te Manava were second and third junior crews.
There were a couple of close shaves at the Matavera reef break as some teams risked the inside lane and narrowly avoided wipeouts. Nine crews competed in the senior master men’s race won by Noosa in 56.17 with NZ crews Fluffy Slippers and Fire in Ice Salty Dogs in second and third.
An impressive 30 canoes lined up for the inaugural Robert Worthington memorial trophy in the mixed 12km race, the biggest lineup the island had seen. A last minute combination of Cook Islands and Australian paddlers took out the race and the spectacular trophy which next year will be awarded to first mixed crew home in the Round Rarotonga mixed race.
The juniors, for the first time, enjoyed their own stand alone event which saw over 200 junior paddlers from Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands in U14 mixed, U16 and U19 divisions enjoy a jam packed race agenda including V1 and V6 sprints at Muri Lagoon which was dominated by Sunshine Coast crews from Australia, 4k and 6km lagoon races, and the long distance 12k and 15k ocean races, which were won by Sunshine Coast boys and the Te Tupu Boiler Babes. The juniors were also treated to their own prize-giving/wrap up party.
A record 109 swimmers took to the water for the Trader Jacks charity boiler swim, with proceeds going to support the disabled centre.

A fantastic day in the sun was held by all for the sprints day at beautiful Muri Lagoon. In between all the novelty races, competition was serious in the V6 500m sprints, with Team Pinuela from NZ taking out the sprints final. Australian and Kiwi crews dominated the women's races with Hawaii’s Big Islands Girls third in the open women’s division. As well as the traditional pop-the-ama competition and no-paddle races, the fun included a float-your-coconut contest, pole dancing in the water, and even a handstand competition. Festivities carried on into the night on the beach and at Sails restaurant with the Muri Mingler party.
The influx of paddlers and supporters certainly created a vibe on the island throughout the week, seen everywhere, usually on mopeds with paddles on back, perhaps one of the few times of the year the island’s rental car companies run out of mopeds.
The Hawaiian women and the Australian men dominated on the water in the premiere events, the Round Rarotonga races held on the last day of racing on Friday. The Big Island Girls were the first women's team home to win the prestigious Pacific Paddle in a time of 3.07.32, and Team Makana Ali’i took out the masters race in 3.09.32. It’s the first time Hawaiian crews have taken out the titles which made it all the more special. “That was amazing. It reminded me of Kona with a lot more personality,” said Makana Aliís Jane Mckee of the round island race.
The mixed and junior divisions were also in the morning’s race, with performance of the day going to Rarotonga’s Te Tupu o te Manava junior boys, who paddled strongly beating all the women’s crews, winning the junior division, and placing third overall out of 27 crews in a time of 3.07.19. Steersman, Hawaiian ring-in 16 year old Kainoa Darval Chang was pretty stoked with his team’s performance especially beating out the Makana Alií crew steered by his mom. “Yeah that was pretty cool,” he grinned.
First crew home overall and winners of the mixed division were Te Tupu o te Manava steered by OC1 champ Reuben Dearlove in a time of 2.55.09. This division is expected to grow hugely and be fiercely contested in future Vaka Eiva, as teams vie for the impressive Robert Worthington Memorial trophy.
There were no surprises in the men’s race as the star studded Team Excel Mooloolaba trounced the field in a time of 2.35.07 to take the Pacific Cup, the first Australian team to do so in the history of Vaka Eiva. Team Pinuela finished 3 minutes behind for second, and Team Tahiti came in third. The real battle was in the masters division which saw NZ’s Team Phoenix and Aussie crew Toa Moana Forbes neck and neck the whole way around the island, with Team Phoenix taking line honours in 2.41.58. Team Noosa were clear winners in the senior master men’s division with Team TOFs second and MIB Taniwha Outrigger crew third.
The awesome week of events wrapped up with the prize-giving with placegetters presented with their trophies, pearl shell medallions and eis, and dancing into the night to the sweet sounds of New Zealand band Aadijah at the official Steinlager “Paddles-up” party.
A number of farewells were said that night as some caught the early morning flight out, with most vowing to return, and already crews registering interest for Vaka Eiva 2010. “This is my favourite race in the world,” said NZ steerswoman Lara Collins who has not missed a Vaka Eiva, and who has been fortunate to compete in various international events. This was echoed by many. “Yes, its the most fun week of racing there is,” said Mooloolaba’s Lisa Curry. “Its very inclusive of everyone which is great.”

Perhaps the toughest decision to be faced by organisers, is just how much bigger they want to allow the home grown event to become.
For full results and info go to.vakaeiva.com
By Serena Hunter
Photos by Harvie Allison