The team – Manu Wai - consisted of:
- Lee Poimafiti
- Tim Tapsell
- Colin Cawlins
- Maurice Davis
- Peter Reaburn
- Tony Rudolph
- Mike Dolan
- Anthony Cribb
- Kevin Pilbrow
- Tame Tane
- Danny Kaiawe
- Jean Tetohu

There were a total of 90 teams competing over 3 days and 130km, between the islands of Huahine, Raiatea, Ta’haa and Bora Bora. Manu Wai ended up 7th in the Masters Division.

Jean was the only member of the team who had previously competed in the race. For the others, it was a real learning experience, but well worth the 5 months of training. The event was an awesome spectacle. Outrigger canoing is the national sport in Tahiti and the top Tahitian teams are all professional paddlers.

The race was covered by two television channels with hundreds of support and spectator boats, helicopters overhead, and thousands of spectators at the finish lines.

Molokai winners Shell Va’a won two legs and the race overall, Team OPT coming second overall, also winning the second leg.

After a shaky start including overturning their canoe in the testing conditions of the first leg, Manu Wai improved their placing each day of the race. But the main thing was the team learnt a lot about canoe set-up, how to paddle very long distances iron-person, and of course the strength and skill of Tahitian paddling.

Hawaikinui is arguably the toughest outrigger canoe race in the World. It takes a bit of organisation to get there and compete in this event, but it is well worth it. You get not only competition against the best international paddlers but the experience of being in a fantastic Pacific culture that embraces va’a as a major part of people’s lives. Manu Wai is definitely going back!

Thanks goes to Jean. Without him the trip would not have been possible. Jean is a major figure in Tahiti, it seems he is known by everyone. The people Manu Wai met through Jean, his family and friends, were incredibly helpful and supportive, and have given us memories for a lifetime.

(photo – Race End in Bora Bora)