Stories
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My Aito experience 2012, by Clayton Wikaira
My first Aito experience I will never forget. I dedicated this race to my dear mother who passed away two and a half weeks ago. All that I am I attribute to my father and mother who I love and will miss heaps.
It was the 25yr anniversary of when the first Aito race took place in Tahiti and has since grown with top paddlers from Tahiti, Hawaii, Australia, Cook Islands, France and Aotearoa just to name a few. Competing in the most toughest rudderless race in the world.
The first day we arrived we watched top paddlers race from shell Va’a and other top paddlers. We saw 6yr olds in rudderless canoes paddling and every time a boat went pass young paddlers eagerly jumped behind the boat wake to surf rudderless. We had our first paddle with some locals in which a Tahitian was coaching his intermediate boys. They were doing time trails on a 3.4kms course they did that run a couple of times. We joined in the training and had a race start with these intermediate boys I turned to look at the 200mtr mark to my amazement they were only about 60mtrs behind I thought what would the other paddlers be like. We raced the next day against J16’s and J’19 paddlers they took off like there was prize money involved and a free canoe up for grabs lol… Me and Rhei Pare stayed with them for a little but there intensity was sprinting with no maintenance. I then realized how high the standard and level was and we hadn’t hit the Open’s yet!!! Everyday we saw paddlers on the water from Mon to Sunday 4am till late at night. During lunch time people were training in their breaks it truly is their life.
Week leading up to race:
My preparation for the Aito wasn’t the best it was like trying to get fit in a week which is not good preparation. The main diet there is raw fish, fried fish with rice and heaps of French sticks. This is what I ate every day. We trained at an area where OPT paddlers and Steeve Teihotaata paddles. He is the current number one paddler in Tahiti for the Aito. We didn’t get a chance to train with him but got to talk with him and got a photo. There were always people out training so you always had someone to race or chase. My surfing was very good I could hold my own with Tahitian paddlers. But if you made one mistake or broached they were gone. A young 15yr old started with us and was waiting at the finish for us with a look that said what took yous so long lol…. The surf was perfect everyday the wind would pick up from midday to the late afternoon; Tahitian paddlers could be found on the course every day. They are experts in surfing they know every inch of that course where the reef is, the different currents the wind direction and swell formation and how to rig their canoes for all types of conditions.
The Aito race:
The night before I got all my hydration and everything I needed for the race. I planned my breakfast and the time I needed to let my stomach settle then went to bed early. I planned to wake at 5.00am but i wake up 2.30am I couldn’t get back to sleep. Then I started getting nervous about the race and playing over and over how I was going to race and how I would match up.
Position of canoe:
We arrived at Mahina 6.30am where the race is held I went straight to Point Venus to place my canoe in the best position on the front line where the top paddlers would go and the beach was bare lol…Talk about a keen maori…It didn’t take long other paddlers had the same idea and by 10.00am the beach was littered with canoes.
Warm Up:
About 15mins to race start top paddlers were warming up for the race I wasn’t going to loose my spot so I had my warm up 2hrs before. Four top paddlers came to the front line looking for space but there wasn’t any. Yoann Cronseadt went passed and then came back I felt sorry for him so moved my canoe so he could fit next to me. Good way of getting a photo with a champ lol… he was very thankful as no one wanted to let any of them in. We then sat in the hot sun waiting for the start of the race. Jean Tetohu told me to listen for the silence because when you hear silence the race will start any time.
Race Start:
My plan was to stay as close as I could to the top paddlers as to free myself from the crashes and hopefully put me in a better position for my race. Jean was right!!! there was a silence then I looked at Yoann Cronsteadt I could see the way he was holding his canoe then boom before I knew it the call went and we took off. My plan worked the top paddlers took off within seconds they were 10mtrs ahead of me I had clear space as they got further and further away. The speed that they were moving was unreal the only way I could explain it is I felt like I had a teaspoon to paddle with and they had a shovel lol…There were so many paddlers then they all started passing me I started to wonder if there was something wrong with me but then I realised the standard was elite.
Over heating:
The heat was terrible the moment I tried to push my temperature gauge would raise to the point that I got goose bumps which isn’t a good sign cause the next step from that is passing out. So I then had to button off, which was frustrating. I looked behind me with fear thinking I was the last paddler but realising I was about mid pack relief came a little then I started to focus and push on bump that I could catch and started to link bumps well. You had to be so accurate with keeping your waka straight cause you had no room for error, there were canoe’s in front of you to the left and the right and if you stopped someone would crash into you from behind. There was a slight breeze behind our backs but you couldn’t feel it until you turned to head back up wind. Once I felt that breeze heading up wind it was like someone gave me a shot of adrenalin my temperature came down then I was able to push. It didn’t matter and that point how far behind I was from the leaders the race for me were the ones just ahead of me.
A race within a race:
Then my race started. I started to work on one person in front of me pushing and catch good swell up wind. As you pass one person in front of you, you are actually passing about 8 to12 paddlers at a time. No one passed me from that point I started pulling paddlers back as some were cramping, heat exhaustion and de-hydrations. Maria Tetohu counted my position said the first lap I went through at about 460 by the second lap I then finished coming 394 in a time of 2hrs 55mins. Some may say what a thrashing I will say yes it was but did I lose not in my book I completed the race for my mother and had a mean experience and got to rub shoulders with champions. Would I do it again? Without question an experience of a life time. I like to thank Jean Tetohu for all of his mean contacts in Tahiti and his loving family who took care of us. Thanks brother.
Things I learnt about paddling while in Tahiti
1:They love the sport and teach their children young how to paddle rudderless
2:They train every day, top paddlers train 2-3 times a day 6 days a week
3:Top paddlers run up hills, swim and go to the gym.
4:A lot still train with huge and heavy paddles then when they come to main races they reduce the size
5:They still use their old heavy canoes V1/V6’s and save their good canoes for main races.
6:They are racing every day at a high standard. If you want to improve you need to train with someone better then yourself. If you don’t have any one see what times others are doing 5kms, 10kms, 28kms or use GPS.
7:Take the rudder off
8:Learn how to rig your canoe properly
9:Have fun and share the love of paddling
Mauri Ora
Clayton Wikaira
The first day we arrived we watched top paddlers race from shell Va’a and other top paddlers. We saw 6yr olds in rudderless canoes paddling and every time a boat went pass young paddlers eagerly jumped behind the boat wake to surf rudderless. We had our first paddle with some locals in which a Tahitian was coaching his intermediate boys. They were doing time trails on a 3.4kms course they did that run a couple of times. We joined in the training and had a race start with these intermediate boys I turned to look at the 200mtr mark to my amazement they were only about 60mtrs behind I thought what would the other paddlers be like. We raced the next day against J16’s and J’19 paddlers they took off like there was prize money involved and a free canoe up for grabs lol… Me and Rhei Pare stayed with them for a little but there intensity was sprinting with no maintenance. I then realized how high the standard and level was and we hadn’t hit the Open’s yet!!! Everyday we saw paddlers on the water from Mon to Sunday 4am till late at night. During lunch time people were training in their breaks it truly is their life.
Week leading up to race:
My preparation for the Aito wasn’t the best it was like trying to get fit in a week which is not good preparation. The main diet there is raw fish, fried fish with rice and heaps of French sticks. This is what I ate every day. We trained at an area where OPT paddlers and Steeve Teihotaata paddles. He is the current number one paddler in Tahiti for the Aito. We didn’t get a chance to train with him but got to talk with him and got a photo. There were always people out training so you always had someone to race or chase. My surfing was very good I could hold my own with Tahitian paddlers. But if you made one mistake or broached they were gone. A young 15yr old started with us and was waiting at the finish for us with a look that said what took yous so long lol…. The surf was perfect everyday the wind would pick up from midday to the late afternoon; Tahitian paddlers could be found on the course every day. They are experts in surfing they know every inch of that course where the reef is, the different currents the wind direction and swell formation and how to rig their canoes for all types of conditions.
The Aito race:
The night before I got all my hydration and everything I needed for the race. I planned my breakfast and the time I needed to let my stomach settle then went to bed early. I planned to wake at 5.00am but i wake up 2.30am I couldn’t get back to sleep. Then I started getting nervous about the race and playing over and over how I was going to race and how I would match up.
Position of canoe:
We arrived at Mahina 6.30am where the race is held I went straight to Point Venus to place my canoe in the best position on the front line where the top paddlers would go and the beach was bare lol…Talk about a keen maori…It didn’t take long other paddlers had the same idea and by 10.00am the beach was littered with canoes.
Warm Up:
About 15mins to race start top paddlers were warming up for the race I wasn’t going to loose my spot so I had my warm up 2hrs before. Four top paddlers came to the front line looking for space but there wasn’t any. Yoann Cronseadt went passed and then came back I felt sorry for him so moved my canoe so he could fit next to me. Good way of getting a photo with a champ lol… he was very thankful as no one wanted to let any of them in. We then sat in the hot sun waiting for the start of the race. Jean Tetohu told me to listen for the silence because when you hear silence the race will start any time.
Race Start:
My plan was to stay as close as I could to the top paddlers as to free myself from the crashes and hopefully put me in a better position for my race. Jean was right!!! there was a silence then I looked at Yoann Cronsteadt I could see the way he was holding his canoe then boom before I knew it the call went and we took off. My plan worked the top paddlers took off within seconds they were 10mtrs ahead of me I had clear space as they got further and further away. The speed that they were moving was unreal the only way I could explain it is I felt like I had a teaspoon to paddle with and they had a shovel lol…There were so many paddlers then they all started passing me I started to wonder if there was something wrong with me but then I realised the standard was elite.
Over heating:
The heat was terrible the moment I tried to push my temperature gauge would raise to the point that I got goose bumps which isn’t a good sign cause the next step from that is passing out. So I then had to button off, which was frustrating. I looked behind me with fear thinking I was the last paddler but realising I was about mid pack relief came a little then I started to focus and push on bump that I could catch and started to link bumps well. You had to be so accurate with keeping your waka straight cause you had no room for error, there were canoe’s in front of you to the left and the right and if you stopped someone would crash into you from behind. There was a slight breeze behind our backs but you couldn’t feel it until you turned to head back up wind. Once I felt that breeze heading up wind it was like someone gave me a shot of adrenalin my temperature came down then I was able to push. It didn’t matter and that point how far behind I was from the leaders the race for me were the ones just ahead of me.
A race within a race:
Then my race started. I started to work on one person in front of me pushing and catch good swell up wind. As you pass one person in front of you, you are actually passing about 8 to12 paddlers at a time. No one passed me from that point I started pulling paddlers back as some were cramping, heat exhaustion and de-hydrations. Maria Tetohu counted my position said the first lap I went through at about 460 by the second lap I then finished coming 394 in a time of 2hrs 55mins. Some may say what a thrashing I will say yes it was but did I lose not in my book I completed the race for my mother and had a mean experience and got to rub shoulders with champions. Would I do it again? Without question an experience of a life time. I like to thank Jean Tetohu for all of his mean contacts in Tahiti and his loving family who took care of us. Thanks brother.
Things I learnt about paddling while in Tahiti
1:They love the sport and teach their children young how to paddle rudderless
2:They train every day, top paddlers train 2-3 times a day 6 days a week
3:Top paddlers run up hills, swim and go to the gym.
4:A lot still train with huge and heavy paddles then when they come to main races they reduce the size
5:They still use their old heavy canoes V1/V6’s and save their good canoes for main races.
6:They are racing every day at a high standard. If you want to improve you need to train with someone better then yourself. If you don’t have any one see what times others are doing 5kms, 10kms, 28kms or use GPS.
7:Take the rudder off
8:Learn how to rig your canoe properly
9:Have fun and share the love of paddling
Mauri Ora
Clayton Wikaira
