Paddling inspiration: All the top Tahitian paddlers, yous are awesome 

Questions

Brief description of the race – how many paddlers, what kind of Waka was used etc?

The races were overwhelming with over 400 paddlers competing all together. The main waka used were Fai Vaa. Some of our boys had Are waka which they have their own back in NZ

What did you do to prepare in NZ? What did you do to prepare once you were in Tahiti? Such as:

-        Alot of training and hydrating and just getting as much paddle time in

-        Getting as much training as possible on the water

-        Trying to train in the surf too, was often hard as those conditions werent available to us, as we are located in the estuary, but when we              could it helped.

In Tahiti

-        When in Tahiti, it was about alot of condition your body, and getting over the heat

-        Alot of hydrating and getting use to the conditions as it was hot over there

-        More training, paddling once we go there

What goals did you set yourself for this race? Did you achieve them? What was your result?

-        I achieved what I did at Aito, they main thing for me was to race against the best in the world, and see where I gage

-        I  think I underestimated the race and what the paddlers brought, as they were at a whole different level of training and skill set

-        I competed and that was my goal, could of came in better but that was through lack of intense training

-        Yes I think we all have achieved our goals, as we went as a team, as a club and enjoyed the experience, and just had the time of our                life.

 What advice would you give NZ paddlers wishing to head to this race? What tips would you give in terms of the race course, start, finish, level of competition etc.?

-        To train in the surf

-        To condition yourselves

-        Put in heaps of training

-        Be mentally prepared and to keep focused

-        We had our camp dad, which was awesome, so it made a different as having an adult there .

-        In terms of  race course, just finishing the race

-        In terms of starting, just being focused, being aggressive and positive as well, when there is over 400 of you on the line, you cant just sit          back and allow others, as some wakas were damaged in the start process, so some had to abandon the race

-        Get to know the conditions over there, in the water, the currents, so that was hard.

-        The level of competition so high, but good then it shows what you need to do

-        I wished they had this ages ago, where  others could experience what it is like, so it gives a benchmark where we as paddlers can                    compete to. At the moment only selected few can go to Aito , but this year we were able to participate, which was a massive eye opener          and we loved the experience.

Is there anything you would change for next year? I.e. travel earlier, train more/less etc.

-        Nothing at all, just being more paddle fit

Did you face any barriers during the lead up to Te Aito 2014 – e.g. expenses, injuries, travel etc.? How did you overcome those barriers?

-        No barriers, we had a good house mum and organiser Verna, and good host which made our stay easy and comfortable. Contact back home was easy as well

Would you recommend this race to other paddlers from NZ?

Go over for the experience and learn from the best. We really enjoyed just being close to all the top Tahitian paddlers, it was a buzz and we felt like little kids as we idolize these paddlers. They were so down to earth as well and were helpful and happy to share tips with us. This was amazing and we are so grateful. Good role models and mentors.

We encourage everyone who wants to aspire to great lengths in waka , need to at least go over for one visit to Tahiti to race, as this will really encourage them to stay in the sport of waka ama.

Are there any other international races that you wish to/will be competing in soon?

Most of the boys wish to attend the Worlds 2016

Lastly, we know that competing in a race like this is not possible without the support and help from family, friend and sponsors. Is there anyone you would like to thank?

We all like to thank our families, without them these trips are not possible. We also want to thank our Club,, the Cook Island Outriggers for their support  and the name we carry.

To Verna and Phil for looking after us, without them they were like our camp mum and dad and made sure we were fed, at trainings and on time

To  our Tahitian whanau who hosted us, we so were appreciated, you spoilt us like kings. We are so grateful, your selflessness and aroha was overwhelming..

To Papa Alf for his support to his, even though he was there, you noticed his contributions

To  Cedric and Willie Mathews for being there for us, ensuring we were taking care of.

To the Aito organisers, we thank you so much and Kevin and everyone who came over to our camp to support us and give us advice, Marururoa!!

A big thank you to Jean Te Tohu, who without him, has made this dream possible for us. We thank him so much and appreciate everything he done for us.

From the Cook Islands Outriggers “Dream Team” Boys 2015.