This year’s Vaka Eiva canoe racing festival in the Cook Islands will see an increase in international paddlers taking part.
The Matson Vaka Eiva – the biggest event on the Cook Islands’s sporting calendar – will take place from 22-29 November and is the 16th edition of the festival.
It will feature the coveted Pacific Cup and Pacific Paddle trophies for the open women and men’s 36km race around Rarotonga.
Eva Allsworth, the Matson Vaka Eiva event coordinator, said: “Preparations for the event are going well, with the number of international paddlers already up by 15-20% in comparison to last year.
“We are extremely thrilled to bring the juniors ‘Oe Mapu’ event back after a three-year hiatus and will be hosting this across two days. The event has been made even more exciting as we have close to 100 international junior paddlers who have already registered.”
The festival is more than just competitive challenging canoe racing, with several novelty races as well as events taking place across the week celebrating the Cook Islands’s culture, customs, food and entertainment.
Matson Vaka Eiva is both a fantastic spectator and competitor event and makes a great time to visit the Cook Islands and the island of Rarotonga.
Event information: Matson Vaka Eiva
- What: canoe racing festival
- When: 22-29 November
- Where: Rarotonga, Cook Islands
- Website: cookislands.travel
Image: Cook Islands Tourism