Vakaiti's page for posting all your photos, videos and comments. The Vaka Iti festival celebrates eight years of paddling development in Rarotonga schools.
The Vaka Iti festival is all about getting kids into water sports, giving them an opportunity to gain water confidence and being a platform for youth paddlers to filter through to the local paddling clubs. The event is also an opportunity to scout for talent for the fast growing K1 (kayak) development program with the long term goal of developing K1 and C1 (slalom canoeing) paddlers for the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
20/03/2022
There are so many amazing people fighting for ALL people here in the cool islands. Please share and Valerie u are an inspiration to us all and I stand with u❤️❤️❤️❤️
Paradise Pride For many Kiwis, travelling to Rarotonga is for the sole intention of a relaxing, tropical holiday. What’s not widely known is that a fundamental human right ...
19/04/2019
Rain or more rain, we shall paddle on
09/05/2018
BSP VAKA ITI 2018 RACE RESULTS
08/05/2018
Vaka Iti 2018 was on the way on Monday 7th May. Meitaki maata to our Major Sponsor - Bank of the South Pacific - as well as Vaiana's Bar & Bistro and Cooks Island Buses.
08/05/2018
The 2018 BSP Vaka Iti was a huge success with over 300 students from 5 schools enjoying a day of oe vaka competition in the annual junior paddling regatta. Vaiana’s once again provided an awesome venue with a large crowd of proud parents, teachers, coaches and supporters cheering on their teams.
Tereora College and Nukutere College tied for top honours winning the 2018 Vaka Iti trophy which saw youngsters from 9 years thru to 16 years competing across 8 divisions on the 200m race course. Some impressive paddling skills were demonstrated after an 8 week paddling programme, especially by those youngsters having to pick up very quickly on steering skills.
Proudly sponsored by major sponsor BSP who provided every competitor with racing shirt and cap, participants and winners certificates, and also provided volunteers to assist with the event, and supporting sponsors Vaianas, Cook Islands Bus Passenger Transport Ltd, the annual regatta is a popular inclusion in the school curriculum.
Organiser Eva Allsworth acknowledged and thanked the sponsors, and also all the volunteers at today’s event and also those paddlers who assisted with the coaching programme.
09/04/2018
Kia Orana to all Vaka Iti Paddlers, Families and Supporters. We know you were all looking forward to the Regatta today but unfortunately the weather had other ideas. ☹️☔ ⛈️ However, it's just a postponement and we have re-scheduled the Vaka Iti Regatta to take place after the school holidays on Friday 4th May. 🌞😁 In the meantime Vaka Iti kids, enjoy your upcoming holidays and we look forward to seeing you at Regatta day next month, rested, relaxed and ready to race hard. 💪💪🏝️🏝️
09/04/2018
Kia Orana parents and teachers
We regret to inform you that the VakaIti Paddling Competition have been postponed till after the 2 weeks holidays.
We apologise for this late change.
School will resume as normal today.. So please send your child to school INSTEAD of the Paddling venue.
22/03/2018
The Vaka Iti 2018 eight week coaching programme is underway with 5 schools and over 300 students taking part.
Week 1 was in the classrooms covering theory and the history of Oe Vaka in the Cook Islands, and the last 3 weeks have seen all the students out on the lagoon at Muri and Nikao learning the skills of paddling as they prepare for the one day inter-school Regatta which will take place on April 9th.
Vaka Iti, our annual Junior Paddling Regatta, was held at Nikao Beach, Rarotonga, on April 10th 2017. 285 students who had trained hard - 12 race divisions, 29 races with 58 teams - demonstrated skillful, committed paddling over a 200 meter sprint distance in perfect conditions.
The Cook Islands Canoeing Association is working on expanding Vaka Iti to include international Junior Teams. Details to come. Enjoy watching highlights from Vaka Iti 2017.
12/04/2017
Perfect day, smiles, fun in the sun and great paddling skills on display from our young paddlers for Vaka Iti 2017.
Fantastic day down at Nikao Beach at Vaiana's for the 2017 BSP Vaka Iti, with students putting their weeks of practice together for an awesome day of racing watched by proud coaches and parents. Results etc to follow:)
11/04/2017
Vaka Iti Cook Islands 2017 was held yesterday at Nikao Beach, Rarotonga. Six schools took part this year - Te Uki Ou, Tereora, Nukutere, Titikaveka, Imanuela and Araura College. Perfect weather added to a day of exciting Oe Vaka racing from close to 300 enthusiastic students who demonstrated skillful, committed paddling over a 200 meter sprint distance.
Congratulations to all the paddlers who raced, the winners of each division and well done Nukutere College who won the supreme award, the 2017 Vaka Iti Championship Trophy.
Here are the race results.