From open ocean marathon courses to fast paced sprints, the event caters to every age group and skill level.
Competitors from across the Pacific and as far as Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom are in Rarotonga for nine days of action-packed racing.
Event coordinator Jules Tamaariki told CITV the international turnout is one of the most diverse they’ve ever seen.
“We’ve got an exciting one this year, we have 10 overseas countries. We’ve got Aotearoa, Australia, Hawaii, and Tahiti. We’ve got someone from Sweden. It’s a really long way to come. We’ve got Hong Kong, UK, we’ve got a huge mix.”
Races are taking place in the open ocean departing from Avarua Warf, and the juniors are competing in the shelter of Muri lagoon.
From the under 18s to the 50 plus divisions, there is a race for everyone – with ocean irons, marathon courses, fast-paced sprints, and the famous Round Raro Relay, a grueling 36km race in a six-man canoe.
Tamaariki said local paddlers are enjoying the opportunity to test themselves against international talent.
“We’ve got some great, great paddlers coming, some really good competition for our locals. So that’s the thing for our local paddlers, is we really only compete against each other. This is the reason Vaka Eiva started, it gives our locals a chance to race against international competition.”
She said community support is strong, with plenty of volunteers stepping forward and local businesses offering discounts and deals.
“We’ve got some great volunteers, probably more than what we need… Everyone’s putting their hand up to help.”
The 2025 event also brings a fleet upgrade with 11 new Matahina canoes brought in from Tahiti.
The Matson Vaka Eiva runs until Saturday, the 29th of November.
Written by: Tiana Haxton, RNZ Pacific journalist
