Hawaiki Nui Va’a

This 28^th edition of Hawaiki Nui Va'a will be held from October 30 to November 1, 2019 in the Leeward Islands archipelago. This international competition is approved by the country and benefits from the country's financial support as well as sponsorship from all the country's major companies. This year again more than a hundred pendulum canoes will start from the Fare site and cross the finish line on Matira beach.
 
This pirogue race, which is a highly anticipated event every year and has been in existence since 1992. At the base created to promote the practice of this sport on the high seas at regional and international level nowadays it is very successful with more and more foreign teams participating. This race offers a 129 km course linking the islands of Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, and Bora Bora in three stages.
 
In 1995 the Va'a Hine was created as a half-marathon race for women's teams and in 1998 the Taure'a races were created for junior teams.
 
The different routes:
 
1st stage Huahine-Raiatea: 44.5 km
2nd stage Raiatea-Tahaa: 22 km
3rd stage Tahaa-Bora Bora Bora: 58 km
Va'a Hine et Taure'a is 45 km
*The distances given are approximate
 
Hawaiki Nui Va'a takes its name from the Polynesian history of Pacific settlement with ancestral beliefs. Indeed because Hawaiki Nui (the great Hawaiki) is in Polynesian history the cradle of civilization it is from this island that the rest of the islands were colonized. Raiatea is considered as the cradle of Polynesian peoples with the marae Taputapuatea hence its name Hawaiki Nui.