Mother’s day regatta a success

By Vatapuia Maiava 15 May 2016, 12:00AM

Beautiful beach, beautiful water and beautiful weather; there’s nothing more soothing to paddlers than those three combinations of beauty.

That was the scene at Maninoa beach where the Samoa Outrigger Canoeing Association (S.O.C.A.) held their mothers day regatta.

Different members of the association gathered together for a day full of fun and competition with the only down side being the tan lines.

“The regatta over mother’s day was part of this year’s series of regatta that S.O.C.A. is hosting,” Association member, Laura Wang told Samoa Observer.

“We were excited to see so many S.O.C.A. club members turning out to participate in these competitive races; we had members of Tautai, Laumei, and Nafanua paddling clubs as well as families and friends all gathered for a fun day of races and prize giving.”

The regatta began early in the morning with the V6 women’s races, followed by the men’s V6 races, the mixed team races, and then finally the individual OC1/V1 races.

“The regatta was the first women’s race of the year which saw 18 women competing in the water,” Ms. Wang said.

“It was a challenge to finish all of the races before the tides went fully out, and the winds sometimes made steering a challenge, but all of the participants enjoyed the beautiful sunny day and great vibes at Maninoa.

The juniors programme also had a chance to show off their skills on the day.

“It was also a great day for Nafanua’s junior paddling program which started earlier this year,” Ms. Wang said.  

“The day culminated with some of the country’s youngest paddlers racing each other to the cheers of their families and biggest supporters.

“SOCA is excited to continue spreading the sport of paddling to all ages; the young paddlers program runs every Saturday from the Ocean Club from 9-11am.”

“The Prize giving for the regatta was made possible thanks to the generous donation of M&J as well as Vailima Alo Paopao.”

This mother’s day regatta is only one of many fun events held by S.O.C.A. throughout this year.

“The regatta ended with Vailima Alo Paopao participation in challenging their fellow paddlers at the ‘WORLD COMP IN SUNSHINE COAST AUSTRALIA’ to the Running Man Challenge,” Ms. Wang said.

“This is a viral internet craze that proves paddlers are just as skilled with their feet as they are with their hands.

“This regatta kicks off an exciting season of SOCA events, culminating in the annual Alo Paopao series, Samoa’s premier international paddling competition.

“The next race is the Independence 2 day regatta, 1st to the 4th of June. Full details on this season’s race schedules can be found on the Alo Paopao facebook page.”

By Vatapuia Maiava 15 May 2016, 12:00AM

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