Paddlers are welcomed back to land following the grueling 36km race. Photo: Supplied / Byron Brown
'Team Makaho' had a mix of Australian, Cook Islands, Hawaiian, and New Zealand paddlers competing in the final event of the Vaka Eiva festival.
The team crossed the finish line with a time of 2 hours and 57 minutes, closely followed by local Cook Islands team 'Ngakau Toa Vaka', who finished 2 minutes later.
Makaho's Mitch Zandstra from Aotearoa said it was a tough fight against the local crew for first place.
"We knew they were gonna be strong, they had the local knowledge, and we were battling with them the whole race, and they were coming back at us strong near the end," Zandstra said.
"We had to work hard and dig deep."
The local Ngakau Toa Vaka open men's team were hot on their tail, finishing with a time of 2 hours and 59 minutes.
With the return of outside competition, local teams have been training even harder ahead of the tournament.
The annual event last saw international competitors in 2019 prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cook Islands paddler Pomare Pittman of Ngakau Toa Vaka said the influx of regional competitors has been great for the sport locally.
"It's so good for the sport, it raises the quality of the level, and forces everyone to train hard and get fit," Pittman said.
"It's been sorely missed just having all these international paddlers on the island,"
Reflecting on the close race against Makaho, he explained that being able to compete against international teams is a valuable learning experience.
Pomare Pittman of Ngakau Toa Vaka gets into the zone ahead of Vaka Eiva outrigger canoe competition. Photo: Louis Collins
The event has seen thousands of paddlers from across the region compete over the past decade.
There were many first timers involved this year, including Cook Islander Ben Raela, who took up interest in the sport during the pandemic.
He started paddling in 2020, primarily to make new friends and for fitness purposes, becoming a crew member of Ngakau Toa Vaka.
He had never competed in a water sport prior to Vaka Eiva and said "it's a great event to partake in".
This is his first time joining the competition and he enjoyed the thrill of going up against regional teams.
"It's awesome to have all the international crews here, sort of revitalizing the paddling community and the sport itself," Raela said.
Raela took on the challenge of the Round Rarotonga Race, facing a myriad of ocean conditions beyond the reef.
"We circumnavigate the island, our first one (leg) we're punching into the wind, it's pretty intense, then you come around it's called 'sideys' when everything comes from the side," he said, explaining the intensity of the event.
"Our favourite leg is the surf leg, as you can imagine it's where you can catch waves and then you come back around back into the upwind and finish at the slipway at Jacks."
Ngakau Toa Vaka open men's team celebrate 2nd place. Photo: Supplied / Byron Brown
Over 30 teams participated in the extreme event which took some competitors up to 5 hours to complete.
There was open, master, senior and golden categories for both the men's and women's teams.
The conclusion of the race marked the end of this year's festival.
The event was wrapped up with an awards night hosted at the Trader Jacks beachfront restaurant.
Over 500 competitors and supporters gathered together to celebrate the successful return of 'Vaka Eiva' to the Cook Islands.