Hawaiki Nui Va'a 2024 in Bora Bora

The race, usually taking place in November, sees over 100 competitors race on traditional canoes a distance of 80 miles (129 km), which links Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, and Bora Bora in the Leeward Islands. This occasion ultimately ends with an incredible music and dancing event at the finish line.

Hawaiki Nui Va'a Tradition

This traditional marathon comes from Pre-European times when Polynesians used the va’a (a type of canoe in the Tahitian language) for fishing, carrying families, animals, and food supplies, discovering new lands, and other daily life activities. Nowadays these racing machines with sophisticated paddles specially shaped for faster speeds are most popular.

Hawaiki Nui Va‘a is a simple holiday that dips everyone into the culture and soul of the Polynesia people, reviving memories of the voyages of their Maohi ancestors in search of new horizons to conquer. Traditionally, it finishes with lots of music and dancing.

Currently, the base created in order to promote the practice of this sport on the high seas at regional and international level has had great success and there are more foreign teams participating in it as well