THE SPIRIT OF UNION
“This one word contains the secret of all first-class va’a teams:
Taho’e. Union.
To come together and be as one.
Be it with the Va’a Ono (6 man outrigger canoe) or the Va’a Ho’e (single man canoe)
The paddler cannot expect to be able to brave the elements
with only pride and ego at his defence.
The paddler, the va’a, and the ocean must be as one.
The va’a is the model of how fraternity
and unity works in a group.
Each paddler is an essential part of the whole.
At the front (mua) is the fa’ahoro:
he gives the speed of the stroke to the rest of the team.
The peperu, at the back, gives the direction.
Those at the centre (tura’i) are the motor and give the va’a speed and power.
The combination of unity and coordination makes the wa’a like a fish in water
half airborne, half aquatic.
She skims across the surface of the water, speeding along like a flying fish.”
She skims across the surface of the water, speeding along like a flying fish.”
(Tihoti Barff-Faara)
Last Saturday, 30 October, saw the pre-launch lagoon trials of the first Norfolk Island built Tahitian-style va’a outrigger canoe (or wa’a in our Norf’k language).
A few men met out at Farmer Lou’s shed where Jason had spent hours manufacturing the sacred vessel – sacred to the men now gingerly hovering over her and figuring how to safely transport her to the opposite end of the island to Emily Bay.
They envisaged the journey down the slope of Grassy Road, through Burnt Pine town centre, and then the best of the steep winding routes to get safely Daun a Taun (Kingston). She was eventually securely fastened onto the Evans’ vege delivery truck with a few silent prayers under the breath; and the pilgrimage began to our beloved Emily Bay.
It began as a cold and blustery day with many supporters looking on, but the club members barely noticed … their sole focus was the Wa’a Tefauroa. Her safe arrival at the beach and attachment of the ama (outrigger) meant the trials could begin!
She was carefully placed into the water and taken for her debut paddle. Over and over, she went out, skimming the peripheries of Emily Bay, turning into Slaughter Bay and back again, stopping in at shore just long enough re-adjust the ama and change paddlers so everyone could have a try.
As time progressed, we were blessed with ‘4 seasons in one day’, and it ended up as one of those exquisite afternoons where the sun played ecstatically on the waters and those of us on shore looked on in wonder; in wonder at the extraordinary loveliness of the dancing light and waters. Tihoti felt we were being blessed from above. My daughter said to me, ‘Look Mama, I can see the heavens’. And I found myself thinking of those very first Polynesian visitors to Norfolk Island. They must have come through the Emily Bay passage on their own sea-worthy wa’a at some stage before inhabiting Norfolk Island in the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries AD. What an historic event this was!
First adjustments and boys patting themselves on their backs!
Mixed teams ... a good sign - Matt, Kyla, Taan, Tihoti
Mixed ages - Tihoti, Suzanne, Reuben, Matt
Papas and sons - Matt & James, Tihoti & Oihanu and a gleaming Emily Bay
Heading into the sparkling waters ...
The blessing has already happened ...
We can only hope for a replay next weekend when the Wa’a Tefauroa is given a traditional blessing and officially launched. If you are on Norfolk Island on Sunday, come down to Emily Bay at 2pm where there will be Island dancing, canoe rides and a sausage sizzle. We can hardly wait!
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