Hotuiterai Poroi: Inside the Life of a Timi Va’a Athlete from Tahiti

Raised between Tahiti, Fakarava, and Moorea, he learned to read currents, swells, and the rhythm of his crew. Paddling for him is not only competition. It is a daily practice, a link to his family, his island, and his ancestors. Hotuiterai Poroi pushes his va’a off the beach and begins his morning session, just as he has done since childhood. Every stroke carries memory and responsibility. In va’a, he follows the principle of Taho’e, moving as one with his teammates and with the sea that shaped his life journey.

Can you introduce yourself for those discovering you for the first time?

My name is Hotuiterai POROI, I am 28 years old and I currently live in Vairao, a small commune in the southwest of the island of Tahiti, neighboring the commune of Teahupoo, which is famous for its mythical wave.

Where exactly are you from?

I am originally from the island of Tahiti. I lived in many different places around Tahiti before my parents reclaimed our family property in Vairao.
We even lived for several years on Fakarava between 1998 and 2002, an atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago, where I took my very first paddle strokes. We also spent a year on Moorea, Tahiti’s sister island.

I spent a large part of my childhood in Pirae, a commune neighboring the capital Papeete, where I started practicing va’a and competing. It was also in Pirae that I joined my formative club, “Mou’a Tamaiti No Papara”, with whom I achieved several major accomplishments: winning the Hawaiki Nui Va’a junior category (U19) three consecutive times between 2014 and 2016, finishing 3rd overall at the Catalina Race in the United States in 2016, and winning the club sprint world championship title in Australia in 2016.

Tahiti quite simply represents my entire life. We are lucky to be surrounded by and in immediate proximity to the ocean, where we spend almost all of our time after school, work, and during weekends and holidays. The sea shaped our childhood, and water activities such as surfing, fishing, and va’a are part of our everyday life.

What place does sport hold in your local culture?

Sport has always played an essential role in Tahitian culture, as shown by our ancestral sports known as “Tu’aro Maohi” (such as fruit-carrying races, javelin throwing, or stone lifting), of which va’a is a part. Athletes were called and seen as “aito”, or warriors, which reflects the level of effort they put in.

Even with the arrival of Western sports such as football, martial arts, and others, these disciplines easily found an important place among Tahitians.

How did you discover your sport?

Was it an obvious choice, a family influence, or something you chose later on?

I would say it was a family influence. My father was president of the “Te Ui Va’a” club in the late 1990s, a club that won the famous Hawaiki Nui Va’a race in 1994. My older brother was also competing in va’a.

What does practicing this sport mean to you, beyond performance and results?

For me, practicing va’a represents a return to my roots, because above all it is a cultural sport unique to Polynesia, even though today the evolution of techniques, equipment, and preparation is very different from the past. It is also a way to keep our culture alive and share it with the world.

Are you currently a professional athlete, or do you have a job alongside your sport?

No, I am not a professional athlete because I do not make a living from va’a. I have a job alongside it that allows me to meet my needs. However, I can be considered a high-level athlete, given how intense the preparation and training are.

Reaching this level has also opened doors to sponsors who support me either through equipment or financially, especially to help fund international travel.

Finding balance is not always easy, as there is not only sport and work, but also family life, since I am a father of two children. It requires strong family organization above all. I am very lucky to have a partner who supports me 100% and takes care of the children during my training sessions. Our parents also help us a lot.

Training for major competitions is almost 7 days a week, every morning before work and every evening after work, sometimes 2 to 3 sessions per day.

What equipment do you currently use? Do you have sponsors, and why these choices?

Yes, I am fortunate to have sponsors today, and I sincerely thank them.

I work with Timi Va’a, who provides me with training and racing canoes. For me, it’s the best va’a in the world. I chose it simply because I have always paddled this model since I started, and it works extremely well.

I also use Viper Va’a paddles, which I consider the best in the world, offering excellent water entry and comfort during the paddle stroke.

I am also supported by other sponsors such as Power House for nutritional supplements, Islands’ Motion for apparel, as well as financial partners like C.E.T Edwin Teraiharoa and RL Assurances.

What message would you like to share with young people in your region who dream of following the same path as you?

The message I would like to share with young people, not only those who want to follow my path, but all youth, is to get involved in a sport. Any sport, in addition to keeping you healthy, teaches essential human values needed in everyday life, such as respect, humility, and self-improvement, among many others.

If you had to describe your sport and your culture in one word or one image, which would you choose? Why?

I would choose the word “Taho’e”, because it perfectly reflects va’a and is the first word taught to any new va’a paddler.

Taho’e literally means to become one, to unite.
Va’a is a gliding sport, so it means becoming one with the elements around you the sea, the waves, the wind as well as with your equipment, your canoe, and your paddle, to glide over the water.

Va’a is also a team sport, which means being in harmony with the entire crew. Cohesion is the key in team va’a; without it, the canoe does not move forward. In a V6, all six paddlers must act as one.

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