Tahiti

À 21 ans, Ranitea Mamatui avance entre deux mondes. Née et élevée à Tahiti, bercée par le lagon et la culture du Va’a, elle a grandi avec l’océan comme terrain de jeu et comme école de vie. Introduite très tôt à la pirogue par son père, elle y a trouvé bien plus qu’un sport : […]

Sixteen thousand kilometers separate Tahiti from mainland France and that is the distance Ranitea Mamatui chose to cross to pursue her studies. At 21, the Polynesian paddler has traded lagoon waters for a new life at Aix-Marseille University, where she is training to become a physical education teacher. Raised by the ocean and introduced to […]

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 […]

Tahiti’s Team OPT joined the elite list of Molokai Hoe champions on Sunday, conquering the 40.8-mile Ka‘iwi Channel from Moloka‘i to Waikīkī in 4 hours, 42 minutes, and 2 seconds. The first-time winners ended fellow Tahitian powerhouse Shell Va‘a’s three-year reign, with the defending champions finishing second in 4:44:57. “It’s the first win for OPT […]

Canoe Ocean Racing is set to take a major step forward in 2026 with the International Canoe Federation confirming four-stop World Cups spanning Brazil, France, Malaysia, and Tahiti. For the first time, athletes will have the opportunity to compete in an international circuit dedicated to surfski racing, with events strategically placed across the globe. The […]

Installé depuis plus de 30 ans à Moorea, Emmanuel Moinier — alias Manu — est devenu une figure incontournable du monde du va’a en Polynésie Française. Charpentier naval passionné, il est à l’origine de la marque Va’a Max, dont les pirogues de course sont aujourd’hui présentes sur de nombreuses lignes de départ à travers le […]