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New Zealand Maori Surfing Team |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 24 July 2008 |
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Batchelor Tipene at Chopes
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For more than ten years the Oceania Surfing Cup has been an opportunity for indigenous surfers to come together and compete in a spirit of mutual respect and cultural exchange.
This year the defending champion New Zealand Maori Team took to the French Polynesian waters of Tahiti with no hesitation. A mixture of young and old that included past Oceania champions made up the team and the Maori were ready to do battle.
Culture is a huge part of the Oceania Cup and the first three days of our trip were full of ceremonies from the Papara Village. All teams were welcomed to the village in traditional Tahitian culture and language. Tahitian and Maori culture is very similar and almost looks and sounds the same. The Maori team felt at home and very welcome by the village. As in any welcoming or Powhiri it was soon our turn to show some Maori culture with a very impressive and strong haka lead by our international team Judge Mark (stocky) Stockman.
Tahiti plays host to some of the heaviest waves in the world and Team Manager Chris Malone was adamant about getting the Maori out there to experience one of Tahiti’s heaviest and internationally known waves called Teahupoo.
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Scraping for the shoulder
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On our second day in Tahiti, vehicles and boats where organised to take the whole twelve person team and TV crew out to the reefs. Teahupoo was our first stop and we arrived to 6ft of west swell with the odd freak 8ft set. Our guides, the experienced locals and Chris Malone where first out while the rest of the team watched three huge 8ft sets come charging in from no where. Malone just scraped under the first two while the local Tahitian surfers got annihilated on the inside. With the team seeing the full raw power of Teahupoo we played it safe sitting closer to the channel.
The local boys showed their skills at the heaviest wave in the world getting some huge barrels. Open team member Bachelor Tipene got stuck in and scored himself the tube ride of the trip with an impressive late take off into the womb of Teahupoo. Sophie Moore took Teahupoo on with no fear, taking big late drop and a visit to the sharp Tahitian reef and over into the lagoon. With no water patrol Sophie had a huge paddle back around the reef, luckily with only one small cut to her knee.
The whole team was now sitting in the line up watching and enjoying the action so the decision was made to change locations to another well known wave with less consequence and not as heavy. The junior surfers relished the new location called Big Pass with 3-4ft swells. It was a much easier wave to surf and the whole team enjoyed the session.
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Mixing of the cultures
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After a super exciting second day in Tahiti our schedule was booked with another amazing ceremony this time at the event location of Papara Beach. Each team is invited onto the shores of Papara by Tahitian powhiri. The team enjoyed the cultural exchange from Tahiti and a few team members were invited to dance a special Tahitian Haka. This had the whole crowd in fits of laugher. It turned out the team were actually doing a Tahitian mating dance!
The New Zealand Maori Team were also invited by the President of the French Polynesian Islands to attend a celebration of Tahiti French independence. It was a bit like Waitangi Day here at home.
Every Tahitian Island was invited with over 10,000 people attending from all parts of French Polynesian. It was a huge culture experience for the Maori team with each island and region dressed in their native costumes and offering their gifts for the President. Seeing pigs, chickens, fruit, and merchandise strapped up to sticks for the President made the team feel like they were 100 years back in time.
The President then offered the Maori team the chance to perform our own native dance. In front of 10,000 people the team stepped up to the plate and performed our strongest possible haka right in front of the President, the Tahitian King and Princess and most of Tahiti. Mark Stockman put all is mana and fire into leading our haka making the government house shake and scaring the hell out of the President. After that each Tahitian Island and region got fired up and preformed their haka which was an amazing exchange of true Pacific culture.
Our first three days in Tahiti felt like three months. The team had the lingo and were set into island style, eating fresh fruit everyday and spending most of the time in water surfing and swimming. With the team feeling at home in the tropical conditions it was time to compete.
Papara Beach break is a two-way peak with the right-hander being the preferred wave offering up better scoring potential.
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Stocky and the Groms
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For most of our junior team members it was the first time in the Maori team, and first time overseas. They made the most of the Papara rights surfing with determination and courage. James Tume from Wellington placed 7th through some impressive surfing and style too. He only missed out on the semi-finals by one point almost beating Australian Pro Junior Series surfer Jarwin Carey.
Our youngest surfer Peri Matenga (12) stepped up his surfing taking on some of Tahiti’s best juniors to place 6th. Jay Paddock made the finals last year in New Caledonia and was hoping to improve but placed 5th. However all three New Zealand juniors along with (first time out of New Zealand) junior Haami Martin were locked in the one heat against an Australian. They did their best but the young Haami Martin took charge searching out the lefts with big floaters and vertical re-entries, while the Aussie surfer worked the rights and placed second.
The junior finals saw the two Tahitians go wave for wave and totally destroy anything resembling a wave. Martin scored two good rides which didn’t get the score they deserved and he ended up placing fourth.
Thandi Durham was pipped at the post by 0.8 just missing out on the final, while Sophie Moore won the heat and a spot in the grand final. Ex professional Patricia Rossi and the locals dominated the women’s final and Moore had to settle for fourth also.
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Keg at Big Pass
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Longboarders Isaac Johnston and Chris Malone enjoyed making the finals and surfing against one of the best in the world in local Heifara Tahutini. Tahutini displayed why is considered one of the best mixing up old school walking and hang tens with new school vertical re-entries for a well deserved win while Malone settled in to second place with Isaac Johnston in fourth.
The Open Men’s saw plenty of competitive action with Chris Malone and Bachelor Tipene working alongside each other and blocking out Tahitian Steve Pierson to secure their spot in the finals. Past Oceania champion and 2007 runner up Motu Mataa battled it out in the repercharge and came up against two strong Tahitians and a New Caledonian. Motu, looking for a finals berth, went to town on his first two waves winning the first half of his heat. The Tahiti local then showed no mercy taking back the lead pushing Motu into second. With two minutes remaining the crowd was erupting as Motu put his hands in the air to claim his spot in the final, but in the last 10 seconds a small wave appeared for the Tahitian which gave him the extra points to move ahead of Mataa who finished in third. The local crowd were on their toes and happy to see their two Tahitian surfers through to the grand final. The judges were calling it the best heat of the event!
The fired up local Tahitians then took the open final right from the start using their local knowledge racking up the points and leaving Malone and Tipene needing big scores to win. In the end they had to settle for 3rd and 4th place respectively.
At the closing ceremony and prizing giving the Tahitian hosts laid on a feast of traditional island foods much like a hangi with each finalist having to dance Tahitian style in front of a large crowd.
It was a very successful event with the New Zealand Maori team finishing in a well deserved second placing overall behind the local Tahitians.
Many thanks to the 2008 New Zealand Maori team for their dedication and commitment. Congratulations.
Many thanks to the supporters of the team Auahi Kore, Quiksilver & Roxy New Zealand, Motzstar & Moko and Air Tahiti Nui.
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The boys nailing one of many haka during the trip
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Looking staunch
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Chris Malone at Chopes
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Final placing
Open Men
1st Teiva Mare TAH
2nd Steve Pierson TAH
3rd Chris Malone NZM
4th Bachelor Tipene NZM
5th Motu Mataa NZM
12th Mark Stockman NZM
Junior under 18
1st Jocelyn Poulou TAH
2ndAriimoana David TAH
3rd Jarwin Carey AUST
4th Haami Martin NZM
5th Jay Paddock NZM
6th Peri Matenga NZM
7th James Tume NZM
Women’s
1st Naumi Teriiparau TAH
2nd Patricia Rossi TAH
3rd Sophie Moore NZM
4th Jenna Cinnedrawa CAL
5th Thandi Durham NZM
Longboard
1st Heifara Tahutini TAH
2nd Chris Malone NZM
3rd Simeon Aukara TAH
4th Issac Johnston NZM
Final team placing
1st Tahiti team A
2nd Maori team A
3rd Maori team B
4th Tahiti team B
5th New Caledonia
6th Australia.
NZ Maori team representatives
Open
Bachelor Tipene (Taranaki)
Motu Maata (Taranaki)
Chris Malone (Gisborne/Raglan)
Junior
Jay Paddock (Gisborne)
Haami Martin (Raglan)
Peri Matenga (Mt Maunganui)
James Tume (Wellington)
Women
Sophie Moore (Muriwai)
Thandi Durham (Taranaki)
Longboard
Isaac Johnston (Mangawhai Heads)
Chris Malone (Gisborne/Raglan)
Manager Chris Malone
International team Judge Mark (stocky) Stockman
Kaiwhakahaere Steve Ria (Gisborne)
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