(Javelin Throwing Competition - Polynesian Style)
In addition to all the Heiva dancing, there were numerous traditional sports contests including javelin throwing, rock lifting, fruit carrying races, coconut tree climbing, coconut husking, and the va'a (outrigger canoe) races. The va'a races we only got to see from the marina, but we hope to see the Super Va'a Race in Raiatea.
The javelin throwing contest was really fun to watch. It is not like the Olympic Games, where they try to throw the furthest. Instead, they have a wobbly branch of flexible wood like mulberry or Gardenia. And, they throw to hit a target, which is a coconut on top of a pole about 30 feet in the air. There were teams from all over the French Polynesia, along with teams from Hawaii, Easter Island, and Cook Islands. Each team had javelins marked with different colors and each person on the team had their own markings as well. Each person took turns throwing 10 javelins. At first no one was hitting the coconut, but then they all began hitting the coconut, which became a pincushion of colorful javelins. Then they lowered the coconut pole and counted the javelins for each team to determine the winners.
(See Video)
And, they all wore their traditional dress, which was mainly colorful wraps. But, the Easter Island team wore painted mud indifferent colors, as opposed to clothes!
(See Photos of Javelin Throwing)
Then there was the rock lifting contest. Yes, a contest to see who can lift the heaviest rock in the least amount of time! They started with a 120 lb. rock, and then progressed to a 240 lb. rock. There is a method and the French Polynesians know how to do it! They lift the rock in stages until they get it on top of their shoulder and then they have to hold it with one hand. The guys from Easter, Hawaii and Cook Islands had much more trouble and only a few of them succeeded.
(See Photos of Rock Lifting)
Then there was the coconut husking competition. They had teams of 3 people: one guy swinging an axe to cut open the coconuts, and two guys carving out the coconut. Then they had to bag all the coconut while the crowd yelled and cheered for their teams. They started with about 100 coconuts and finished in about 15 minutes with about 2 sacks of coconut.
It was a fun filled day with about 2,000 people at the museum grounds on the coast with a nice breeze under the coconut trees. And, of course there was dancing with several groups from Hawaii and a professional French Polynesian group.
More Later - G&T