ALOPAOPAO SERIES 2: 'LAUMEI' canoe club wins Alo Paopao V6 Series 2
WINNING TEAM: Laumei Club
7 June 2021: Round 2 of the Alopaopao Series was held last Saturday 5 June under perfect weather conditions.
Two races were conducted. The Open Mens Race was hotly contested by 4 teams which started at Sails Mulinuu it turned at Vailele and finished backed at Saila Mulinuu - a distance of 14 km.
The "Laumei" canoe club lead the race from start to finish. It was strongly challenged by the team on Alo Paopao(APP) Club and "Nafanua" Club .
The NAFANUA canoe was swamped by a wave and sank but this did not dampen the spirit of the race or the competitors.
Interestingly the Alo Paopao(APP) Open men team which came in second on Saturday only started paddling 3 months ago!
The Junior Race also started from Sails Mulinuu turned at Taumeasina and finished the 10 km backed at Mulinuu.
Only one team "Alo Paopao" competed in this event.
Alo Paopao Junior team
This is the second race of this year despite the pandemic and has attracted keen interest and new followers.
The Alopaopao V6 Series was hosted by the Alo Paopao Academy and is gratefully sponsored by Sails Bar and Restaurant. EyeSpy Radio 87.5fm, Fausaga Vaa and Ocean Club Maninoa.
The Alo Paopo Academy welcomes newcomers as well as seasoned paddlers to the sport for fun and for exercise.
The Alo Paopao and all Paopao clubs in Samoa are keen to promote the event. Their objective is to not only promote the sport and have fun but to also pass on valuable life lessons at the same time.
The Alo Paopao Academy teaches and promotes water safety and how swimmers and paddlers can survive at the sea should their canoe flip over.
The event is proving a hit with the participants as well. Eye On Samoa news asked the one of Nafanua paddlers Arthur Meredith to share his experiences. He said that:
"when I first joined, I thought it was as simple as it looks but its not. It might look easy when on V1 but with V6 I find it very challenging".
“On the water is a different world for me. When i first join, i knew nothing about paddling. One of my buddies invited me to the sport as part of our session apart from the gym. So when i join, i was scare of the water, cos i didn't know how to swim and i had this fear of the the deep water... My first time i was scare thru the whole trip but their was something different that sparks everytime i put my blade in the water, and feeling the boat moving, it felt like this is where i ment to be. On the water i learn many thing, and overcome many challenges, the fear of the deep blue ocean, fear of not knowing how to swim, i also gain some new skills, graining confidence on my self and the people on my crew. I find it really amazing how everything on the boat has to be connected otherwise nothing will go smoothly, same as in the family, we all have our purpose of who and why who we were ment to be. Recently i have found something even more special about the sport, its like a whole new world where you can be free from all the trails on the land, its like you can bury a lot of troubles by reaching with your paddle, you can let go of the pain by pulling your canoe. And for some reason its slowing feeling like this is where we were ment to be, like its where we all started from...” he added
NAFANUA Canoe paddlere Arthur Meredith
He added that "It takes fitness, team-work, but most of all mind-set".
Round 3 will be conducted someday this month at Mulinuu around although this is yet to be confirmed.
For more information follow EyeSpy.
RESULTS:
OPEN MEN.
Laumei-1.00.57
Alopaopao-1.01.12
Nafanua-1.03.41
1.03.54
JUNIOR.
Alopaopao-59.08