Alo O Samoa Outrigger sent an open women’s team to represent American Samoa against Apia and New Zealand teams in the 4th Annual Alo Paopao Vailima Festival in Apia.
The festival is a week-long outrigger paddling event with short distance and long distance races for both single paddlers and 6-paddler va’a.
Alo o Samoa Outrigger took second place behind Apia’s Laumei Outrigger Canoe Club in the 250-meter sprint with a time of 1 minute 37.36 seconds. Alo O Samoa’a Erika Radewagen also medaled bronze in the Masters Women’s 4 kilometer race.
The women’s team from Tutuila consisted of wellness program paddlers April Esera, Arbor Day Mata’afa and Katrina Mariner from the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA), Cherith Lober from GHC Reid & Co. and Alo O Samoa club paddlers Malama Petaia, Erika Radewagen, and Ta’aloga Tupa’i Drabble.
Radewagen says the competition gave our newer paddlers a chance to experience the international race scene and get some of our experienced paddlers back into international racing.
She said New Zealand and Australia’s top paddlers competed on Samoa’s already competitive paddling scene.
A handful of these paddlers just finished some intensive training for the International vaa federation World Sprints that were held in Australia in May and we got a chance to race with them. We’re all very proud that our team did so well and we all had a great time at the event.”
Alo O Samoa Outrigger launched their wellness paddling pilot program in February 2016 integrating the activity within the established wellness programs at GHC Reid & Co and ASPA.
They paddle twice a week at the Pala Lagoon with canoes provided by Alo O Samoa and Au Va’a Laumei Outrigger Canoe Clubs.
In June, monthy paddling competitions began to begin preparing the teams for the upcoming Coastweeks outrigger race organized by the AS Department of Commerce.
Radewagen says the Alo Paopao Festival provided an opportunity for the wellness paddlers to compete at the international club level.
