We arrived to Tahiti at the end of the Heiva Festival. Heiva is a celebration of Polynesian culture. It runs a little over two weeks but we have heard communities practicing for it ever since we arrived in the Marquesas. There are singing and dancing competitions as well as traditional sporting events.

Last Saturday we went to watch the sports competition. The three main events we watched were javelin throwing, coconut husking, and rock lifting.

Javelin

For this competition, the target is an unhusked coconut. The coconut is placed on the end of a long pole which is then hoisted high into the air. Competitors work in teams to throw as many of their team’s spears into the coconut. They also try to knock other teams’ spears out of the coconut. At the end of a specified time, the target is lowered and judges count the number of spears still in the coconut. It was challenging and quite fun to watch.

Coconut Husking

Coconut husking is a common everyday task for many people here as coconut (copra) is a cash crop for many people. The competition is a race. Each man is given 50 coconuts which they chop open with an axe and then scoop out the coconut flesh. They then have to gather up all the coconut flesh and stuff it into a burlap sack. Finally, they have to tidy all the coconut husks into a neat pile. It’s a race so the first one to complete the task wins. It was hot, strenuous work.

Stone Lifting

At first glance, this might not sound very interesting but it was impressive. This is an event for the big men of the community. The competitors were grouped into three weight categories. The stone(s) was long, smooth and elongated. They looked hard to grasp. There were no edges or cracks that would make it easy to grab. Each competitor was timed as they picked up the rock, lifted it to one shoulder and then balanced it there with one hand. Depending on the competitor’s weight class, the stones were 120 kg, 160 kg, or 180 kg! My lower back was sore just from watching them!

All in all, it was a fun day. It was great to see that the Polynesian Culture is thriving.