This is where we are right now!! 9 days of outrigger racing in the Cook Islands. Thought you guys would appreciate this pic taken of Danny's winning Team during the 18km marathon race 2 days ago.

The circular island is surrounded by a 200 metre wide reef and it is a very short fast drop. Not sure if it is suitable for SUP. I have seen locals on short boards and boogie boards. Johnny Stewart (Seaway to Seaway Organiser) is over here and has been out surfing a short board alot. Danny, Travis Grant and others on the team are off today in search of waves and then boards as we have a day off racing...
Photo by Harvie Allison. www.harvpix.com

Team X-Cel. Danny Steering ...



Some of my team members in a mixed gender race...Johnny Stewart steering this one.

I was over there earlier this year. There are some pretty heavy spots on Raratonga, especially on the SE corner (Rutaki was my pick). I had my shortboard and wore a helmet the whole time. There arre some heavy reef passes that require a lot of respect. The locals were very cool and I had a great time.

I didn't surf the spot in the pic but it looks like its that spot on the East coast. It is probably the tamest of the available spots and it looks like you could SUP it. Have a crack - you might be the first!

Take a strong leggie as if the tide is going out you could end up in the middle of the Pacific ocean somewhere.

Great pictures Sue.. Are you in the boat in that second pic?.. I'm really keen to try an OC1 one day.

DJ

Here are some more pics taken by Harvie Allsion (www.harvpix.com) around Rarotonga in previous years. Harv is a good friend of mine so I'm sure he won't mind me uploading them here. He should have this years shots up on his site soon so check them out. Rambo was also over there filming the whole event so I;m sure his site will have some footage up soon too when he gets home and organised.

The boys didn't get to surf at all. No boards and definately no SUP's on the island. I'm not sure anyone would have gone out on a SUP anyway. It is a narly reef. One of the ladies 40ft outriggers actually went over the reef (near the original shot of Danny's team). The canoe was broken into pieces and the ladies suffered dislocated shoulders, reef cuts, sea urchin wounds, shoke etc. It would have been scary for them.

DJ...no I'm not in that pic but the three with pink hats were in my ladies team. We raced earlier in the day and I was already at the bar when these guys went out.

Great shots Sue..... let's hope you can come to the Mambo next yr ..... you and Danny can kick our butt's in the downwinder!


Boylos