The last time the Little Rina raced with scoop oars, or spoon paddles was in American Samoa in 2002, and the village of Toamua stole that race.
This year, after years of lying in the boathouse, the Little Rina has broken the Tolotolo o le Tama Uli’s championship with a commanding win in the Teuila Festival in Apia.
“The fautasi was specifically designed by craftsmen from overseas that came to Samoa for scoop paddles to be used on it. Fortunately this year the government has opened the options and allowed us to use them today and we came away with a good win,” said captain Matuaotofiga Fonoti.
“We’ve been preparing for three months. Once the organizing committee let us know that Tutuila will be joining this year we met and prepared the crew for the competition,” he added.
The Little Rina has been one of the most successful long boats to have raced in a fautasi challenge, but it has faced its difficulties. Its high built body frame was ideal for the scoop paddles but most of the time the crew were forced to paddle with Samoan traditional oars.
The problem was, with Samoan paddles not framed as the scoop paddle, the crew resorted to raising their arms higher as they rowed in order to catch the waters. Due to the boat being high in height.
With the use of scoop paddles allowed for the race, the Little Rina was finally able to showcase what it was really intended for when it boasted a win over the Tolotolo o le Tama Uli, with some even raising their oars an entire two minutes before they reached the finish line.
“It’s a great win for the village and for the boat. It’s more than 14 years old and it still worked just fine out there, so thanks to God and it’s all because he made the seas calm today that made the event special,” said Fonoti.
“This win isn’t just about the money though. It’s a way for the village to gather its youth together, so they can learn the art of fautasi rowing and how their ancestors travelled,” he added.
In the original meeting for the SIFA Fautasi Challenge, only the Little Rina and Tolotolo o le Tama Uli were present and it wasn’t until the prizes were introduced that two more local boats joined in.
The standings are as follows:
Little Rina - $40,000 tala
Tolotolo o le Tama Uli - $30,000 tala
Telefoni o le Vainuu - $20,000 tala
Sagato Petelo Sagele - $10,000 tala
God is Great - $10,000 tala