July 14 was not only Bastille Day but also the day for the main sporting events of the festival at the National Museum of Tahiti some 9 km away from Papeete.  The busses weren’t running as it was a public holiday, but cruisers got together and arranged taxis to the games and enjoyed a great day out.

Javelin Competition:   This competition involved throwing a javelin underarm at a coconut which was fixed on a pole 9.5 metres high from a distance of 22 metres (for the women’s and children’s event the height of the coconut was 6 metres and the throwing range 15 metres).  Points were scored depending on where the javelin stuck in to the coconut.  We were amazed at the accuracy of the throwing as the vast majority of javelins were very close to the target.

The Stripping of Coconuts:  The task here was for competitors to strip 15 coconuts with a wooden stake fixed in to the ground and the person who finished first was the winner.  This year the sole lady competitor was the winner.

The Copra Contest:  This involved cutting open, prising out the flesh and bagging up 150 coconuts in as fast a time as possible.  Having battled many times to open coconuts, we were totally amazed at the speed and dexterity of the contestants.

The Stone Lifting Contest:  There were a number of weight categories, the heaviest stone being 150 kg, and competitors had to lift the stone from the ground to shoulder height and holding it stable for several seconds.  This sport is from old traditions originating in the Austral Islands.  In ancient times, warriors measured their strength by lifting stones coated with monoi.  The winner became a contender to becoming the next chief.

Mid-way through the day there was a break in proceedings for a display by the Marquesan Group we’d seen a few days earlier: