Team Shell Va’a has won the Hawaiki Nui 2025 over arch rival Team OPT, with a triumphant final stage in record time.
Hawaiki Nui is a demanding, 80-mile course in French Polynesia that connects four islands—Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, and Bora Bora. This three-day, three-phase race is a test of endurance, teamwork, and Polynesian paddling skills. But this year, Team Shell Va’a added one element to that equation—ingenuity—taking a slightly different, and much riskier, route in phase 3. The risk paid off, as they upended a Team OPT crew that had been dominant all season.
What was especially risky for Team Shell Va’a is that if they had lost to Team OPT for the third straight year, they would have had to relinquish the winner’s trophy. Team Shell Va’a has participated in this race for the past 10 years and has been the most successful team in the event’s history.
THE FIRST TWO STAGES
Day 1 was a thrilling start, with slight winds and challenging waters for the more than 2,000 paddlers. Team OPT and Team Air Tahiti surged into the lead, as Team Shell Va’a was content to stay close to the leaders in third place. At the end of day 1, Teams OPT, Air Tahiti, and Shell Va’a took the first three spots, with all three teams beating the course record.
Day 2 was the shortest leg of the race, more of a sprint, and the teams held their places in the top three spots. At this stage, it did not appear any team would overtake Team OPT, as Team Shell Va’a’s dominance of Hawaiki Nui was in jeopardy.
THREE’S A CHARM
But fortunes turned on day 3. After a cautious start, Team Shell Va’a took a different route—one that poet Robert Frost might’ve called “the route less travelled.” This route, nearly a mile from the other leading teams, left analysts and fans in doubt. All the other teams took a course closer to the inner reef, without any attempt to follow Team Shell Va’a. Had they made a tactical error?
While onlookers were scratching their heads, longtime Team Shell Va’a captain David Tepava was using his. The riskier route had bigger waves, but the team gracefully surfed them. As the race progressed, so did their position; the decision turned out to be ingenious. Team Shell Va’a won the final leg and made up all the time they were behind, once again crowning them as champions of this coveted race.
Watch the Hawaiki Nui 2025 Days 1-3 on the Ocean Paddler TV Youtube page here.
