A Legendary Duo: David Tepava and Team Shell Va’a
Anyone who knows about outrigger racing knows the name Shell Va’a. And anyone who knows about Shell Va’a knows the name David Tepava. They are inseparable—the stuff of legends.
Under Tepava’s leadership, Shell Va’a has been the most successful 6-man outrigger team in history. On October 6 & 7, the week of Molokai Hoe, Tepava will once again make history, giving his first master clinic.
The Spark of Competition
To appreciate Tepava’s success is to know his story. David was born in 1982 in Punaauia, 6 miles from Papeete, to a family of fishermen. An only child during the first 14 years of his life, he was praised to the skies by his family and his neighborhood. From early on, he was a leader—at first a “gang leader.” He was even tempted to “go bad” before channeling his boundless energy into the sport of va’a. He credits his grandfather, during fishing sessions in a canoe, with teaching him how to paddle, to steer efficiently, and to conserve his energy.
At age 16, David benefiting from a resurgence of the va’a tradition in Polynesia and started taking it seriously. He quickly developed a taste for competition and for victory! A friend remembers, in 1999, that David boldly challenged the great champion of the time, Lewis Laughlin: “You’ll see, I’m coming, it’s going to change everything, I’m going to win at Molokai!” In 2000, his team won the Moloka’i Hoe juniors—that was just the beginning! Two years later, he was recruited by Shell Va’a, which would soon become his second family. Seemingly a whole generation of paddlers followed him into this revitalized sport.
The Recipe for Longevity
What is the recipe for David’s longevity? He loves the sea, he loves paddling, he loves coaching, and more than anything he loves winning! “It’s my mission in life.” His wife and the stabilizing force in his life, Vaehei, says: “The va’a is his balance. It’s his mana—the sacred force of Tahiti.” David adds, “It’s something in me, I can’t explain it, but I won’t give it up as long as I have it.”
A Team First Philosophy
David has always preferred to paddle in a team; the shared effort galvanizes him. To ensure unity, he doesn’t recruit champions with strong personalities but rather promising young paddlers capable of following direction and forming a cohesive team. “It is not the speed of the paddle stroke that is important,” he says, “but the speed of the canoe.” He chooses the ideal course of action to allow the canoe to be in perfect harmony with the sea. For example, his team uses the huti pa’ari, a slow yet powerful ancestral stroke that moves them quickly without getting tired between accelerations. The synchronization of the paddlers is like a perfect ballet—you don’t see the effort, and the glide seems effortless.
For 24 years, David has been inseparable from the Shell Va’a team—first as a paddler, then, since 2018, as a coach. He has given his all to his team and to the world of va’a. His impressive record speaks for itself: 11 victories at the Molokai Hoe and 8 at the Hawaiki Nui Va’a, to name just two races. “Va’a is my whole life,” he says, “and when I can no longer paddle, I will continue to transmit my vision in other ways.”
An example: his master clinics sponsored by ARE Tahiti, which is dedicated to growing the sport of va’a. ARE Tahiti is proud to have David on its team. Register for the David Tepava Master Clinic on October 6 and 7 in Honolulu HERE.
To learn more about ARE Tahiti or ARE Tahiti canoes, visit www.aretahiti.com. Or see what’s available at ShopOutrigger.com, your ultimate destination for everything a paddler might need, including canoes, clothing, and accessories.
