Easter
Island(2020)
Haka Pei Competition
Haka Pei Competition
The
Haka Pei is the most eagerly anticipated competition of those
who attend the Tapati Rapa Nui Festival The public congregates at the foot of the Maunga Pu’i hill to observe this unique, traditional extreme sport |
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Because of injuries to onlookers
last year, this year's competition was officially cancelled BUT we learned from the locals on the beach that it would be held anyway without official sanction So, we got a taxi and joined the approximately 2,000 people at the site |
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Most
attendees came prepared to spend the entire afternoon here |
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This is an official photo of the sled |
The
extinct volcano has a 45 degree slope |
Haka
Pei is a competition of sliding down a steep hill on two banana tree trunks lashed together  |
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The
organization providing support for the event |
Entertainment
before the event |
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Before the event a ceremonial “curanto” is prepared to honor the ancestors who practiced haka pei and bless those present I recognized the Lord's prayer recited in Spanish - a merging of Christianity with Rapa Nui tradition Food was prepared in a huge pit - All the food was free |
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Hundreds
of volunteers made this event possible |
Security
was done on horseback |
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Those who had not brought chairs, tents or
eating utensils arranged branches on fallen trees and were provided "dishes" of banana leaves |
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The menu was a huge portion of some kind of meat, sweet potatoes,
poi and fruit
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Gradually
the crowd walked over to view the event itself. Security teams
on horseback kept onlookers at a safe distance It takes less than ten seconds at speeds up to 50 mph to reach the base of the hill, so I could not get any photos The winner is whoever travels the greatest distance from the launch point to the base |
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Younger
competitors start further down the hill |
Adults
start from the top |
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The
sleds make ruts in the hill |
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Our
taxi driver returned for us
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