Podcast Maré Sonora ® · video

What this video covers

Luiza Perin, a marine biologist and one of Brazil's pioneering Polynesian canoe (va'a) paddlers, describes how she began paddling in 2005 — five years after the sport arrived in Brazil around 1999-2000 — and how instructor Marcelo Depardo introduced her to the Polynesian concept of "lokahi" (unity among paddlers) on her first day.3:36 She recounts competing in a Hawaii inter-island channel crossing, finishing last among more than 100 competitors after 4.5 hours on the water, during which a shark with a dorsal fin level with her knee tracked her canoe at close range.13:55 She explains the Polynesian Triangle — Hawaii at the north vertex, Easter Island (Rapanui) to the east, and New Zealand (Aotearoa) to the south — and clarifies that "va'a," the term now standardized by the International Va'a Federation, covers what Brazilians call both canoa havaiana and canoa polinésia.21:11 She discusses how canoe design varied across Pacific islands according to available timber and biogeography, drawing on naturalists' logs from Captain James Cook's voyages.24:53 Her book, "Voo de Canoa," available at vooodecanoa.com.br and on Amazon, covers Polynesian cultural history, the symbolism of ocean crossings, and connections to Brazilian ancestral heritage.30:06

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