Marshallese Racing Canoe



Marshall Islands canoe racing

Have you heard that racing canoes here
in the Marshall Islands is a very popular sport?  Since long ago until now people still enjoy this sport. This is for men and not for women. For the chiefs (irooj), it is their traditional and that’s their favorite sport. If you travel around here both men and boys are racing canoe in the islands. There are two kinds of canoe which have different sizes. One is small enough to carry and other is not. The small canoe is called a ri-wuit that it can raced by both men and boys. The other canoe is big, and it only men can race it. It is really common for celebrating the Marshall Islands’ important event like manit days and Marshallese liberation day. People sometimes race canoes to find out who is the best in racing. The best racing canoes will be the one that win the prices. Some prizes that given to the winner are Marshallese handicraft and sometimes they receive money. But if it’s Chiefs’ racing canoe, the price that given to the winner is a land. Racing canoe here is popular since long ago.