Fancy watching a bit of racing? Watch the Air France Paddle Festival in Tahiti LIVE!

KEY POINTS: GENERAL EVENT

• Around 300 paddlers expected for the largest event in the South Pacific
• Features the 250-strong “Lagoon Race” (8km open race), 24km elite showdown + kids & fun races
• Broadcast live on national television thanks to TNTV (French-language)
• English-language stream shared worldwide via The Paddle League

• Tahiti is home to the strongest paddling culture on the planet; Polynesian outrigger, or “va’a” is literally the national sport
• Recognised as a “Major” event by The Paddle League
• Follows a unique course through two reef passes to circumvent a coral reef
• Weather expected to be hot and windless making for a tough race
• 2016 Air France champion Olivia Piana (Rogue) will start favourite in the women’s race — her toughest competition will come from 2018 world #5 and 2018 Air France runner-up Yuka Sato (Sunova)
• Perennial race favourite Seychelle (SIC) is injured and will join the live stream commentary team
• Titouan Puyo (NSP) is taking on the Tahitians a third time after finishing 3rd in 2016 and 4th in 2018
• Fellow New Caledonian Clement Colmas (Starboard), 17, is one of the top five favourites
• GlaGla Race champion Ludovic Teulade (Oxbow, France) is the international dark horse
• But the “Tahitian Warriors” are extremely difficult to defeat in home waters: Georges Cronsteadt (425), Steeve Teihotaata (Mistral; 2017 champion), Enzo Bennett (425) and Niuhiti Buillard (SIC) are all top five favourites, while the real dark horse to watch is 15-year-old Keoni Sulpice (Starboard).

Photo : Air France Paddle Festival – 2018 – Yuka Sato leading women’s field (@paddleleague, @georgiasphoto)

Watch in French below

The 24km elite race starts Saturday, April 6.
I will be be on air 20 minutes early with a race preview.
Here’s when to watch around the world…

11.10am Saturday in Tahiti
= 11.10am Saturday in Hawaii
= 2.10 pm Saturday in California (Pacific)
= 4.10 pm Saturday in Peru
= 5.10 pm Saturday in Florida (Eastern)
= 6.10 pm Saturday in Brazil
= 10.10 pm Saturday in the UK
= 11.10 pm Saturday in South Africa
= 11.10 pm Saturday in France
= 11.10 pm Saturday in Spain
= 11.10 pm Saturday in Germany
= 12.10 am SUNDAY in Greece
= 12.10 am SUNDAY in Israel
= 12.10 am SUNDAY in Ukraine
= 4.10 am SUNDAY in Thailand
= 5.10 am SUNDAYin Western Australia
= 6.10 am SUNDAYin Japan
= 7.10 am SUNDAY in Queensland
= 8.10 am SUNDAY in N.S.W.
= 8.10 am SUNDAY in New Caledonia
= 10.10 am SUNDAY in New Zealand