Te Moana Nui Games at Waimea Valley -- a competitive event celebrating ancestral sports of Oceania

Te Moana Nui Games is a Traditional Polynesian Sports Competition held annually on O’ahu since 2016. This year it will be on Tuesday, November 11 (Veteran’s Day) from 9am-4:30pm at Waimea Valley. It is presented by Tahiti Mana with support from Waimea Valley. Tickets: $5 for all Kamaaina ages 4 and over | $10 for general. In celebration of Veterans Day, all active and retired military can enjoy FREE admission to the Valley. This cultural event is presented by Tahiti Mana in collaboration with Waimea Valley’s Makahiki Festival. The goal is to celebrate, promote and perpetuate ancestral sports of Oceania. The event will feature a Coconut Tree Climbing Contest, Fruit Carrying Race, Stone Lifting Contest and Traditional Wrestling. 27 skilled athletes from Tahiti and 9 New Zealand will travel to O’ahu to compete against both champion and novice athletes from O’ahu, outer island and as well as several participants flying in from the U.S. Continent. To wrap up the day with festivities, there will be a Tahitian Dance performance by the award winning troupe, Tahiti Mana during the awards ceremony. In addition to these exciting sport contests and dance shows, there will also be a variety of local & Polynesian vendors open all day. Te Moana Nui Games is inspired by the Traditional Sport Contests in Tahiti. It is an exciting and unique cultural event that is rare to witness. In ancient times, the rising of the Pleiades (star cluster) marked the season of abundance in Tahiti, a time of harvest, feasting, sports, dance and celebrations. In Hawai’i, this time is referred to as Makahiki Season. Te Moana Nui Games is a modern day version of the sport contests and is celebrated with the Pacific Island cousins and anyone who has a love and respect for the Pacific Island Culture. 2025 Schedule of Events 8-8:45 am - Athlete Check-in/Weigh-ins 9 am - Opening Ceremony at Heiau by Entrance Parking lot 9:30 am - Coconut Tree Race at the Main Lawn (Tauma Haʻari) 11 am - Fruit Carrying Race begins at Hale Hoʻike, ends at Upper Medow (Timau Ra'au) 12:30 pm - Stone Lifting (Amora’a ‘Ōfa’i) 2 pm - Wrestling (Taputo) 3:30pm - Tahiti Mana performance and Award ceremony in the Amphitheater 4:30 pm End

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