Speared Their Medals

One of the most colourful sports at the Games was seen by few people —the underwater spearfishing events which took place over two periods of five hours on succeeding days at the eastern end of Tahiti. It was the first time such a competition has been included (surprisingly).

There were 10 contestants, three from French Polynesia, New Cale donia and Guam, and one from the Cook Islands —pearl shell diver loane Kaitara. He didn’t know the contest was supposed to be both a teams and individual event, so he had to comprise a team on his own.

Contestants were awarded 500 points for each fish caught within maximum and minimum weight limits, and additional points for the total weight of their catch. Each of the 10 spearfishermen was given his own boat with outboard motor, con taining a driver and judge. Another spearfisherman went down with him

as an observer in case he needed help in a dangerous situation.

The competition took place over a wide area inside the reef, in boisterous conditions. The Tahitians and the Cook Islander immediately selected the most dangerous but most abundant sites, just inside passages through the reef, where it was deep and fast-moving.

The Guamanians appeared to spend an inordinate amount of time roar ing about the surface in their out boards, looking for spots, while the Polynesians were down there spear ing fish.

The wily, locally-oriented French Polynesians speared all three medals in the individual tally, and the de lighted Kaitara took out the bronze medal for his one-man team! Some body forgot to tell him when the medal ceremony was on, and they handed him his medal next day in bed.

A true fish tale. This sort of catch was the reason why the French Polynesians took out the spearfishing medals. The big 'un is a kind of parrot fish.