AMONG the 90 boats that participated in the recent 37th Annual International Fishing Tournament were four 500 Sails traditional sailing canoes or flying proas.
During the awards banquet held Monday evening at Aqua Resort, SFA presented a check for $500 to 500 Sails.
“This is a historic moment for us,” said 500 Sails board president Arthur De Oro who received the check on behalf of the non-profit organization.
“We are so proud and so happy to be sponsored by the SFA and AK Toyota because if it wasn’t for them, you would not see us out there,” De Oro said.
“We’ve lost our traditional sailing canoe culture in the Marianas, but you know who’s helping us get it back? Our Carolinian brothers Master Navigator Cecelio Raiukiulipiy, Tony Piailug, and Mario Benito.”
But competing against modern boats with engines proved to be a bit tougher for a traditional canoe.
Piailug said perhaps in next year’s tournament, traditional canoes should be given a two-hour head start.
“By the time the boats were gone out to sea, it took us almost half an hour to paddle out of the channel. And then you got to do three jobs at the same time — paddling, pulling in the sail, and fishing,” De Oro said.
Their crew sailed out to sea at around 6 a.m. and returned to shore after 7 p.m. They sailed as far as outside of Managaha and then down to Tinian as well.
“It was an awesome experience — a lot of us had never done that before. It was my first time,” De Oro said.
He said they are planning to host an event exclusively for traditional canoes during which participants could join a fishing derby and/or a race with other traditional canoes.
“It will not only be for the Marianas, but for the rest of Micronesia as well,” Piailug said. “That would be an awesome event. I think people would want to come out for that.”
500 Sails president Arthur De Oro holds a check during the awards ceremony of the 37th Annual Saipan International Fishing Tournament Monday evening at Aqua Resort.
500 Sails president Arthur De Oro, second left, and his team pose with a traditional sailing canoe that participated in the recently held 37th Annual Saipan International Fishing Tournament.
