Fiji surfers to conquer Melanesian swell - FijiTimes.com

Fiji surfers to conquer Melanesian swell

Josefa Makaba
Friday, September 17, 2010

FIJI has a sent one of its biggest surfing team this week to take part in the inaugural Melanesian Cup to be held in Noumea, New Caledonia.

The three-day tournament will start tomorrow and end on Monday. Fiji Surfing President John Philip said the team to the Melanesian Cup is the biggest ever to represent the country in an international event.

Philip said the Melanesian Cup would give our surfers good competition and test before next year's Pacific Games.

"The meet with provide much needed top level competition at the venue of the Pacific Games Surfing event exactly twelve months before the games start."

Philip said the team would also be performing their new team challenge dance.

Philip said the challenge dance called Rere Ni Cava was choreographed by Manoa Rasigatale.

"This will also be the first time the dance will be performed in public."

Philip said he expected the team to do well.

"A giant swell is predicted to hit on the weekend and we expect good results from this team which has been training at the world famous Cloudbreak off Nadi," Philip said.

The team: Isao Ishihara - coach; Romeo McKellar - manager. Open men's: Isei Tokovou, Inia Nakalevu, Ratu Aca Raculo Lalabalavu, Paul Chongsue, Tim McBride. Junior under-16: Kalani Muller, Alifereti Kamanalagi; Junior under-18: Sunia Tabuseresere; Women's: Kaye Lepper, Kimberley Bennett.

Mangroves For Fiji - Beqa Adventure Divers

Mangroves are the rainforests by the Sea, and equally threatened.
They are vital habitats that not only protect the coasts against tsunamis, hurricanes and Sea level change, but directly benefit the adjacent reefs by exporting life-building carbon and above all, by being the nursery areas of countless marine organisms from crustaceans all the way to Sharks. They are also largely overlooked excellent carbon sinks that sequester multiple amounts of carbon when compared to tropical and temperate forests.

2010 has been declared the Year of Biodiversity.
Beqa Adventure Divers are one of Fiji’s premier ecotourism operators and have decided to make a contribution. This is a privately funded project that combines the advantages of planting Mangroves with the advantages of offsetting one’s carbon footprint.

Global carbon trading is on the increase and BAD could have easily paid money to an intermediary who would have then financed a forest or windmills in a far away country. Being however beholden to Fiji, BAD has searched for a home-grown alternative, alas in vain.
BAD has decided to run such a project. See blog post

More information at  Mangroves For Fiji.