Meet the Man

=In the world of outrigger paddling, or va’a, the name David Tepava is synonymous with winning. He is the legendary coach and steersman of Tahiti's Shell Va'a, the most successful 6-man outrigger team in history. Under his leadership, Shell Va’a has set the standard of excellence to which competitive paddlers and teams all over the world aspire.

For 24 years, Tepava has given his heart and soul to Shell Va’a and to the sport he loves. His impressive racing record speaks for itself. It includes: 11 victories at Hawaii’s  Molokai Hoe, a harrowing 41-mile race across the treacherous Kaiwi channel; and 8 wins in Tahiti’s Hawaiki Nui Va’a, a grueling three-day, 130-kilometer course through French Polynesia's lagoons and reefs; plus many more championships.

Tepava is arguably the sport’s most celebrated figure, known for his exceptional ability, wisdom, and work ethic. He embodies the passion,  physical prowess, and tenacity of a true champion. As a coach, he is known for teaching technique and instilling tradition. And he has turned the practice of va’a into an artform, striving for a culture of winning. In his homeland of Tahiti, Tepava is revered as a star. And in the broader va’a community, his stardom shines from French Polynesia across the Pacific to distant shores.

Va’a is my whole life,” says Tepava, “and when I can no longer paddle, I will continue to share my knowledge and expertise in other ways. In addition to coaching his team, he teaches the fundamentals of paddling, teamwork, and va’a tradition in the “Va’a Vitals” master clinics, sponsored by outrigger manufacturer ARE Tahiti (Shop Outrigger?). In this capacity, he is nurturing even more paddlers, with guidance once reserved for elite paddlers now for those at all levels. He is helping shape the future of va’a.

A Culture Immersed in Water

To fully appreciate Tepava and his commitment to va’a, one must grasp the defining role Tahitian culture has played in his life. In Tahiti, the connection to the water is an indelible part of life, and the relationship of paddlers to the water is inseparable. It is where young boys and girls grow up and learn the ways of the ocean. This connection fuels an unending appreciation for the time-honored Tahitian tradition of va’a.

In Tahiti’s pristine waters, which border a beautiful, serene landscape, paddlers are a common sight, both in single and 6-man outriggers. They test their mettle while navigating through the island’s crystal-clear lagoons and ocean swells. Va’a has always been an enduring symbol of Tahitian identity, passed down from generation to generation. It symbolizes the Tahitians’ deep connection to the Polynesian history of navigation and reflects longstanding Tahitian values of endurance and resilience. Once a vessel of exploration and fishing among Polynesians, va’a has evolved into an international competitive sport.

Sometimes Tepava himself reminisces about the early Polynesians’ voyaging canoe, Hōkūlea, and imagines his ancestors on their “voyage of discovery” to destinations throughout Polynesia and Oceana. This ancestral connection is alive and well in him, and he embraces a vision of traversing the seas and braving the elements. In some ways, he has been undertaking this voyage of discovery in his own life journey.

Tepava shares the spirit of this “journey” as a coach and teacher, not only passing on the techniques of paddling, but also passing down Tahiti’s rich cultural tradition. He instills in paddlers a deeper appreciation of their sport beyond simply improving their skills, so they might embrace and carry on this tradition. This is Tepava’s world. It is a world that only a select group of people get to see up close.

Teaching and Training

If you are on the Shell Va’a team, you enjoy a front row seat. There are 12 paddlers on the crew, six of whom paddle at any given time. These young men balance team paddling with jobs and work either for their sponsor, Shell (oil company) or Shell’s telecommunications partner, Vodafone.

The sheer joy these paddlers get from racing is balanced by the hard work of training. The team practices twice a day under Tepava’s watchful eye. He observes intensely, listens attentively, and offers precise guidance based on years of refining his own skills and understanding what it takes to be a winner. His leadership is unquestioned. He projects an air of authority and commands respect. This respect fuels his paddlers’ efforts to perform.

Tepava knows what it takes to be a champion, and he strives for precision. In treating the practice of va’a like an artform, he employs techniques that help his students develop “the perfect stroke,” an ideal combination of form and efficiency. Though he is demanding, he never asks anything of them that he himself hasn’t undertaken. If there is a va’a equivalent for someone who “walks the talk,” Tepava has truly “paddled what he peddles.”

“There’s a lot of technique involved,” says Tepava, “technique and more technique. That plus learning how to read the waves and sense the ocean.” And there is also a signature trademark of Shell Va’a teams—understanding how to “shift gears” during strokes, from low to high gear. This involves conserving energy for the end of the stroke rather than burning it up quickly by paddling too vigorously at the outset. There’s a lot to learn and a lot of sweat involved. But it pays off. To be a winner—a true champion—one must prepare. Tepava knows that failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Failure is not an option.

His lessons contain common sense, yet they are profound in their simplicity. For efficiency, according to Tepava, it’s not the speed of the paddle stroke that is important, but the speed of the canoe itself. Tepava looks for the ideal action that allows the canoe to achieve maximum glide, so it’s in perfect harmony with the sea. For example, his team uses the huti pa'ari, a slow, powerful ancestral stroke that allows paddlers to quickly advance without getting exhausted between accelerations. And he stresses the seamless strokes of paddlers working in harmony. “The synchronization of paddlers,” he says, “is like a perfectly coordinated ballet—you hardly see the effort, and the glide feels easy.”

One also gets a feel for Tepava’s teaching style in his Va’a Vitals clinics. Using precision accuracy, he details the fundamentals that every paddler needs to know in order to learn the basics of paddling­—and eventually master them. He is dynamic, emphatic, and self-assured. His passion permeates the “classroom.” And his lessons contain pearls of wisdom whose value is not unlike the pearls that adorn the ocean floor in Tahiti.

Students of Tepava not only learn the mechanics of paddling, but also develop the proper mindset—the mindset of winning. One cannot help but walk away from a Tepava class without knowing, and truly feeling, they have a better grasp of how to be a better, more confident paddler. 

The Early Years

How and when did Tepava develop such devotion, drive, and discipline? He was born in 1982 in Punaauia, about seven miles (11 kilometers) from Papeete to a family of fishermen. As an only child, and the first boy and eldest of all his cousins, he recalls being treated like a “child-king” the first 14 years of his life. He was pampered and praised to the skies by his parents, family, and people in his neighborhood. He internalized that adoration. Not surprisingly, he began to see himself as a leader—though initially he became a gang leader, tempted to "go bad" before finally deciding to channel his endless energy into something more constructive, like paddling.

Tepava had first learned how to paddle as a young boy while fishing with his grandfather, in a canoe. He quickly figured out how to steer efficiently and conserve his strength. This experience piqued his interest. But it wasn’t until several years later, at age 16, that he took to the va’a waters in earnest, riding the crest of a resurgence in Polynesia of this centuries-old tradition, which was becoming all the rage. Tepava had no career plans at the time, so he did the next best thing—he steered toward competitive va’a. Soon afterwards, he was winning singles races and began to enjoy the thrill of victory!

A friend recalls that, in 1999, Tepava dared to challenge the revered champion at the time, Lewis Laughlin, in public, telling him: "You'll see, I'm coming, and it's going to change everything. I'm going to win the Molokai!"

Sure enough, the following year, in 2000, Tepava was on the team that won the Molokai Hoe juniors. That was just the beginning! Two years later, he was recruited by Shell Va’a, a team he never left and has always considered his second family. Following him, a new generation of paddlers would rush into va'a. Tepava was then and still is an enduring model for young paddlers.

Recipe for Success

What is Tepava’s recipe for success? Above all, he loves the sea, he loves paddling, and he loves coaching. He also respects the tradition of va’a passed down by his ancestors. And of course, he relishes winning! "I can't explain it, but it's my mission." For him, the water and winning are two inseparable elements. When one interviews Tepava on his terrace, he feels most comfortable facing the sea and rarely takes his eyes off the water. His wife, Vaehei, says “Va'a is his balance." Tepava also sees it as his mana, the sacred life force of Tahiti: "It's innate, something in me. I can't explain it, but I won't give up va’a as long as I feel that force."

No doubt there are also deeper reasons for his success—things to prove. This includes overcoming his modest upbringing, getting revenge for his early, unsatisfying years in school that ended prematurely, and being excluded from many positions before becoming a coach. Plus having to often defend himself against his detractors. His greatest victories are against his naysayers, people who had given up on his team, yet he prevailed. Tepava says, disparagingly: "Some people don’t like me, but I don't care if I'm liked or not. I'm not going to apologize for having succeeded!"

Indeed criticism slides off him like water off a duck’s back, thanks to his self-confidence and because of "his boys”—members of the Shell Va’a team who staunchly support him. "I know what I want, I have won with my method, and I'm not going to listen to others or change what works. And what works is a proven formula—paddling efficiently with team unity.

While Tepava himself is an excellent singles paddler, he has always preferred to paddle with a team. This common effort galvanizes him and stirs his competitive juices. To ensure unity and success as a coach, he doesn’t necessarily recruit champions with strong personalities, but rather promising young athletes capable of following his direction and forming a unified team. "Having potential is one thing,” he says, “and one’s physique is easy to build. But developing the right technique and attitude is something else. Developing tahoe—the unity of paddlers—is the other essential ingredient. His philosophy is clear-cut: “While there are six paddlers in a team canoe,” he says, “it’s as if there is only one paddle, with each paddler being at one with each other, with the canoe, and with the sea.”

The Importance of Family

Another unifying element in Tepava’s life is his family. Behind the champion lies a man and his wife and life partner, Vaehei, originally from the Marquesas Islands. If Tepava has a strong and tenacious personality that has contributed to his success, she has an equally strong character. Tepava has derived a lot of strength from Vaehei, who is really “the wind beneath his wings.” "She is a woman like none other,” he says, with an admiring smile, adding that he would be nothing without her undying support. “Vaehei is powerful, and she has made many sacrifices  while remaining in the shadows. I am here not only because of my own mind, but equally because of hers.”

David and Vaehei Tepava have endured many challenges as a couple, including the tragic loss of their 18-year-old son, Keahi. It took both of them, each with championship mettle, to overcome this adversity and find peace, keeping the family afloat and Shell Va’a on course. David channeled lessons learned as an elite coach, finding the focus to be fully present, the resilience to course correct, and the determination to persevere.

He also needed to make adjustment in his life. In 2015, Tepava took a much-needed leave of absence from Shell Va’a. This allowed him to be more available to his family and to create a close bond with his younger son, Ikivai—one he had not really shared with Keahi. Not surprisingly, the family connection grew stronger than ever. So did Tepava.

In 2018, Tepava was called back to coach Shell Va'a. There he would incorporate some of his refined life lessons into his teaching. He wanted to be an even better example for his paddlers. Even if the family's daily life was punctuated by his training and competitions, Tepava tried to find a healthy balance between the two. The man who wanted to provide for his family now realized, more than ever, the importance of being more available, listening, and sharing—both with his team and his family.

An Extended Family Support

The importance of “family” extends beyond the homefront. It also encompasses the community of Tahitians who love and support him as a coach and as a person. In addition, he cherishes the feeling of ohana that filters through the outrigger community. Finally, he finds an ever-faithful “family” in Shell Va’a, from which Tepava will never stop deriving meaning in his life. He will always feel a strong familial bond with Shell Va’a, which has spawned many of the world’s finest competitive paddlers. He is a big reason for that bond, as a championship coach who has helped many young paddlers realize their dream of achieving the highest goal—becoming champions themselves.

The Growth of Va'a

Since Tepava started coaching, va’a his grown considerably. This expansion gives him hope for the future. A sport born in Tahiti which migrated to Hawaii, has now spread to Brazil and New Zealand; to France and Japan; and to Australia and all through the United States—and beyond. Currently more than 25 nations are represented in the International Va’a Federation (IVF), which governs outrigger canoeing worldwide. Some in the va’a community envision va’a becoming an Olympic sport someday, while others wonder if a sport steeped in tradition and heritage could risk losing its soul. On the contrary, Tepava feels va’a will forever be strengthened by its distinct Polynesian identity!

This identity is personified in David Tepava, who passes on his techniques while passing down a tradition—including a tradition of winning. At age 43, va’a remains his passion. "I am a warrior at heart," he says. "I like the pain and the feeling of the common effort, and I am determined to push the machine until I can no longer win."

Health problems forced him to take a temporary respite from the sport in 2024. But he took full advantage of the lull to recover his strength, to start  training, and to resume his competitive coaching as soon as the doctors gave him a green light.

But in truth, that green light can never really be dimmed. Tepava cannot be sidelined or silenced. He will always play a central role in the sport of va’a, just as he will always have an indelible link to its Polynesian roots. Tepava never forgets those roots or the importance of winning.

Once, after Shell Va’a had won the Molokai Hoe, reporter Mahealani Richardson, of Hawaii News, asked Tepava if he planned to come back the next year to defend his title and if he expected to win.

“Oui, oui” he said, “of course! “Shell Va’a does not have a choice,” he continued, through an interpreter. He nodded, with a self-assured smile. “If they go, they go to win.”

That is vintage David Tepava: a true champion carrying on a tradition of excellence and representing a culture of winning.