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MCOC excited for opening day
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Posted on Oct 19 2006
The 8th Annual Micronesian Cup is just a day away from kicking off behind the Saipan World Resort and Spa when local paddlers test their outrigger canoes against some of the best crews from the region in their home waters.
Micronesian Cup Organizing Committee Chairman Robert Jordan said that he is excited about the upcoming event and that he expects to impress the onlookers when they hit the beach in search of the annual event.
“We’ve got a lot of teams coming in from off-island, more than we’ve ever had before. The total number of crews should make for a pretty good weekend for the spectators to see the sprint races on Saturday and the long distance races on Sunday,” he said.
Jordan said that aside from the teams of international paddlers that will join them in the lagoon, the local paddlers will also have a chance to compete against their closest neighbors.
“We’ve got some of the region’s top paddlers, quite a few teams from Hong Kong and a lot of teams from Guam so it will be good to showcase the Saipan-Guam rivalry a little bit,” he said.
The opening ceremonies get started tomorrow morning at 8:30am with a blessing of the boats and the events start soon after and Jordan advised those looking to catch a glimpse of the action to hit the beach early.
“If people want to see a bit of the canoe culture in the morning and then see some canoe sweat action with the races in the afternoon it will be a good idea to get here early,” he said.
MCOC board member Jay Santos said that activities at the race site are heating up and that everything is coming together in time for the main event thanks to the event supporters.
“I’ve been excited for weeks. We’re coming down to it and anytime you put on an event that’s at this level there are a little stresses and that’s why we have quality people on the committee and seasoned people who are experienced putting them on in the past,” he said.
While he expects the event to go off without a hitch, Santos said that he hopes to send people home with smiles on their faces and the story of Saipan’s hospitality.
“The ultimate goal is the satisfaction of everyone who comes and participates so we just want to make sure we put on a top notch show,” he said.
