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  7. Banana Sled Riders Of Easter Island

Banana Sled Riders of Easter Island

by James Kao

Chile

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Wearing feathers and body paint, Rapa Nui athletes ride banana sleds at 60 kilometers per hour down the 45-degree slope of Maunga Pu'i. This extreme sport of `haka pei' is practiced once a year during the Easter Island Tapati festival.
Wearing feathers and body paint, Rapa Nui athletes ride banana sleds at 60 kilometers per hour down the 45-degree slope of Maunga Pu'i. This extreme sport of `haka pei' is practiced once a year during the Easter Island Tapati festival.
At the summit of Maunga Pu'i, competitors of the haka pei help each other to construct their banana trunk sleds. They pin two banana trunks with wood stakes then shave the roots from the trunk bases to reduce friction and increase sledding speed.
At the summit of Maunga Pu'i, competitors of the haka pei help each other to construct their banana trunk sleds. They pin two banana trunks with wood stakes then shave the roots from the trunk bases to reduce friction and increase sledding speed.
The Rapa Nui tradition of body painting plays an essential role for haka pei competitors and their progeny. The riders cover their bodies with ancestral designs that not only express their personalities but enhance their confidence and fortitude.
The Rapa Nui tradition of body painting plays an essential role for haka pei competitors and their progeny. The riders cover their bodies with ancestral designs that not only express their personalities but enhance their confidence and fortitude.
To ride a banana sled the Rapa Nui way requires the courage of a warrior and the faith of a saint.
To ride a banana sled the Rapa Nui way requires the courage of a warrior and the faith of a saint.
Manu, one of the boldest island sportsmen, is the first to descend and mounts his sled with trepidation. Though he has competed in haka pei many times and emerged unscathed, he always feels that he is tempting fate with every next ride.
Manu, one of the boldest island sportsmen, is the first to descend and mounts his sled with trepidation. Though he has competed in haka pei many times and emerged unscathed, he always feels that he is tempting fate with every next ride.

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