Two contests took place in the water. In one, a swimmer took a running jump and entered feet first, gliding as far as he could beneath the surface. In the other, two wrestlers pushed each other under the water, and the one who dunked his opponent ran for the shore before he could be caught.
Paia
The object of paia was to jump into the water feet first and glide as far as possible through the water. The swimmer's feet surfaced the water before his body.
The swimmers used a running jump and leaned at a forty-five degree angle feet first to the water. The swimmer let his body glide through the water. He raised his feet slightly until they broke through the surface of the water. The winner was the player that glided the farthest.
Ulumi Iloko Oke Kai
Ulumi iloko oke kai, or wrestling in the sea, was a sport that was held in high repute. The sport enhanced a swimmer's aquatic skills and contributed to his cardiovascular and strength improvement.
Two authors used different terms name wresting in the sea: ulumi iloko oke kai and kula kula'i.
The term ulumi means "to become strong or excessive, as in anger." Iloko means "internal; inside of; within." Oke means "to urge upon; to press upon; to pursue hard after." Kai means "the surf of the sea; the sea, sea water."
Kula kula'i is defined as wrestling in the sea. It is also defined as "wrestling; a scuffling; a throwing another down," without mention of whether the wrestling was held in the sea, and without further detail or description of the game.
The sport involves a violent, vigorous action where each wrestler attempted to push each other under the water. There is also a pursuing effort by the one who is dunked.
The object of the sport was to dunk an opponent under water and reach shore before he could catch you. The winner won a roast pig, coconuts, or other valuable items.
Both contests were settled in the water. In paia, the winner was the player who glided the farthest. In ulumi iloko oke kai, the object was to dunk an opponent under water and reach shore before being caught.
Makahiki Games
Sources
Kauo, Robert. Personal Interview. Provo, Utah. March 15, 1976.
Culin, Stewart. "Hawaiian Games," American Anthropologist. Volume 1, Number 2
Bolton, H. Carrington. "Some Hawaiian Pastimes," Journal of American Folklore. Volume 4, Number 12
Andrews, Lorrin. A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language. Tokyo, Japan: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1974.