9-year-old Māori figure skater Meriana Rihia-Tāmaki skating to a te reo Māori song in the Middle East earlier this month. Photo/Supplied.
When a little Māori girl twirled around the ice to a te reo Māori song in the Middle East recently she had no idea that her life was about to change. In the space of 24 hours, a few thousand people around the world would share the delight of this most curious and beautiful sight.
The beautiful sight of a Māori child figure skating to waiata Māori in the Middle East. Meriana at Skate Abu Dhabi in February. Photo/Supplied.
The girl in the sparkling blue tutu seen swirling around the ice skating rink in the video shared to social media is 9-year-old Meriana Rihia-Tāmaki, who lives in the city of Al Ain, in the United Arab Emirates with her mum Anglea (Ngāti Kahungunu) and dad Peter (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Uenuku, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi).
The Rihia-Tāmaki whānau have lived in the United Arab Emirates for the past 8 years. Photo/Supplied.
Meriana was filmed figure skating to Rob Ruha's waiata "Tika Tapu" at Skate Abu Dhabi in mid-February - an ISI international figure skating tournament for recreational skaters.
Because she was just a year old when her parents, both teachers, moved from Palmerston North to the UAE, Meriana's whānau are quite used to sharing videos of her on social media for loved ones back home to enjoy.
But what Meriana's parents weren't expecting was for their daughter's video to take on a life of its own on Facebook.
The Facebook post that sparked interest in Meriana. Source: Peter Rihia-Tāmaki/Facebook.
"When my husband turned around the day after and said 'this video’s had 3,000 views' we both looked at each other and said ‘What? From who?’" says Angela, "It was only supposed to go up for the brothers and sisters and aunties and then it sort of kept going and going. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh.’"
The video has now been viewed more than 8,000 times.
She thinks the combination of a te reo Māori song and her daughter's skating was the drawcard for people.
"I have no doubt that it’s got a huge amount to do with the music that was with it. It’s certainly not the first video [of Meriana skating] we’ve ever shared."
Angela says Meriana was only four when she began begging her to let her skate, after seeing ice rinks in the malls there.
"She was too little, the boots were far too big for her...so just before she turned five I let her have a go. She went on [the ice] and pushed around a little trolley."
All smiles - and medals. Meriana at Skate Asia in Thailand in August 2018. Photo/Supplied.
Meriana hasn't looked back since. She's participated in nine international tournaments, including Skate Asia events in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Bangkok.
Angela says Meriana has always dreamed big but as their daughter's got older they've realised she really is quite serious about her goals.
"Since she pretty much put skates on she was going to be an Olympian...we kind of laughed, very cute, but in the last year she has said that she really does want to compete for NZ.”
The whānau make a 3-hour round trip to Abu Dhabi and back every Friday and Saturday morning for Meriana's club trainings and private lessons with her Ukrainian coach. She’s on the ice between 8 to 10 hours per week and has 4 to 5 hours cardio training off the ice.
Up until last year, Meriana was in private school but because she was getting too tired from her training her parents began home-schooling her.
Ukrainian coach Yevhen Kovalov with his little protégé. Photo/Supplied.
In April the whānau will return to Aotearoa briefly so Meriana can begin testing to allow her to move from recreational skating to formal ISU competitive skating and eventually, it is hoped, to representing NZ.
Angela says it's very humbling watching their daughter shine, something she feels Māori music has helped spark in Meriana as she's got older and started asking for her own music.
"Once she started with wanting the Māori music then it...sparked a whole new sort of level of like, 'wow, this kid could really do something'."
Taking inspiration from Maisey Rika's waiata "Tangaroa Whakamautai". Source: Instagram.
While once it was cute Disney music, now Meriana's favourite songs to perform to are waiata like Maimoa's song Wairua- which she used at a competition in August- Tangaroa Whakamautai by Maisey Rika- which was her waiata at another event - and, of course, Rob Ruha's song, Tika Tapu, that set the internet alight with intrigue about this little Māori girl learning to skate in the desert.
So what does Meriana think of all this interest in her?
“Our daughter just thinks it’s hilarious…she says, 'who are these people wanting to interview you mum, what for?’ She doesn’t quite understand I don’t think.”
