One of the questions I get asked from time to time is why I called my business Hākinakina? 

Anyone who knows me, will know that my business comes from a very personal journey, so it makes sense that I gave a lot of thought to what I would call it. For those that don't know, Hākinakina means to play sport, to enjoy oneself in Te Reo; which is something that I am very passionate about. The word is one from tangata whenua of Aotearoa.

I set up Hākinakina because I want women (and eventually men and children) to be able to play sports outdoors without worrying about the sun’s harmful rays. To give them the freedom to play without compromise.

You may wonder why I chose this Māori word to represent what we do and believe in here at Hākinakina. The outdoors is our playground here in New Zealand, and the brand is about promoting safe, healthy and fun outdoor sports. I live and love the land here and for me, the brand is all about honouring and respecting the land and ocean that we are so lucky to have at our feet.

In choosing the name I spoke to my local Kaumatua, including 2 of my local Iwi from Ngāti Koata. They advised me it was appropriate to use kupu māori, and that as Hakinakina is a generic Kupu Maori, they were happy to give me their blessing to use it.

They said to follow my heart and to tell my authentic story. So here we are, my heart belongs to the mountains, lakes and ocean that surround us. And Hākinakina is here to help people to be able to enjoy them, and have fun playing sport outdoors without having to worry about the sun.