Aitutaki are the early leaders after the first full day of competition at the Cook Islands Games.
The northern island won four gold and one bronze medal yesterday to set the early pace on 13 points in the open division, with three points awarded for each gold, two for a silver and one for bronze.
Mauke was the only other island to strike gold after beating Rarotonga in the handball final.
3x3 basketball, touch rugby and boxing all get underway today, while the action continues in lawn bowls, tennis, aquatics and sailing.
Swimming in Raro for the Cook Islands games looks a lil like this no pool no probs pic.twitter.com/VlX4otCZ1h
— djels (@Taungaatua) October 5, 2020
The assistant competition manager for lawn bowls, Jason Lindsay, said they had to begin their competition last week because of such a huge turnout.
"In total we have 110 bowlers - 55 men and 55 women - which is a huge increase," he said.
"Normally we wouldn't see this kind of number in our normal nationals events so we've actually grown by participation with two extra islands that don't normally compete."
"I believe that the island of Penrhyn, their entire team are brand new bowlers so they began training roughly about two months ago, so we helped to get them coached up as much as we can before the Games."
Bowls action at the 2020 Cook Islands Games. Photo: Cook Islands Bowls
3000 people are competing in the Cook Islands Games, which were last held in 2015.
Lindsay said for the last couple of months everywhere you look on Rarotonga you are likely to see people training or competing for the multi-sport event.
"There's definitely a huge buzz on the island at the moment," Lindsay said.
"Everybody's been really keen, everybody's been out practicing and having a go so everywhere you drive in the evening and afternoon you see people playing sport or taking part in some sort of sport activity."
Mauke won gold in handball. Photo: Facebook/Cook Islands Sports
And with 24 sports in action over the two weeks of competition, he says some competitors are packing in as much action as they can.
"I know just for our island, Team Rarotonga, we have a few athletes that are playing in at least three or four different sports so it's huge."
