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This page, photos by Peter Caldwell<br />
Jimmy Austin, 5:14:59<br />
Alana Fraizer, 6:08:21<br />
Photo by Keoni Watson<br />
Steinlager Kaiwi Solo OC1 World Championships<br />
Mael Carey, 5:22:36<br />
Below, Mark Frazier, 5:31:12<br />
Conditions were not what competitors<br />
from around the world had<br />
anticipated. The Kaiwi Channel usually<br />
produces nice rolling swells that help<br />
push canoes from Molokai to Oahu.<br />
Instead of the push, there was a wall<br />
of waves holding the paddlers back.<br />
At the finish line, the pain on the<br />
paddlers' faces told the story. Every<br />
competitor that finished had to dig<br />
deep within just to make it to the finish<br />
line. Many just threw in the towel.<br />
That's how tough the channel was. At<br />
the finish, many needed help off their<br />
boats. The struggle just to finish took<br />
its toll. Volunteers were standing by to<br />
help get the canoes out of the water<br />
and give liquids to the thirsty paddlers.<br />
Out in the channel there was a<br />
battle raging between Kai Bartlett,<br />
Lewis Laughlin, Jimmy Austin and<br />
Danny Ching.<br />
"It was like this — white caps<br />
coming at you. It wasn't pretty. A lot<br />
of slam, slam, boom, boom," said Kai<br />
Bartlett who pulled off his 4th win in<br />
the 'Molo Solo'. "It was the ugliest race<br />
I've ever done." Right from the start,<br />
Kai knew it wasn't going to be a fast<br />
race. "If we were going the other way<br />
it would have been fun." Kai finished<br />
in five hours, 22 minutes.<br />
Danny Ching, from California,<br />
took second. "I put it on the line that<br />
Photo by Keoni Watson<br />
Kai Bartlett, Jimmy Austin and Danny Ching, mid-channel<br />
Kai Bartlett at the finish<br />
time," said Danny. "The game plan<br />
in the beginning was to push it, but<br />
when I looked down I noticed I was<br />
only going six-mph, and running with<br />
the top five, so I tried to pace and<br />
Photos Ropati<br />
Sponsor, Calvin Maeda, Steinlager<br />
conserve, and anytime someone tried<br />
to go, I tried to cruise next to them the<br />
best that I could, and then I tried to sit<br />
up and give a little more and made a<br />
gap on everyone — and then at that<br />
Luke Evslin, 5:33:57<br />
Below, Keali'i Paiaina, 5:39:33<br />
Below, Aaron Napoleon, 5:36:06<br />
18 <strong>June</strong> ‘09, <strong>Pacific</strong> <strong>Paddler</strong> pacificpaddler.com <strong>June</strong> ‘09 19
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