June 2009 - Pacific Paddler

Santa Speaks! A Pacific Paddler interview with Sam Rodrigues
Nappy Napoleon and Santa Sam take a wave into Waikiki
Anuenue Canoe Club paddler Sam
is a well-known local paddler and
a mainstay on Nappy Napoleon’s
Golden Master crew. With his striking
beard, hearty laugh and friendly smile,
Sam is a beach favorite. Doubling as
Santa during the holidays, he has been
the subject of a number of promotions
and is always ready to pose especially
for the keikis. Sam’s real job is
with the State’s Department of Human
Services for counseling work, and he
also can be found one or two days a
week teaching surfing for Star Beach
Services on Kuhio Beach. Here PP
catches up with the bearded one for a
talk story session about his paddling
career, his colorful background and
some observations about the sport.
PP: Where and when did you
start paddling
SR: It was in the early 70s with
the Sons and Daughters of the Pacific.
Then I stopped and moved away to
Canada. After coming back, I paddled
with Kalihi Kai and then Lokahi. While
at Lokahi, we had a masters team
and did really well. After a bunch of
years there, I decided to come over to
Anuenue because I thought changing
into the other association would help
me enhance my paddling. I could
become a better paddler and learn a
few more things. OHCRA is top of the
line, and I could see how I would fit in.
For me I think sprints were really
good, but I got accustomed to doing
long distance. It gives you time to do a
lot of stuff, and you can make mistakes
and recover especially if you have a
smart steersman like Nappy. You can
try a lot of things on the way out but of
course as you get closer to home, you
have to be on your track already. You
have to know this is it; this is all you are
going to get. With Nappy in the back, it
kind of gives you more than six guys in
the canoe, more like seven or eight guys
because of all his knowledge. He’s only
one guy, so if we can’t put it together
then we’re not making use of him.
PP: When you think back on
races we’ve done, Any in
particular stand out
SR: I think the first race was really
scary and spooky. You look at the
water and its blue to purple and you
don’t really want to jump in but you
know you gotta jump in. But once
you’re in, everything is fine. I mean
you’re scared but your adrenaline is
going. You want to contribute so you
hustle to the boat, get in and start
paddling. And then to be able to place
is always good but I never think of
placing. I just think that first we have
to paddle and then see wherever you
end up, you end up. One year with
Nappy, I think we did a really, really
good time, we came first in our division
and something like 29th overall. I
thought that was a highlight.
PP: Were you on the crew
that took Blue’s ashes
(In the 1996 race, Anuenue
scattered some ashes
of legendary Surf Club
steersman Blue Makua at
his favorite 'opihi grounds'
off Portlock, where he
loved to steer his canoe
close to the rocks to take
advantage of the current
SR: Yeah, I was We paddled
along and guys were right next to us
taking pictures and stuff. We came up
by I think Hanauma Bay, one of the
holes, and Nappy’s over there throwing
the stuff out. It was like a cruise picking
up your buddy, you know, Ok who’s
getting in I thought that was pretty
neat. It was different. I mean, it’s not
about the race. It’s about doing this
special thing for this guy.
PP: Any particular Nappy
stories that come to mind
SR: There are tons of stories that
we have had as a group. One story,
I remember we were paddling from
Hawaii Kai to Ala Wai. We were
doing really good, maybe top four of
everybody with the other crews being
open. We were about off Black Point
when one of us said, “Hey Nappy ,the
iako’s coming off the ama.” It started
to bang the ama from the inside and
we’re still paddling. And then Nappy
said, “OK stop”. He jumps out and
said, “ Let’s go Sam.” I jump out, Rob
jumps out. Then what we did we found
this piece of rope from a bailer. Nappy
held it where he wanted it. I grabbed
it and squeezed it together and Robbie
held me. Nappy tightened it up. Now
everybody that we passed is passing
us. Nobody’s talking though, nobody’s
yelling, everybody gets in the boat, and
we just start paddling.
By the time we passed the Diamond
Head buoy and made the turn, we
were only chasing a few guys. And by
the time we got off Waikiki we were
just looking at chasing the leaders
down and that was it. It was really
neat that we caught up the way we
did. It was exciting.
PP: I remember there was
a time you were paddling
with Koa Kai.
SR: One year I went to Koa Kai.
First I was coaching the master men
on our off days while I was still here.
So they asked me to come over, and I
came over just to work with them. That
was the year that the States were on
Maui and finished in the dark. Get off
the plane meet some guys, OK sure,
get in, let’s go, get down there, turn
around, raced and worried we were
going to miss the plane, caught a ride
get on the plane and come home.
Probably couldn’t do that now!
PP: How many years were
you away in Canada . Did
you ever paddle
SR: No. It was for twelve years. I
lived a couple of years in Vancouver,
but I didn’t have those kind of friends.
I did some martial arts and helped this
guy teach. Then we moved inland to
Kelowna, B.C.. It’s a fruit valley with
this long lake that runs 80 miles south
toward the US border. I was going to
learn white water but I never did. Did
a lot of lifting, body building, coaching
some mixed volleyball, and kids’ football
up to teens. I started working for Human
Resources there counselling kids–behavioral
and emotionally disturbed kids the
school counselors couldn’t handle. My
hair was down to wherever, my beard
was huge – do you want me to shave
No, no, you can come in your underwear,
you’ll be fine. I did other things–a
company that fixed Motor Homes and
also worked up in the bush, falling trees
and stuff like that. That was an experience.
The job was very dangerous.
Also I started working with this guy
who had some land up in Alberta. We
would drill dynamite holes in the rock
up in the mountains to make roadways.
After that, I got a job as what they call
a swamper for Crown Zellerbach, and I
would go with a D9 driver in wintertime
and fall trees that were leaning on to
the proposed driveway. Things I did up
there were crazy!
PP: How did it happen that
you left here in the first
place
SR: I wanted to go somewhere else
and try something different. Born and
raised out in Kuliouou. Kaimuki HS
and then UH for a little bit. Played one
year for them–Honolulu stadium that
was good, so fun. Hank Vasconcellos
was the coach.
PP. When did the Santa
Claus gigs start
SR: After I got home, I did a
shoot for a postcard with Warren
Bolster the surf photographer who
I knew from surfing. Then someone
needed a Santa for Hilo Hattie. This
girl Cynthia Derosier called me up. I
thought she was joking. We did all
kinds of shoots all over the place,
riding my board with the bag on top.
Also I did a calendar for a shop and
that one that ended up on the cover
of the December issue of Outrigger’s
magazine. That was good; it’s fun to
do. Now people just ask me, and I just
do it for nothing. Also China, Japan.
They just come and shoot. I’m more
popular in Japan than here! All these
guys come back and tell me about it.
ANA, All Nippon Airways –my son
and I were surfing in a 3-4 page cover
article. What was good, it was for a
whole month. This guy showed it to
me. I couldn’t believe it. I was at the
airport real quick.!
PP: Did your son paddle
SR: My son paddled at Lokahi. He
was a stroker, and they did well. My
daughter also paddled, and they took
everything that year. Good crew. Good
girls. Whenever my daughter wanted to
go on one of our trips like when we’d
go to the outer islands, I’d say, “Yeah
you can come but you have to paddle!”
even if she didn’t train. So she would
just get in the double hull or whatever I
would tell her and she would go.
PP: How did the surfing job
start
SR: That just came about from
being on the beach. I was actually
there for the kids for exercise and
one thing led to another. One of my
friends had a stand so that’s how it got
started. Gets me in the water and gets
me to meet a lot of neat people from A
to Z. That’s the best part. I spend about
a day and a half working when its
paddling season.
PP: We talk a lot about
possible improvements for
the Moloka’i race. This
coming year it looks like
we’ll have a 60s division
for us prime time guys.
Photo by Warren Bolster
Other changes you would
like to see
SR: A couple of things. I remember
one year there were a lot of tents
down at Hale O Lono and people
got together and shared food and
told stories. Maybe on Friday night
we could have something there like
that. Another thing would be to have
canoes color coded for each division
so you could tell your competition a
little easier. Also I think it would be
kind of neat to have a roster that had
photos of each club entering the race.
They would send in the photos and the
names in advance and put it together
in a magazine. By having the 60s, it
might get more master people out to
race and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Maybe even have 65s because they
are a lot of paddlers worldwide that
would still want to come and race.
PP: Other thoughts
SR: As far as keeping the older
paddlers involved, at Hamilton in
Australia, we introduced the idea of
having a 55s, and two years later they
went for it. In Rarotonga, we asked
about having an older master crew,
and they added a 50s race. Down
there in the Cook Islands, one of the
reasons we go is to show the older
guys that they still could paddle and
help build their club by participating.
The knowledge these older men have
could be passed down to the next
generation of paddlers from their
respective clubs. Canoe paddling is
really like having an extended family.
It’s tough to compete against the
younger crews, but that is what drives
a lot of us. We chuckle when we have
a chance to beat the young bucks!!
Photo & story by Peter Caldwell
42 June ‘09, Pacific Paddler pacificpaddler.com June ‘09 43