covering hawai'i's state team sport since 1996 - Pacific Paddler

Covering Hawai‘i’s State Team Sport since 1996 

F R E E i n H awa i i 

F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 

PRSRT. STD. U.S. 

POSTAGE PAID 

Honolulu, Hi 

Permit No. 583

A l o h a 

Contents 

I'd like to thank 

the race organizers 

and escort boat 

drivers for helping 

me to get the 

pictures I captured 

of paddlers 

throughout Hawaii. 

It was a lot of 

fun to be able to 

witness these races, first hand. After the 

races were over, it was enjoyable swapping 

stories with paddlers from the Big 

Island of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui or here 

on Oahu. It was a reminder to me of 

what the sport means to many; A way to 

reconnect with other paddlers, 

race on the open ocean, and 

stay healthy. Thanks for 

your hospitality. 

Wild finish, Maui page 20 

Wild course, Cook Islands page 38 

Wild time, Rio Va'a page 34 

Hawaii Island Hoe Wa`a 6 

Kauai Hoe Va'a 12 

Maui Canoe & Kayak Club 16 

Kanaka Ikaika 24 

Santa Cruz Wavechaser 28 

Dragon Boats to Outriggers 30 

Outrigger in Brazil 32 

RIO VA’A 34 

Vaka Eiva '07 37 

Blizzard specials 41 

Standup paddling 41 

Tui Tonga 42 

Aloha Laurie Claytor Denton 44 

no'ono'o 46 

staff 

publisher: 

Ropati Hebenstreit 

writers: Randy Botti, Lily 

Matsubara, Paulo Cordeiro, 

Nicolas Bourlon, Eva Allsworth 

Nepia-Clamp, Brad Gillespie, 

Randall Barna, Kafoa Hala Latu, 

Ken Denton 

Photos by: 

Harvie Allison, Corlyce M. 

Olivieri, Dominique Berthon, 

Kadu Freitas, Fabia Schnoor 

and Ropati 

Proof reader: 

Amy Hebenstreit 

Address: 

PO Box 300345, 

Ka‘a‘awa, HI 96730 

PHONE: (808) 351-2398 

EMAIL: info@pacificpaddler.com 

www. pacificpaddler.com 

A subscription to Pacific Paddler 

is only $12 for a year or $18 for two 

Send a check to: Pacific Paddler 

PO box 300345, Ka'a'awa, HI 96730 

or go to pacificpaddler.com for subscription options 

February 2008 Vol 12 #6 

On the cover 

'Got fish' During his race, 

Mark McDonald took time 

out to reel in the big one 

that didn't get away - Kauai, 

photo by Ropati 

Our mission is to 

bring the excitement of 

outrigger paddling to a 

larger audience. We feel 

that Pacific Paddler’s hui 

of supporters, contributors, 

subscribers and advertisers is 

helping the sport grow, not 

only here in Hawaii, but 

around the world. Thanks for 

your contribution to the sport. 

©2008 Pacific Paddler is published six 

times a year. No reproduction without permission. 

No responsibility is assumed by publisher 

as to the contents’ accuracy or completeness.

Ready, set … 

Hilo, Hawaii, Jan. 5 

It's time to open your eyes. Time to line up with fellow paddlers and see where you fit in the 

pack. Time to gauge if your training program is working for you or if you have to come up with a 

new plan. We covered four islands for this issue to see what paddlers were up to. On each occasion 

it was less about the win and more about being out on the ocean, getting together and hanging out 

with a group of people who share the same passion for paddling, 'ono' local grinds, and for those 

who stopped counting calories and concluded their training was on track, a time to 'pa'ina' (party). 

Poipu, Kauai, Jan. 6 

Kihei, Maui, Jan. 12 

Kailua, Oahu, Jan. 13 

February ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com

Hawaii Island Hoe Wa`a 

As we start a new year of 

outrigger canoe paddling, Hawaii 

Island Paddlesports Association 

is celebrating 2008 as its 10th 

anniversary season. A big Mahalo 

Nui Loa to the volunteers that have 

brought H.I.P.A. through it's first 

decade; the dedicated people 

who have served on the board of 

directors (all of you), the people 

February ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com 

who have supported Jane Bockus in 

race registration and timing, the sponsors 

(Steinlager, Starbucks, Patagonia, 

Hammer Gel, Pepsi, et al), the escort 

boat drivers, the safety jetski operators, 

the State of Hawaii DLNR (Mahalo 

Sally), the American Canoe Association, 

the devoted people who have grown 

the youth programs to an epic level 

(Margie, Gerard, Cheryl, Delbert, 

Lyle and more), to all of the over 500 

members we've had in the past ten 

years and finally to my wife Ann, who 

has not only tolerated my involvement, 

but has joined in. To that end, H.I.P.A. 

was very proud to be the sole recipient 

of a national award from the American 

Canoe Association. In November 2007 

H.I.P.A. was awarded the national 

“Stroke of Excellence” award for 

2007 for “Superior Performance and 

Program Development”. This is a direct 

result of the hard work of the volunteers 

mentioned above. Oh, BTW, lest we get 

cocky about 10 years, the fist race of the 

2008 season was the 22nd annual Stan 

Cann Classic, we've got a ways to go. 

Each season the H.I.P.A. board of 

directors has sought ways to improve 

the paddlers' experience, this year the 

quantum leap was “on-line registration”. 

Over 100 members took advantage of a 

new on-line registration system created 

through the hard work of paddler Bud 

Carlson of Kilauea Webworks. Paddlers 

were able to go to www.hawaiipad- 

dling.com prior to the first race, fill out all of the 

registration information the association needs as 

well as pay their season dues. This allowed for 

shorter lines and quicker race registration at the 

first races of the year, which in-turn allowed the 

races to actually “start on time”. Additionally, with 

support from Patagonia, paddlers who registered 

on-line prior to the season received a special 10th 

Anniversary capilene paddling shirt. 

The first two races of the year look like a 2007 

hana hou, with Nick and Cherisse Agorastos 

picking up where they left off last year and taking 

the top spots on the long course – stay tuned. 

As we drive to races on Saturday mornings, 

it is very cool to see the trailers of OC-6 canoes 

going in the opposite direction for High School 

Regattas. The next generation of paddlers are 

getting a good head start. In early season results, 

Konawaena High School looks like the school to 

beat. It sure would have been cool to have had 

outrigger canoe paddling in high school back in 

the day (at Kalani High). 

As always, when on Hawaii Island, listen for 

Outrigger Canoe Paddling reports on the radio 

on KWXX-FM -101.5 Kona and 94.7 Hilo. Go 

outside, enjoy paradise, and I'll see you on the 

water. 

Randy Botti 

www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, February ‘08

Hawaii 

HIPA 

February ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com 

"It's the wake-up call race for everybody… 

so now people are thinking about changing their 

training program — maybe paddle more, drink less," 

Stan Cann joked. Stan has been running the Annual 

Stan Cann Classic race in Hilo for 21 years. Since it 

began, he has seen the paddling scene change from all 

surf skis to the first OC1, owned by George Leslie who 

did the Pohoiki Challenge, to today where there was 

only one surf ski amongst over 100 outriggers — and 

two stand-up paddlers. 

"It started with a bunch of guys who decided to get 

together to race. Then after that race, we would decide 

where to race next," said Stan. "Then we joined Kanaka 

Ikaika who helped us form our own association, HIPA." 

(Hawaii Island Paddlesports Association) 

Stan and his wife had been preparing for this race 

for nearly a month, when they put a pig in the imu to 

make Kalua Pig. The food was appreciated, and the 

paddlers hung out for door prizes and awards. 

www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, February ‘08

Hawaii 

10 February ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com

Kauai Hoe Va'a 

The short course started at Kukuiula Harbor, the long at 

Po'ipu (above) and both ended up at Port Allen. 

First overall, John Hoogsteden, 1:12:20 

Kauai Hoe Wa'a held the first race of 

their season on the west side of the island. The 

raging seas and wind gusts of 25 mph the day 

before vanished on race day. The ocean was flat, 

and some speculated the race organizers held off 

starting it until a wisp of wind could be felt. As far 

as the novice paddlers were concerned, it was a 

pleasant introductory race to get their feet wet. For 

the seasoned paddler expecting perfect surfing 

conditions, it was a wake up call. 

"Today was a good day to find your benchmark," 

said race organizer Butch Keahiolalo. "See 

where you are. The guys who weren't doing any 

flat water training — eye opener!" 

"This year we are going to try to run our 

champs on the North Shore. We are going to start 

at Anahola, go around the Kilauea Lighthouse 

and finish at Hanalei Bay. It's only 18 miles but it 

will be a 'slug-fest'". This year he said they have 

a great team of board members helping to run the 

races and it looks like Bud Light will be on board 

again to provide after race beverages. The Island 

Championships are scheduled for April 13th and 

the Kaua’i World Challenge May 8-11. 


Kauai 

'the eye opener', 

Kauai style 

Mark McDonald with the 

catch of the day. He still 

managed to take third in 

his division. 

14 February ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, February ‘08 15

Maui 

Maui Canoe & 

Kayak Club 

The first race on Maui in '08 was 

held on the south shore off of Kihei, the 

Sarento's Season Opener. The weather 

was perfect, the ocean glassy. The 

course was flat, a calm before the storm, 

which was the shore break that paddlers 

had to negotiate after they crossed the 

finish line. In the mix of paddlers racing 

there were 22 in the stand-up division. 

Mark Raaphorst, of Sandwich Island 

Composites, finished the five mile course 

on his stand-up in 58:53, just 17 minutes 

behind first overall on a Huki surfski, 

Felipe Gomes, 41:42. Mael Carey was 

first in an outrigger, which happened 

to be a rudderless Tahitian style canoe, 

in 44:07. The race sponsor, Aaron 

Placourakis, finished 17th overall and 

first in his division. "It's a nice way to 

break the ice and get paddlers together," 

he said. After the race the awards 

and party were held at his restaurant 

Sarento's overlooking the finish line on 

the beach at Kihei. 

"There were 120 paddlers today and 

the numbers are expected to grow as the 

rough water races get underway," said 

acting president Rob Philips. 


Maui 


Maui 

www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, February ‘08 21

'the eye opener', Maui style 

22 February ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com 

"I think we should thank our lucky stars", 

said Aaron Placourakis, president and CEO 

of Sarento's on the Beach and four other 

restaurants. "Sometimes we forget who 

we are and get wrapped up in our jobs, 

and sometimes we forget how lucky we 

are to live here and be able to participate 

with brothers and sisters in an event and 

type of sport that people did hundreds of 

years ago." Above, Aaron with his son 

Manoli thank the paddlers for coming out 

to race and to enjoy the live music and 

'ono grinds'.

Oahu 'the 

eye opener' 

The first race of the Kanaka 

Ikaika Racing Association was 

held January 13th in Kailua Bay, 

Hawaii. One hundred-fourteen 

paddlers challenged by 25 mph 

head winds completed a triangle 

in the bay. The short course battled 

a strong wind on their ama as they 

headed toward Kaneohe Marine 

Base. They returned along the 

beach to the finish. The long course 

included a leg out and around 'Bird' and returned to the 

beach via Flat Island. Here, most took advantage of a wind 

swell surf break next to Flat Island and wind on their backs, 

all the way to the finish. After the canoes were cleaned and 

put away awards and door prizes were given out by Jim 

Foti along with tender chicken, curry, rice and salad. For the 

days results, their schedule and contact information, go to 

their web site www.kanakaikaika.com. 


Oahu 

…catching a break off of Flat Island 


Santa Cruz Wavechaser 

photos by Corlyce M. Olivieri 

Go to www.wavechaser.com for more on this event 


From Dragon Boats to Outriggers 

By Lily Matsubara 

Anuenue’s Novice B Mixed crew with Lily 

stroking the MacFarlane race 

Think of paddling and it 

would be an outrigger canoe for 

most of you. For me, it meant something 

different. Born and raised in 

Singapore, I had never heard of an 

outrigger canoe until I came to Hawaii. 

The only type of paddling we had 

was dragon-boating which I picked 

up in high school. So when I learned 

of paddling clubs and paddling races 

here in Hawaii, I knew that I wanted 

to paddle again. The outrigger canoe 

doesn’t come close to looking like a 

dragon boat but I figured that it was 

worth a try, and thus began my first 

paddling season - Hawaiian style. 

My first day out paddling, I came 

home feeling sore in the muscles I had 

not used in the longest time. It had 

been 20 years since I last dragon 

boated but despite the years, the 

soreness in the muscles felt so very 

familiar - it was like welcoming an old 

friend back into my life again. As I 

hobbled around with my sore muscles, 

it dawned on me that paddling an 

outrigger canoe basically uses the 

same muscles as dragon boating. 

“OK,” I thought. “Maybe my years of 

dragon boating will help me learn this 

new style of paddling.” I was right and 

I was also wrong. 

I didn’t have to worry much about 

sore muscles after my first two paddling 

practices. It was as though my body 

recognized those muscles to be used 

and immediately adjusted to their 

needs. But there were certainly other 

things I had to worry about. One was 

the changes from one side to the other 

when paddling. In dragon boating, 

you don’t change sides. You are either 

a right paddler or a left paddler. I was 

a left paddler and naturally, my strokes 

were more developed on my left. As I 

paddled the outrigger canoe, I had to 

learn how to even out the strokes on 

my right side to match my left side. This 

was in addition to figuring out how to 

perform the changes as smoothly as 

possible without hitting the person in 

front or the sides of the canoe! I had 

much to learn and this was only the 

beginning. 

Just when I thought all I needed 

to do was to work on my changes, I 

had a practice session where all of 

us rotated our seats in the canoe after 

every few minutes of paddling. Until 

then, I had only paddled in five. When 

it was my turn to be in two, I was overwhelmed. 

Now I had to work on my 

changes, count the strokes, make the 

call and follow number one who was 

paddling on the opposite side – and, 

watch the ama. In dragon boating, 

you just followed the rhythm of the 

person in front of you who paddled 

on the same side – no need to count 

the strokes, to make a call or make a 

change. The drummer on the dragon 

boat sets the pace and you just go with 

it. Dragon boating was starting to look 

a whole lot simpler to me. 

When I moved up to one, there 

was more waiting. My recovery in my 

stroke was faster than what it should 

be to enable the boat to glide. Glide 

It was another awakening to learn that 

the outrigger canoe glides. The dragon 

boat doesn’t glide - it is not made to 

glide. Therefore in dragon boating, 

you want the recovery in the stroke to 

be just as fast as your pulling stroke so 

that the boat doesn’t lose the forward 

momentum that each stroke brings. 

But in an outrigger canoe, you want 

the boat to glide. This means giving 

the boat the time to glide during the 

recovery phase, hence not rushing the 

recovery in the stroke. The sleekness 

of the outrigger canoe began to make 

sense to me. 

By this time, the practice sessions 

had moved from long distance out in 

open water to sprints in the Ala Wai. 

Being in the Novice B crew, we didn’t 

have to worry about performing turns 

– or so I thought. On one practice 

session, I sat in two with an experienced 

paddler in one. We were going 

to do turns and I had no idea what 

to do. As we came close to the buoy, 

number one had to cue me when to 

call the changes. I did as I was cued 

but had no idea what I was doing. 

I was lost. In dragon boating, the 

steersman did all the steering and the 

paddlers simply paddled. I had an 

endless stream of questions for my 

paddle mates by the time that practice 

session ended. 

One month into my paddling 

season, the regatta season began. I 

was excited, intrigued and nervous at 

the same time for my first race. Excited 

because it would be my first race 

after all those years of not racing, let 

alone paddling. I was also intrigued 

to hear that there were 39 categories 

in the race. In the dragon boat races 

that I participated in Singapore, there 

were only a handful of categories 

– Open Category (Men, Women, Mix), 

Corporate (Men, Women, Mix) and 

Under-18 boys (there was no category 

for Under-18 girls because of the small 

number of Under-18 girls participating 

in the sport at that time) – and each 

category would race a distance of 500 

meters (0.31 mile). (This was 20 years 

ago. The current dragon boat races in 

Singapore have more categories but it 

is still a lot smaller than 39 categories.) 

Most of all though, I was nervous. I 

couldn’t quite picture what the race 

would be like – especially the start. In 

dragon boating, the officials used the 

bullhorn to let the boats know to “Get 

ready” and then it was the starter’s gun 

to signal the “Go”. So when I asked 

my paddle mates what the starting was 

like, I had a difficult time imagining the 

flags going “yellow, yellow, yellow, 

red, green”. I was used to “hearing” 

the start and not “looking” at the start, 

and because I was sitting in one, I was 

a little worried. 

With this mix of excitement and 

nervousness, the first race day arrived. 

What a relief it was when I learned 

that there would be boat holders and 

the boat holder would watch the flags 

and yell us the “Go!” - it was one less 

thing for me to worry about. With my 

adrenalin running at the start line, I 

hit the water with the “Go!” and went 

all the way to the finish – that was my 

mistake. My dragon boating instinct 

had kicked in when I hit the water. I did 

not stretch out my strokes after the first 

two changes to allow the boat to glide 

but instead, I upped my pace. My pull 

and my recovery were way too fast, 

especially for the guys in my crew. We 

did not get the speed we could have 

gotten if I had stretched out my strokes, 

and we were completely spent by the 

time we crossed the finish line. I had a 

lot to work on before the next race. 

With another week’s practice 

behind me, I looked forward to the 

second race at Kailua. The water was 

choppy and the waves were of decent 

size in Kailua that day. This time, I 

reined in my pace and remembered 

to stretch my strokes. What I didn’t 

foresee were the waves hitting the 

ama. A little more than halfway into 

the quarter mile, a wave hit our ama 

and we hulied. Needless to say, the 

Novice B crew had never experienced 

a huli before nor performed a huli drill. 

I saw the nose of the boat tilting to 

one side in slow motion and before I 

realized, we were in the water. With 

everyone safe, my concern was no 

longer about the race but on how to get 

the boat up. None of us knew what to 

do. We needn’t have worried though 

because in no time, the experienced 

paddlers from our club were diving into 

the water from the official’s boat with 

buckets in hand to help us out of our 

predicament. It was, in the words of a 

paddle mate, our “baptism by water”. 

And so, as the regatta season 

comes to a close, I look back to the 

last two months with fondness. There 

is so much to learn and not enough 

hours to practice, or so it seems. Yes, 

dragon boating and outrigger paddling 

are quite different indeed. Over and 

beyond the difference in how the 

dragon boat is built and the type of 

paddle used (as a paddle mate has 

said so very succinctly, paddling the 

dragon boat is like paddling with a 

2X4 board), I have found that paddling 

the outrigger canoe demands a solid 

understanding of the ocean and the 

skillful execution of the paddling techniques 

that go with it. 

Despite these differences, there 

is one thing that remains the same 

for me. It is the exhilarating joy and 

immense peace I get from being out in 

the water - everything else falls a far 

second. With my first regatta season 

just about behind me, I look forward 

to the distance season to begin. And I 

smile to think of what new experiences 

await me. 

Lily was born and raised in 

Singapore. She is currently working 

on a Master’s degree in Early 

Child Education at the University 

of Hawaii. Her crew was the first 

OHCRA alternate in the Novice 

B Mixed division for the State 

Championships this year. 


Outrigger in Brazil 

Outrigger Canoe paddling 

has grow considerably in 

Brazil in recent years. Approximately 

400 paddlers are in 14 clubs and 

compete in more than 10 competitions 

annually. 

The 2007 Brazilian Outrigger 

Canoe Championship broke all records 

of participation. The strategy to make 

canoes available for all teams and 

lower the entrance fee drew larger 

numbers of teams, and brought competition 

to new depths. 

An example of this was the significant 

number of athletes this year in the 

traditional Cabo Frio Race, hosted by 

Rio de Janeiro State every July. There 

were 37 crews divided into divisions: 

Male (12), Female (11), Novices (10) 

and Master 35+ (4). 

It was perfect conditions, the ocean 

was blue with a beautiful sunny day, 

which made the 21km race one of the 

most exciting of the season. 

The 75km race around Santo 

Amaro’s Island was the most complex 

competition logistically, involving 

teams with nine paddlers and escort 

boats. It was a fantastic race along 

the São Paulo State coast. The course 

included various ocean conditions, 

from the challenging open sea with 

rough water, to flat water in mangrove 

channels. The landscape of the slopes 

covered by the green nature of the 

Atlantic forest was the backdrop for an 

intense battle between the teams. 

The Brazilian’s paddlers' technique 

has improved over the last few years. 

A large number of paddlers have gone 

to Hawaii and Tahiti to race, absorbing 

knowledge and returning with solutions 

that have helped the Brazilian 

teams get better. There has been a 

significant development in steering 

skills and training has intensified which 

has pushed up the level of competition. 

New crews are emerging with training 

programs and knowledgeable coaches. 

In '08, many Brazilian paddlers will 

participate again in various international 

races, especially in Hawaii, 

resulting in more growth to Brazilian 

Outrigger. 

We invite everyone to come and 

have fun with us. 

Mahalo, Paulo Cordeiro 

paulo.cordeiro@ornis.com.br 


RIO VA’A 

Paddlers from Tahiti, Rapa 

Nui, Hawaii, Italy, Argentina, 

Australia and Brazil bring 

Polynesian Mana to Rio de 

Janeiro. 

Rio Va'a 2007, the South American 

venue of the world va’a circuit was 

held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the 6th 

straight year last December. 

Rio Va’a is organized since 2002 

by Rio Va'a Club with support from the 

City of Rio de Janeiro, the Rio de Janeiro 

Yacht Club and the International Va’a 

Federation. 

With the presence of crews and 

paddlers from Tahiti (a 35 strong delegation), 

Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Hawaii, 

Italy, Argentina, Australia and Brazil, 

and with 25 V6 crews and close to 180 

competitors in the V1 and V6 events, Rio 

Va’a 2007 was the largest ever. 

The blessing ceremony, with a prayer 

in Tahitian, had a special signification 

for organizer Nicolas Bourlon. “For me, 

Rio Va'a 2007 closed up a year marked 

by the passing away of my mother in 

August. It was thanks to her that I had 

a chance to paddle again in Hawaii in 

2001 (20 years after my initiation with 

the Kawaihae Canoe Club at the time my 

family lived on the Big Island). She also 

was strong supporter for the Canoa Rio 

kids paddling project and as a tribute, the 

canoe called “ia orana” (hello in tahitian) 

was re-blessed as "ia orana Claude" and 

donated to the Canoa Rio social project.” 

V6 Women and Novices – 19 km 

race along Copacabana and Ipanema 

beaches – On Saturday, women and 

photos by: Dominique berthon (air & beach), 

Kadu Freitas (sea & awards), Fabia Schnoor (Rapa Nui show) 

novices raced at the same time on 

the 19 km V6 course, from Praia 

Vermelha Beach to Ipanema Beach 

passing by the Copacabana shoreline 

and back. 

The vahines from Tahiti’s Te Ta'i 

U'o Va'a Club confirmed favoritism 

taking the gold and setting a new 

course record of 1:40:18 in front 

of runners-up Praia Vermelha Va’a 

Club (1:41:18) and Rio Va’a Hine 

(1:42:13). 

The mixed crew formed by Rio 

Va’a paddlers and Emily Cottrin and 

Mary Pixler from Kauai (Niumalu and 

Pu’uwai Canoe Clubs) won the Mixed 

category in 1:52:26. 

A combination of paddlers from 

São Paulo won the novice V6 race 

in 1:27:39, with Niterói-Carioca 

Va’a (1:29:30) and Rio Va’a Tane 

(1:32:26) taking silver and bronze 

respectively. 

Men’s V1 races at Praia Vermelha 

– Rio Va’a returned to its traditional 

2000 m V1 race with a format 

change: a quadrangular course 

enabled the public to see race action 

during the whole course and made the 

event even more competitive. 

Paddlers from Tahiti, Rapa Nui 

(Easter Island), Hawaii, Italy and Brazil 

raced in the Open, Master and Senior 

Masters divisions. Sebastian Cuattrin, 

of Santos (State of São Paulo Brazil), 

2006 South American V1 10 km champion 

won the Open event in a field of 

21 paddlers, with a time of 8:56:36 

setting a new Rio Va’a record. Felipe 

Newman also from Santos (8:59:00) 

and Christian Borgo from the Cabo 

Frio, Rio de Janeiro (9:09:50) finished 

2nd and 3rd in a highly disputed final 

counted with the 7 best paddlers from 

by Nicolas Bourlon 

the eliminatory heats. Hugo Tuki from 

Rapa Nui (9:18:80) and Cadu Zeidan 

from Santos (9:30:18) took 4th and 5th 

places. 

The Master V1 race was won by 

2006 South American V1 500 m 

champion Celso Filetti from Santos 

in 9:18:72, with Bill Barf from Tahiti 

taking second place (9:42:93), 

Alexandre Levorin from Santos 3rd 

(9:57:13). Jack Dyson from Hawaiian 

Canoe Club took the Senior Master 

event confirming his Master’s V1 medal 

in Rio Va’a 2003 - the first one-person 

canoe race held in South America. 

Women’s V1 races – Tahitian 

Miriama Auraa won the event in 

11:59:80 with a comfortable lead 

ahead of Sylvia Guimarães from São 

Paulo (12:35:10) and Sara dos Santos 

from Bertioga (12:56:01). Sara also 

won the Women Masters gold medal. 

Illustrious visitors stole the attention 

of competitors during the women and 

novice race with dolphins and a whale 

showing up close to Arpoador point, 

between Copacabana and Ipanema. 

Junior V6 and V2 kids races – 

Besides the promotion of the sport, Rio 

Va'a Club intents to make of the sport 

a form of social inclusion. Canoa Rio 

project was started in 2004 in a partnership 

with the City of Rio de Janeiro 

and has been supported by individual 

equipment donations by special friends 

like Alma Santoso from Washington 

D.C. 

Seventeen students aged 13 to 17 

from 7th and 8th grade of the Minas 

Gerais Municipal (public) School participated 

actively in the event, competing 

and receiving the visiting teams. They 

trained since May and showed what 

they had learned in a 2 km dispute 

between teams Paradiso and Iorana 

Claude which was won by Paradiso, 

crossing the finish line with a 3 second 

lead. 


Thomas Bourlon (9) and Léon 

Bourlon (7) teamed up for the kids V2 

race. They had raced for the first time 

in 2004 in the kids event that couldn’t 

take place in 2005 and 2006 

because of rough sea conditions. 

Men’s V6 race – Rio Va’a 2007 

men’s race was awaited as the most 

competitive ever with the best teams 

from Brazil including Tribo Q Pira 

from Santos, winner of the 2007 

Pan-American games demonstration 

event, 2006 South American champion 

winner Rio Va’a Club, Argentina 

(Rio Va’a 2005 winner and Rio Va’a 

2005 runner-up) and a selection of 

the best paddlers from Rapa Nui 

participating in Rio Va’a for the first 

time. 

The V6 race started with Rapa 

Nui leading with captain Jovino Tuki 

calling the “tare” (huts), followed 

by Tribo Q Pira (steersman Felipe 

Neuman) and Rio Va’a Club 

(Nicolas Bourlon steering). By mid- 

Copacabana Beach Tribo Q Pira was 

leading and Rapa Nui second. 

Team Manu O Ke Kai – Argentina 

(steered by Mariano Larghi) and 

Brucutus from Bertioga (steered by 

Everdan Riesco) who got tangled 

up at the start also caught up with 

the leading canoes in the middle of 

Copacabana, taking the 3rd and 4th 

positions. 

With the first two positions firmly 

settled, the attentions focused on the 

fight for 3rd place. Rio Va’a Club 

managed a nice passing of Bertioga 

at Sugar Loaf point. 

Final times were impressive, 

with first and second place crews 

improving the race record of 2:14:16 

held since 2004 by Ruahatu Va’a 

(Toulon, France). New Rio Va’a 

record holder Poseidon / Tribo Q 

Pira 98 FM from Santos (Brazil) made 

the course in 2:11:24 followed by 

Rapa Nui in 2:13:00, Team Manu O 

Ke Kai from Buenos Aires, Argentina 

in 2:16:18, Rio Va’a Tane / ICRJ in 

2:16:48 and Brucutus Cavalera from 

Bertioga (Brazil) in 2:17:29. 

Sebastian Cuattrin, Rio 2007 

Pan-America Games K4 kayak gold 

medalist, confirmed his favoritism 

winning the V1 Open race and the 

V6 race with Tribo Q Pira. "It was an 

excellent year, with the gold in the 

Pan Am games and now these two 

victories in Rio Va'a which is an event 

that I enjoy a lot," said Sebastian. 

Praia Vermelha Va’a Clube Master 

won the V6 Master category. Rio Va’a 

Tane Masters took second and Danilo 

Araldo’s IVF Itália – Kauna Team 

– WAS the third place. 

Te Ta’i U’o Va’a from Tahiti won 

the V6 Senior Master and Pittwater 

Outrigger Canoe Club from Sydney, 

Australia took silver. 

Jack Dyson brilliantly represented 

Hawaii and was the only paddler 

to race in all the events, taking 3rd 

place steering Rio Va’a Club novices, 

1st place in the V1 Senior Masters 

and stroking for the Rio Va’a Club V6 

open crew that took 4th place. 

Te Aito Rio Va’a 2007 awards 

were given this year to Marcelo 

Afonso, Ursula Brando and Leonardo 

Santi for their dedication with the 

Canoa Rio social project. 

Praia Vermelha Beach was the 

venue of the event and had two days 

of excellent public participation, with 

spectators fascinated by the magic 

of the canoes and the Polynesian 

culture that invaded Rio de Janeiro 

on a beautiful spring day. There were 

Polynesian dances and songs in front 

of Sugar Loaf by the Rapa Nui and 

Tahitian delegations. 

The traditional dances performed 

by the Rapa Nui Paddlers in traditional 

attire and songs and dances 

from Tahiti led by Te Ta'i U'o Va'a 

Club President Michel Lai at the 

awards ceremony were unforgettable 

gifts, making Praia Vermelha the 

scene of a unique Polynesian event 

that showed much of the Mana that is 

the essence of the sport of va’a. 

The presence of teams and 

paddlers from different cultures and 

origins show how much our sport has 

grown in Brazil since 2000 when 

Lanakila, South America’s first canoe, 

was blessed. 

Fierce competition on the water 

was followed by co-fraternization on 

the beach and at night. Paddlers from 

Rapa Nui, Tahiti, Brazil, Argentina, 

Australia and Italy got together in the 

streets of “Baixo Gavea” – a trendy 

night life spot - setting a new standard 

for Rio Va’a after race parties. 

The 2008 Brazilian calendar 

will be available on www.riovaa. 

com. Other events which are part 

of the Brazilian circuit include Volta 

da Ilha de Santo Amaro in March 

(Bertioga, Santos - State of São 

Paulo), Cabo Frio in July (State of Rio 

de Janeiro) and Wa’a Austral Sprints 

in November (Florianopolis, State of 

Santa Catatina). 

An international V1 event called 

Va’a Hoe Brazil will be held in Rio de 

Janeiro in June and registrations are 

open for Rio Va’a 2008 (December 6 

and 7th). 

We hope that 2008 will be a year 

of much growth of our sport in peace 

and harmony true to the spirit of 

ohana. Mahalo to all family members, 

organizers, volunteers, athletes & 

friends who made the 6th Rio Va’a a 

special event both on water and on 

land. 

- escort boats and security - Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club, helicopter courtesy of helisight 

Cook Islands tradition states that 

when an important occasion takes 

place the ‘Gods’ send their blessings 

with a shower of rain. The organizers of the 

4th Steinlager Vaka Eiva Canoe Festival in Rarotonga, 

capital of the Cook Islands, duly noted the ‘blessing’ on 

the first day of the event as being an auspicious start 

to what has become the largest annual sporting event 

in the Cook Islands. Misty clouds and a veil of rain 

covered the dramatic and majestic peaks of Rarotonga 

as Vaka Eiva 2007 was declared ‘open’ by Sports 

Minister the Honourable ‘Aunty’ Mau Munukoa. They 

didn’t however count on the ‘blessings’ continuing 

throughout most of the festival week! But neither wind 

nor rain failed to dampen the spirits and passion of 

the almost 600 paddlers and countless supporters who 

enjoyed a ’feast’ of paddling, cultural and social events 

held over a week from the 17th to 23rd Nov. '07. 

What started four years ago as a small homegrown 

festival with 200 paddlers taking part has now 

become a full-blown international event. Major sponsor 

Steinlager along with Pacific Forum Line, Pacific Resort, 

Trader Jacks and Toa Petroleum got behind the festival 

in a big way giving it the ‘fire-power’ that it needed 

to move up another level. Organizer of Steinlager 

Vaka Eiva, the Cook Islands Canoeing Association, 

was confident that although the numbers had increased 

significantly from previous festivals they would still run 

Vaka eIva '07 

Report by Eva Allsworth Nepia-Clamp 

Photos by Harvie Allison 

what event co-ordinator Victoria Dearlove 

stated was “already known as one of the 

most professionally run, well organised 

and fun-filled paddling events on the international 

paddling calendar." And so it 

was! 

In fact the event could have been 

filled twice over, however it was all about 

accommodating the number of paddlers 

with the number of canoes and support 

boats available. CICA commissioned 

local company Rarotonga Outrigger 

Canoes to build more canoes to handle 

the increase in numbers attending, and 

some of the New Zealand and Australian 


crews brought their own canoes across 

courtesy of Pacific Forum Line. 

Sixty teams competed this time 

round - open, masters and junior 

crews flew in from Tahiti, Hawaii, 

New Zealand and Australia to vie 

with the local teams for line honours in 

the OCI Ironman, V6 Ironman, Muri 

Beach Sprints, and the premier events 

– the Round Raro Relay Race Pacific 

Paddle (women) and Pacific Cup 

(men). Last year's winners of the two 

premier events - Team Goodyear Men 

and Waitakere Women - were back 

to defend their titles, however with the 

caliber of the field lifted from previous 

years it was promising to be a tough 

defense. 

The organizers were thrilled to have 

top crews Team Hawaii, Moloolooba 

from Australia and Goodyear from 

New Zealand, noting that attendance 

of such experienced paddlers not 

only added prestige and high-level 

competition to the event but also added 

immensely to the learning curve of the 

local paddlers. They had hoped to also 

host top Tahiti Team Shell Va’a however 

time ran out in negotiations – hopefully 

they will be a starter for next year. 

The festival began with the Blessing 

of the Canoes (Vaka) – Team Forbes 

from Oz with their brand new locally 

made vaka along with the two local 

clubs, Ngakau Toa and Te Tupu 

accepted the blessing on behalf of all 

paddlers. A representative from each 

of the three vaka was asked by the 

ta’unga (traditional priest) to cut the 

ties with the land and set the vakas’ 

spirit free to travel ‘Moana Nui a Kiva’ 

- the ocean. 

Then the races began. 

Day 1 and 2 were the OCI and V6 

Ironman races, the Masters covering 

a 12km course and the open division 

‘iron-ing ‘it over 18kms. 

Conditions were overcast and 

messy. Last years OC1 winners were 

local champions Serena Hunter and 

Reuben Dearlove. This year they 

both had to take a second place 

bow to NZ women's open champ 

Bernie Murch and top Hawaiian 

paddler Manny Kulukuluala who 

proved straight up that the festival 

had moved up a notch or two in 

levels of performance. It was heartening 

for the local champs to note 

that they weren’t too far behind the 

winners. Mikay Taha from Tahiti 

placed 3rd in the open women’s 

and Todd Cohen from Oz took out 

3rd place in the open men's. 

Day 2 dawned on the masters, 

mixed and open V6 teams 

contending with overcast, drizzly 

conditions and the ever present 

prevailing trades doing their best to 

spoil the party. The Aussies blitzed 

the masters women field taking out 

the top three places. Open women 

favorites NZ Waitakere were surprisingly 

pushed into a close second 

place by Ruahine Tahiti and top 

rated Xylo from Aussie took out 3rd 

spot. 

Drama, tension, and more drama 

described the last race of the day 

– the open men. Team Hawaii 

showed their class taking the lead 

from Mooloolaba early on and 

holding it to finish three minutes 

ahead of Mooloolaba. There was 

drama for 3rd between local crew 

Te Tupu Boiler Boys and Tahitian 

team Maupiti at the turn, resulting in 

Te Tupu flipping and Maupiti able to 

steam past. Maupiti earned a twominute 

penalty and still managed to 

retain 3rd placing. 

On day 3 the under-19 junior 

races were held for the first time 

with five girls teams and seven guys 

teams racing together in conditions 

that were just on the edge of doable. 

The juniors from New Zealand, 

Australia and the Cook Islands 

showed skill and depth of knowledge 

beyond their years. Local boys 

Ngakau Toa proved to be a classy 

act convincingly winning their race up 

against top visiting teams. Both races 

came down to a heart-stopping neckto-neck 

at the finish line. Amongst the 

girls Sunshine Coast managed to hold 

off local club Te Tupu by just three 

seconds. 

Later that day the Annual Trader 

Jacks Boiler Swim was held. 

Although supposedly a ‘fun’ swim 

with gold coin donations going 

to a local charity the competitive 

spirit kicked in! Some of the Aussie 

paddlers with surf lifesaving and 

swimming backgrounds turned up 

the heat and powered through the 

750metres to take out all top three 

places for both men and women. 

Wednesday was sprint day at 

Muri Beach. Although the races are 

taken seriously, sprint day its also a 

time for the paddlers to relax and 

kick back a bit, socialize, meet 

and mingle. Thirty-one races [rain 

what rain] were run in between the 

socializing and games with visiting 

teams taking out all top placings. 

The Muri Mingler after-party was 

a chance to loosen up a little before 

the main event. 

The last day of the festival 

was the big one crews had been 

warming up for all week, the Round 

Raro Relay race. Thirty-six adrenaline 

pumping k’s around Rarotonga 

in conditions that in past years had 


un the gamut of mirror surface hot 

and still to gnarly washing-machine 

churn and everything in between. 

This years conditions were the 

testiest of all with five-to-six meter 

swells and wind gusts to 25 knots. 

For the local crews having the benefit 

of familiarity with home conditions it 

was just another day on the water. 

However for a lot of the visitors it was 

new territory and most of them took 

to it like ducks to water. A number 

of them were beaming ear to ear 

and muttering how ‘back-home’ they 

wouldn’t be allowed near the water 

in these conditions! 

The safety officials did make one 

concession and reset the course to 

take the paddlers anti clock wise 

half way round the island then a 

turn around to head back to Avarua 

Harbour. The change in course took 

nothing away from the challenge of 

the race. 

The sea was a churning mass of 

canoes, safety and support boats 

as crews battled the conditions and 

each other. Crew change-overs were 

trying with support boat skippers 

having to use all the maneuvering 

skills they possessed for drop-offs and 

pick-ups. 

The women’s race was first up 

and last years winners, Waitakere 

Roc from NZ first off the mark with 

Tahitian team Ruahine and Xylo from 

Australia right behind. The Tahitians 

used their superior surf skills to run 

down the New Zealand team 30 

minutes into the race with Xylo also 

overtaking the NZ and pushing 

the Tahitians all the way round the 

course. Ruahine cruised through the 

heavy chop and flew over the bumps 

coming in 1st to win the Pacific 

Paddle five minutes ahead of Xylo 

with Waitakere placing 

3rd. 

The men's race 

followed with Team 

Hawaii racing out to front 

position with Tahitian team 

Maupiti and Mooloolaba 

from Australia in hot 

pursuit. The battle for 

the ‘Pacific Cup’ played 

out all the way round 

the demanding course 

with the Tahitians eventually 

tiring and Hawaii 

and Mooloolaba stroke 

for stroke leading at the turn. Team 

Hawaii was able to grab the inside 

and surf away to a gutsy lead chasing 

the ocean swells with Mooloolaba 

choosing to hug the reef. The last push 

to home was close but the Hawaiians 

had it. Mooloolaba came in three 

minutes later. With something to prove 

after the drama of the Ironman race, local 

champs the Boiler Boys battled it out with 

Goodyear and Maupiti for 3rd place – the 

local boys were the eventual winners of 

the race within a race. Last year's winners, 

Team Goodyear took fourth. 

A fantastic finale to a fantastic week. 

A visiting crew member was overheard 

talking to his buddies saying that after 

doing that last race in those conditions 

they’re “not scared of anything now!” 

The Steinlager Paddles-Up Official After 

Party at Trader Jacks Bar – the centre of 

the CI paddling universe – saw copious 

quantities of major sponsor Steinlager's 

product being deservedly sampled as 

races were re-run, re-done, re-won and 

then some! 

The Cook Islands Canoeing Association 

said they were “over the moon with 

the way the event turned out” and had 

received “only positive feedback from 

paddlers who loved every minute of it.” 

Major sponsor Steinlager has committed 

its support for the next festival and crews 

have already started registering for Vaka 

Eiva '08. 

The idea behind Steinlager Vaka 

Eiva was to raise the profile of canoeing 

in the Cook Islands and to assist Junior 

Development. Going by the '07 festival 

these worthy goals are certainly being 

achieved. The local junior crews gained 

invaluable experience up against top 

international competition and held their 

own. Vaka Eiva is now the largest annual 

sporting event in the Cook Islands and 

perhaps the dream of CICA for the sport to 

be recognised as the national sport of the 

Cook Islands is not too far off. 

The Cook Islands Canoeing Association 

would like to extend a huge ‘Meitaki 

Maata’ to the sponsors and all the 

amazing paddlers and supporters 

who took part in Vaka Eiva '07 and 

look forward to seeing you all back in 

November '08. 

Blizzard specials 

It's close to mid-January here in 

Upstate NY which for us is North and West of NY 

City by quite a ways -- about seven hours worth of 

driving! We're just under the middle of Lake Ontario, 

which is the final Great Lake before all that fresh water 

takes the St. Lawrence Seaway out to the Atlantic 

Ocean. 

P.P. asked me what I do this time of year I mean 

for the most part, it's cold and snowy. As a matter of 

fact, a few weeks back I got an email from Wendall 

at Tri paddle Maui wanting some of my 'blizzard 

specials'. He does that every year about the same 

time, and invariably, it coincides with something 

resembling a blizzard. Wendall loves to harass me, 

figuring that I mostly am out in the 5' high snow drifts 

shoveling snow! He's always curious about how wide 

my shovel is! Fortunately, this isn't my main job, except 

for rare periods. There are days (usually a few of them 

in a row) when I shovel snow three-to-four times a day 

- and this is on top of my worker/plow dude getting 

rid of most of the stuff in the driveway! Sometimes we 

go up on the roof and shovel portions of that off also 

-- like when it gets to around 2 feet deep. 

The past week has witnessed a very welcome 

warm period, when all but the highest piles of snow 

melted away, revealing an absolutely dormant 

Mother Earth -- which is pretty depressing. Navigable 

canoeing areas naturally become quite inviting -- even 

though they are freezing cold. My brother Marc and 

his dedicated entourage of flatwater canoeists canoe 

until everything is frozen. I don't. I'm a 'fair weather' 

paddler! 

Honestly, from the outside, the snow probably 

seems like a much bigger deal than it actually is. My 

own winter orientation switches from canoeing to 

wrestling. I have been a voluntary coach for a long 

time, and my two sons wrestle at Edinboro University, 

in Pa. It's a div. l school, and I do quite a bit of travelling 

(around the country ) watching them compete. 

That ends just about the time winter begins to go away 

and spring begins, along with more light, warmth, 

and lots of paddles to build! 

Yours in paddling, Brad Gillespie 

Below is Brad's daughter 

Andrea enjoying the snow 

Randall Barna and 

Ron Thompson 

paddle the VERY 

cold January 

waters of the 

Deschutes River, 

on the section that 

goes through the 

town of Bend, 

Oregon. Mt. 

Bachelor is on the 

left side of the 

photo. (BTW- Skiing and snowboarding is great!) 

Photo by Peter Miller 

Standup paddling 

— at 22 degrees! (freezing our toes off in Bend, OR) 

I knew it was really cold when I glanced down at my booties 

and saw the toes were ice crusted. Last Saturday my friend Eddy 

Miller and I had arranged to go for a paddle on the Deschutes. 

Ed is a mountain man who doesn't like modern conveniences 

and is known for winter adventures like rafting the Grand 

Canyon. He was introduced to SUP at Elk Lake by friend Win 

Francis in the warmth of last summer, so you think Ed would 

know better than to SUP all winter. Well, Ed was determined to 

go since he had paddled every day since he got his first SUP 

board from me last Tuesday and didn't want to spoil his record. 

We couldn't let the fact that it was only twenty-two degrees out 

influence us. I had to experience it and so did Win Francis. 

We started at Aspen Camp launch. This stretch of the river 

is completely wilderness and very beautiful. Also, Ed likes it 

because he lets his dogs run along shore. I wore a 5mm wetsuit, 

3mm booties and a XC ski hat and gloves. Ed had on paddle 

pants and jacket with long johns and rubber muck boots. Win 

was wearing ski clothes and wetsuit booties knowing that he'd 

freeze if he fell in. Come hell or high water, none of us were 

going to fall in. The water was mirror smooth and great for 

paddling. My hands and feet were cold at first but the hands 

warmed up with the exertion level. The toes kept getting colder 

and colder which finally prompted me to look down and notice 

the ice on the toes, in fact the whole deck of the board was 

building up ice. Where our feet were, the deck stayed warm 

enough not to ice-up, so we didn't move our feet or try anything 

fancy. We completed the whole paddle in about 50 minutes. 

Went downstream until the Big Eddy rapids were visible and 

then upstream to the rapids up there (I think Dillon Falls). 

The hardest part for me was getting the ice covered board 

on the roof of the car. It kept slipping off the roof racks with 

the slightest touch and fumbling with the rack straps with numb 

fingers made it almost comical. We didn't hang around to chat 

afterwards, it was almost dark and we all wanted to crank 

our car heaters and get home to warm showers. Eddy Miller 

doesn't use a computer so he won't see this, but he deserves 

our respect for being the most die-hard standup paddler. For 

me, I think I will keep it above 32 degrees at least! 

Randall Barna, standuppaddlebend.com 


Tui Tonga 

By Kafoa Hala Latu 

Youth at Honaunau, Kona 

Keoua’s Uncle Louis 

Kelekolio race was held at beautiful 

Honaunau Bay on January 12, '08. 

It brought many paddlers from around 

the island, especially the island’s youth. 

Tui Tonga’s Youth Program came out in 

force with kids ranging in age from 13- 

to-15. They paddled in both one and 

two-man canoes with their own 2 1/4 

mile course. Calm seas and sunny skies 

were perfect for them to show their stuff! 

The overall winner for the Junior 

course was 13-year old Nainoa Dano 

who came in with a time of 26:30. 

He was followed by Wranden Togia 

(27:16), Dan Gampon (29:19), and 

Kalama Freitas (31:14). The only 

OC2 on the course was a brother and 

sister team, Kayla and Kegan Delmar 

(31:05). Rebekah Mersbergh from 

Hui Palama won the 13-15 girls with 

a time of 37:16. The kids finished the 

course with many cheering parents, 

friends, and onlookers. 

Tui Tonga’s older youth participated 

in the six-mile short course. 

The OC2 team of Puni Freitas & 

Chandler Palakiko came first in their 

division and third over all with a 

time of 49:33. Chase Von Nordheim 

came in as the first Junior man on the 

course and 20th over all with a time 

of 54:42. It was a great day for Tui 

Tonga and no one was prouder than 

their head coach Lyle Palakiko. 

Currently, Tui Tonga’s Youth Program 

consists of 19 youth ranging in age 

from 10-to-16. The younger kids practice 

once a week while four of the older 

kids cross train and practice four times 

a week. The main focus of the program 

is to live healthy and be active. The 

program has donated canoes that the 

kids use during practice. Some of the 

kids have enjoyed themselves so much; 

parents are now purchasing canoes for 

them. A father who lives down south 

of the Island brings his two children to 

practice every weekend, despite the 

long commute. 

Tui Tonga’s dedicated coaches are 

Lyle Palakiko, Delbert Freitas, Parent/ 

Coach Tate Marks and Makua Lani 

High School Coach Masepa Tanoai. 

They want the kids to understand the 

importance of focus, self-motivation, 

self-improvement, and to use paddling 

as a tool to guide them toward future 

endeavors. Running, swimming, pushups, 

and sit-ups are also a part of the 

training program, which will improve 

their performance on the water. The 

main thing is to keep the kids positive, 

motivated, and happy doing the sport 

they love. 

The long-term goal for Tui Tonga's 

Youth Program is to learn and apply 

the tools top paddlers around the 

world are using for success. Tahiti is 

one example Coach Lyle gave. “If we 

learn from teams like Shell Va’a from 

Tahiti, we can bring our youth to new 

levels of health and fitness. They will 

learn about new training techniques, 

diet, and how to be successful both 

on and off the water. Tui Tonga has 

room to grow and evolve to something 

beneficial for our kids, and that’s what 

drives us to do what we do. The youth 

is the future and we need to support 

them and our program does just that.” 


Aloha e na kupuna a me ... 

Greetings to the elders, friends and 

family of Laurie Denton. Thank you for 

allowing me to speak at this celebration 

of life for Laurie. 

It is at these kinds of events that we often 

sing a familiar song, Hawaii Aloha. 

The first two lines are: 

E Hawaii e kuu one hanau e 

Kuu home kula iwi nei 

The translation of these words are: 

Hawaii the sands of my birth 

Hawaii the home of my bones 

As a kamaaina born in Wailuku, Maui 

these are the sands of Laurie’s birth 

and these waters will be the home of 

her bones. 

For those of us older ones, Laurie was a 

kamaaina born in a special time. If 

you look at our birth certificates they 

say Territory of Hawaii. Laurie was 

born before Hawaii became a state, 

during the territory years, and it was 

growing up in this era that made 

Hawaii special to us. 

As a kamaaina I remember feeling the 

energy of the ocean all night and 

standing on the shore early in the 

morning. There would be a group 

waiting for someone to turn on the 

light, break the water. These were 

watermen, men who surfed big 

waves, paddled channels, swam channels. 

They would wait for someone to 

lead the way, and break the water, 

and we could follow. 

I remember passing Laurie and Kennie 

along these waters, Nukumoi, 

Makahuena, Keoneloa, Mahaulepu, 

I would be going up and they would 

be coming down. They turned on the 

light; they broke the water for me. 

Laurie is crossing a channel where there 

is no return trip, it is her last run. She 

is breaking the water for us. 

All the paddlers in the crowd this is for 

Laurie: Hut, ho. I mua, Malama Pono, 

Aloha pumehana, a hui hou, ke Akua 

pu. Forward, take care, fondest aloha 

until we meet again, God be with you. 

Kamuela Aea 

Aloha Laurie Claytor Denton 

Laurie had a zest for life. She was 

diverse and accomplished in so many areas; 

wife and best friend to Kennie, devoted mother 

to Lauren Aulii, and Makana, an educator, 

photo artist, writer, massage therapist, and 

a completely committed athlete. Laurie either 

ran, swam or paddled competitively almost 

her entire life. Born and raised on Maui, she 

moved to Kauai in 1969 where she discovered 

her love for the ocean. Growing up small 

in stature limited her from being selected for 

many interscholastic sport teams (except for 

swimming). The suppression she felt as a 

youngster only fueled her insatiable desire 

to achieve many extreme endurance goals. 

It also inspired her to encourage others, as 

she’d often say, “If I can, you can too! Just get 

started!!!” 

After a taste of paddling in high school 

at Mid Pacific on Oahu she started paddling with the Koloa Outrigger Canoe 

Club under coach Sale Potts. It was old school, hard-core training in rough Open 

Ocean. He was a tough coach who pressed the paddlers like he was training 

Navy Seals (but on race day he was all smiles). Laurie called her team “Bodies 

by Sale”. This was where her hunger for the Molokai Channel crossing and 

horizons beyond was born. Later she would move on to Kaiola under then coach 

Marvin Otsuji. The focus shifted to the bigger races, Molokai, Catalina, Liberty 

Challenge and Hamilton Island. After achieving those personal goals, she 

shifted to solo endeavors on land and sea and did well in various triathlons. 

Laurie was one of the pioneers of one-manning on Kauai having paddled 

the south coast of Kauai daily on a fiberglass “Honu” years before the one-man 

association was established. Her quest for the perfect canoe led to trying or 

buying almost every available model. Once the association did start up, Laurie 

was an integral part of the organization as a writer, photographer, logistical 

person, etc. On the water, it was “Pedal to the Carbon”, raising the bar and 

sharing her knowledge with others. She 

transferred this passion to the surf ski, 

as she was attracted to what seemed 

to be a purer more holistic approach 

to movement on the water with its amaless 

symmetry and flowing grace. It was 

a challenging path in so many ways, 

but one she would not give up on and 

continued to master. 

Laurie was always open to new 

ideas and was at the front edge of 

sports science. She spent a lot of 

time in study of the tools (literally 

and figuratively) that would enhance 

one’s performance. She had owned a 

plethora of gadgets, drills, GPSs, heart 

monitors, fuels, books, articles... all 

related to improving your sport. She 

was dedicated and disciplined but her 

philosophy was simple; “Don’t fight the 

ocean, understand it. Don’t worry too 

much about your competition; focus on 

your own plan. Do your homework. Be 

clear on your goals then break them 

down into small steps. Try new ideas, 

embrace change and cross train. Be 

consistent, work hard but have fun." 

This last year she came full circle and 

returned to the most basic of all water 

sports and one of the purest there is, long 

distance swimming. She finished at the 

top of her class in age group this last 

summer, all while facing her biggest challenge 

of all, breast cancer. 

Laurie was kind, humble, appreciative, 

supportive, encouraging, loving, 

a believer and achiever as well as a 

manifester to herself. She walked her 

talk and lived a complete waterman’s 

lifestyle. We’ve lost a radiant ambassador 

to our beloved sport. She left us 

all way too soon. Aloha Laurie, we love 

you. A HUI HOU 

Ken Denton 

Rotational power for 

absolute success 

Paddling is a very unique 

sport. What other movement incorporates 

repeated, high power and high 

endurance rotation from a seated position 

It requires tremendous stability, 

mobility and rotational power for 

absolute success on the water. Every 

sport has varying levels of movement 

similarities and differences that can be 

enhanced through specific performance 

training. The question is what is the 

best way to maximize my performance 

on the water 

Traditional strength & conditioning 

programs address muscular hypertrophy 

(size) and maximal strength. This 

might be acceptable for general health 

and the sedentary population, but it is 

not optimal for athletes. Sport is movement. 

We need to integrate movement 

and strength training and determine if 

there is compensation while performing 

sport movement. The days of bench 

pressing and squatting as staples for 

all athletic training programs are being 

replaced by methodologies based 

on movement science and scientific 

research. Athletes of all disciplines are 

realizing that isolated strength training 

and machine based programs are crippling 

performance and increasing the 

potential for injury. 

Before you begin your training 

program, you should consult with a 

performance coach to establish your 

goals. Please feel free to contact us at 

info@tacticalstrength.com (808) 589- 

2115 or visit www.tacticalstrength.com 

. 


no'ono'o to reflect 

P.P and two suppliers on their thoughts on having 

P.P. There are a lot of new faces to the sport of OC-1 

and OC-2 this year, and the influx can in part be attributed 

to paddling associations throughout Hawaii and 

overseas who provide an opportunity for paddlers to 

race and socialize and an increase in the supply of OC- 

1 and OC-2 canoes world wide. "You no longer have to 

wait for a canoe." That is what Karel says at Outrigger 

canoes built overseas 

Connection. "Come on down and pick one out." As 

more canoes are made available more people will be 

out paddling them, and the sport will continue growing. 

Currently, second hand OC-1s are selling for a few 

hundred dollars less than what they cost brand new. 

This means there is a lot more room in the market for 

more canoes, and manufactures are working overtime 

to satisfy that demand. 

Ian Foo, Hypr Canoes ~ Today, no one has to wait, you 

can just pick one up anytime, and the choice has never 

been as wide. When we first started pushing for overseas 

production three years ago, there was only Mike 

Giblin’s Hurricane, and you still had to wait. 

P.P. More builders are getting their canoes manufactured 

overseas. Outrigger Connection has had their 

canoes built there for a couple of years, and Kai Wa'a 

has also made the jump. Is all the money going to 

China and how does this help our economy 

Jim Foti, Hurricane Canoes ~ One of the critical things 

about the China manufacturing is that economically 

speaking there is excellent domestic cash flow. Many 

US citizens are employed in the process of manufacture, 

marketing and distribution of our canoes made in 

China. Additionally, the end result is that more funds 

are brought into the US economy because the overseas 

production makes export a viable business. When we 

send a container of China-made canoes to non-US destinations, 

most of the funds return to our economy. The 

only funds that stay in China are cost of goods, labor, 

rent, taxes and some other miscellaneous costs. 

P.P. But there are some who think mass 

produced canoes should be cheaper 

Ian ~ Our Holy Grail is to develop a $990 

Outrigger Canoe that is close to performance 

characteristics of the hand made 

composite high performance models we all use today. 

What everyone does not realize is the tremendous sacrifices 

it takes to make all this happen. Add the costs for 

developing canoes, paddles, surfskis and paddle boards, 

these are up-front expenses. Add in the research and 

development, mistakes, redos and just plain crooked overseas 

contractors and suppliers. I now realize the incredible 

risks we took to get this far. I'd much, much rather have 

done production in Hawaii or California where there is 

the “rule of law” and accountability, since working in a 

foreign country makes you an easy victim. 

P.P. For many people, spending $3,000 on a canoe is 

difficult. A cheaper canoe would help the sport move 

to the next level. On the horizon there is a hybrid sport 

emerging that combines both the Hawaiian traditions 

of surfing and paddling which may allow more people 

to paddle standing up, kneeling or seated. It's Paddle 

Boarding, and has the potential to get even more 

paddlers out in the ocean… and the sweet thing is, that 

a paddle board is less than half the cost of an OC1. It 

may be the next fun way to cross-train for the OC-6 

season — if there is such a thing as having fun while 

training. 

Readers Pics 

Email us your paddling related 

photo for a chance to be in the 

2009 Pacific Paddler Calendar 

to: pic@pacificpaddler.com 

As we approach winter in 

Hawaii and its getting a 

little ‘cooler‘, we got these 

pictures from our Vancouver 

reps giving “canoe” demos. 

Notice the white stuff on the 

ground, its not salt or fake 

Hollywood snow. These are 

the hardcore paddlers !!! 

Blows my mind. Its raining 

here today in Kona and “too 

cold” to go out !! Kudos to 

Ross & Melanie in Vancouver. 

Submitted by Lauren & Ian of 

Hypr Canoes

covering hawai'i's state team sport since 1996 - Pacific Paddler

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?