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

D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8F R E E i n H awa i iPRSRT. STD. U.S.POSTAGE PAIDHonolulu, HiPermit No. 583Covering Hawai‘i’s State Team Sport since 1996

Na Wahine O Ke KaiTop finishersTeam Bradley set a new record in the 30th Annual Na Wahine O Ke Kairace from Molokai to Oahu with their time of 5:22:05. It was the third consecutivewin for the crew beating Australia's Mooloolaba's record set in 2004by five seconds. The crew was made up of the same paddlers that paddledlast year: Lauren Bartlett, Andrea Moller, Theresa Felgate, Dane Ward andMargie Kawaiaea from Maui, Kelly Fey and Mahealani Lum-Batlik from Oahu,Cherisse Agorastos of the Big Island of Hawaii, Noelani Auger from Kauai,and Shelley Oates-Wilding from Australia. Team Bradley's coach John Puakeasaid at the beginning of the season, "We decided to go with the same crewagain one more year, either we all do it or we don't do it." Sixty-seven crewsentered the race, down from the record of 83 crews who participated lastyear. Hui Lanakila for the second year in a row finished second with 5:27:09and Waikiki Beach Boys third, 5:32:39. Rounding out the top ten were: 4,Outrigger 40s, 5:34:43; 5, Newport Aquatic Center (California), 5:37:49;6, Kai Opua, 5:41:57; 7, Namolokama O Hanalei, 5:43:26; 8, FalseCreek (Canada), 5:43:34; 9, Casco Bay (New England), 5:43:38 and 10,Hawaiian Canoe Club, 5:46:07.In the Koa Division, the top three finishers were: 1, Hui Lanakila, 5:47:37(and 12th overall); 2, Lanikai, 5:59:42; 3, Outrigger, 6:04:12. The top threeMasters 40 were: 1, Outrigger, 5:43:43; 2, Casco Bay, 5:43:38; 3, Pu'uwai,6:11:19. Top three Masters 50: 1, Kailua, 5:56:22; 2, Kahiau/HawaiianKanaktion, 6:01:19 and 3, Keauhou, 6:12:14. December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

The start of the 30th Annual Na Wahine O Ke Kaipacificpaddler.com Deccember ‘08

Anuenue (51st, 6:32:44)North Shore Canoe Club (47th, 6:29:14)New Hope Canoe ClubLanikai Canoe ClubHawaiian Canoe ClubLeeward Kai (46th, 6:28:40)Kailua Canoe Club (15th, 5:40:54)Below, Lokaihi-2 (57th, 6:38:02)Above, Honolulu Pearl (61st, 6:42:35)Below, Hui Nalu (16th, 5:55:00) December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

Hui Lanakila dedicates their race to Leighton LookSixty-seven crewscompleted the 41-mile race from Hale OLono, Moloka’i to DukeKahanamoku Beach,Waikiki, with Team Bradleypaddling to victory in arecord time and extendingtheir impressive winningstreak to four years in arow. Team Bradley arenothing short of amazingand have solidified theirplace amongst the paddlingdynasties that have comebefore them, Offshore of California,Outrigger Canoe Club, and Kai OpuaCanoe Club, to name a few.Hui Lanakila Canoe Club, a smallAla Wai-based club, entered three Opencrews, all paddling in honor of the lateLeighton Look. Leighton was one of theoriginal members of the 31-year oldcanoe club and at one time or anotherwore the hat of club president and headcoach. Ask anyone, the names LeightonLook and Hui Lanakila are synonymous.Leighton was the soul, the breath of HuiLanakila Canoe Club.He continued to be even after hispassing on August 25, '08, inspiringeach Hui Lanakila paddler to dedicatetheir race to his legacy.He was in our heartsthat we wore on oursleeves or rather, ourjerseys, each printedwith a tribute to thisgreat man. In fact,Leighton was in everythingas we crossed theKa’iwi Channel, in everystroke we took, in everynalu we rode, in everysmile that flashed acrossour faces, in every positiveword that emanatedfrom our coaches’ lips.Our first crew paddled a new canoenamed after Leighton, “Lehuuila NoPainting of Leighton Look by Kimi Werner,www.kimiwernerart.comKalawai'a” (A Flash of Lightning for theFisherman) and finished second overallwith the guidance and support of LesLook, Lindsey Todd, and Coach RavenAipa.Hui Lanakila’s second crew had theprivilege of paddling the “Tarita”, one ofthe finest racing koa canoes in the state,built by Leighton himself and namedafter his daughter. This talented crew,coached by Byron Martinez, paddledto victory in the koa division and animpressive 11th place overall.It was a great honor and privilegeto celebrate, in this special way, thelife and legacy of a talented watermanwho gave his heart and soul to HuiLanakila Canoe Club. Though no longerphysically present, he continuesto inspire all of us paddlers tofollow in his footsteps, giving inthe same selfless way he gave tohis family and friends, his canoeclub, and his beloved sport ofoutrigger canoe paddling. In thisway, we can continue to payhomage to a man with a giantheart and unending amounts ofaloha.Jamie KinardBelow, Alapa Hoe (60th, 6:41:46) and LokahiPuakea Foundation (4th koa canoe, 6:54:00)10 December ‘08, Pacific PaddlerManu O Ke Kai (44th, 6:24:45)

Team Bradley (1st, new course record, 5:22:05)False Creek (8th, 5:43:34)Namolokama O Hanalei (7th, 5:43:26)Above, Lanikai-2 (26th, 6:06:00)Below, Team Redondo Beach (23rd, 6:03:34)Hannie AndersonNa Wahine Race directorHannie Anderson has beenpaddling for over 50 yrs. She wasintroduced to the sport by a groupof classmates at Roosevelt High andstarted out with Waikiki Surf Club.Hannie credits her first coaches,Wally Froseith and Mike Tongg, asan important part of her paddlingexperience and teaching her aboutthe sport she loves. Hannie waspart of a group of women whostarted Na Wahine O Ke Kai forwomen who were not allowed toparticipate in the Molokai Hoe because, at the time, itseemed to dangerous for women to be out in the channelin a canoe.What does it take to run an internationalevent like the MH and NW?A lot of will power and to be surrounded by goodpeople, my committee. We lost our largest sponsor, andit's hard to get monies. It costs around 100 thousand forthe women's race, and the men's around 135 thousand.What are some of the difficulties youhave running the races?Letters for all permits we need. Working with thepeople on Molokai to trailer canoes, hotels, cars and bustransportation. If the state and counties don't help us, wecould be in trouble. This year we even had to grade theroad at our expense. We asked for help from the Countybut to no avail. We did get $10,000 from the HawaiiTourism Authority, which helps, but this is our state teamsport, and we bring a lot of revenue into Hawaii. Weactually have to pay the state for the use of the harbor inKaunakakai and the beach in Waikiki.What would you like to see happen inthe future?If I had unlimited resources, I would try to give moreback to the paddlers for all the expenses they have tocover. I'd also like to see more of our events on prime timeTV, so everyone in Hawaii and the mainland could watchthe races. I would like to see a cash prize for our KoaCanoes, and have the races end in front of the MoanaHotel, like we did in 1952 with the first crossing for men.I still remember it as if it were yesterday. Canoeing hasbeen a big part of my life.12 December ‘08, Pacific PaddlerKahiau/Hawaiian Kanaktion (21st, 6:01:19)

Lae'ula O Kai (11th, 5:47:05)Pu'uwai (30th, 6:11:19)Waikiki Beach Boys (3rd, 5:32:39)Waikiki Beach Boys-2(18th, 5:59:14)Outrigger Canoe Club (3rd koa canoe, 6:04:12)Newport Aquatic Center (5th, 5:37:49)14 December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

Molokai HoePaddlers signal toothers, 'hold-up'Nick Beck helps rig the iako to the amaShell Va'a headed to 1st place and a new course recordThe competitors were ready. Months of preparation wasabout to be ignited on the South shore of Molokai. Crewswaited for the start boat to raise the green flag and officiallystart the race. Paddlers took stock of who was aroundthem, jostling for a clear path with no hang-ups, a cleanstart, and to get in front of as many canoes as possiblebefore the first change. Then 'a mouse darted out in front ofa bunch of cats'. Team Pure Light, who had been burdenedwith logistical problems including the sinking of their escortboat on the way up to Moloka'i, started their race. Theteam was supposed to start an hour early (see pg.27), buthad delays. When they began their epic journey, pullingaway from a line of excitable, adrenaline flushed paddlers,it was too much. A crew noticed Pure Light pulling awayand a war-cry arose, sending a chain-reaction down theline of 104 crews. And the race was on. Communicationsbetween officials became hectic, what-to-do? "Turn themaround," came the command from Hannie Anderson, whowas helping Race Director Kalani Irvine on the starterboat. "But they're going" came back the answer over theradio. "Turn them around, NOW," and suddenly a scoreof official boats took off into action, cutting the field off andstopping the charge. Kalani said that it would have beenunfair to the crews who spent months preparing for the raceto finish to find out that the finishing times would have anCamping at Hale O Lono18 December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

asterisk beside it. "After we got the leaders to stop and we promisedthem a fair start, everyone eventually turned around," he said.After all the crews returned to the starting line, the 56th editionof the Molokai Hoe was officially underway. The leaders caught upto team Pure Light off of La'au Point. Team Pure Light headed North,perhaps to avoid the mayhem of the first change where escort boatszoom in from the south to find their crews and make the first change.This invasion of motorized boats turns the ocean into a jumble ofwaves coming at the competitors from all angles, a perfect environmentfor a huli.Those crews that gambled by going North had a harder timein the channel than those who went South due to an incomingtide. The leaders who went South made it to Oahu before the tidechanged.It was an incredible third consecutive win for Shell Va'a and thethird consecutive record-breaking race for the Tahitians. Three ofShell's crew had raced in all three of their record-breaking crossings,Jimmy Pirato, Lucien Tara and David Tepava. From the start, Shelllead the way and by La'au Point had a half-mile lead on Lanikai.Shell crossed the Kaiwi Channel in a record-busting time of 4:38:35,just over one-and-a-half minutes faster than last year's time. VenusVa'a, also from Tahiti, passed Lanikai in mid-channel finishing 10minutes behind Shell with 4:48:59. Lanikai improved last year'stime by nearly 13 minutes finishing third with 4:51:50. Team OPT,also from Tahiti, who placed second last year finished fourth with4:53:14. Fifth place also went to another Tahitian crew, Erai Va'a.Outrigger Canoe Club of Oahu took 6th place followed by Pa'a,a group of OC-1 paddlers from different clubs around Hawaii.Above, Alapa Hoe. Below, Mooloolaba (19th, 5:25:45)20 December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

Anuenue (7th Masters-55, 6:23:52)Below, Hui NaluBelow, Nainoa Thompson steers a Hui Nalu crew(5th Masters-40, 5:48:16)Kailua (1st Masters-50, 5:45:31)Kailua-1 (11th, 5:13:38)Below, Keahiakahoe-Black (15th, 5:19:55)pacificpaddler.com Deccember ‘08 21

Eighth across the line was Hawaiian Canoe Club from Mauiand ninth was Team Livestrong of the Big Island of Hawaii whoalso finished first in the 40-plus division. Lanikai's second crewrounded out the top 10.Of the 104 crews, 30 were from out of state: fourteen fromCalifornia, four from Tahiti, three from Canada, two from NewZealand and Washington, & one each from Hungary andJapan. Only two koa canoes participated; Lanikai who crossedin 5:41:28 and Puakea Foundation, 6:15:17. The Masters 40went to Team Livestrong from the Big Island, 5:12:35. Australia'sMooloolaba finished second with 5:25:45 and Team California/Hawaii third, 5:26:20. Kailua Canoe Club won the Masters50 in 5:45:31 followed by Namolokama from Kauai 5:47:59and Manuiwa of Tahiti, 6:00:36. Team Bradley/Hui Nalu tookthe 55-plus division 5:56:53 followed by Waimanalo 5:57:47and California Gold 6:09:30. Also participating in the race wasTeam Pure Light who finished the race in 7:59:25.QuickSilver California (17th, 5:21:11)Below, Lanikai (1st koa canoe, 5:41:28)Erai Va'a, Tahiti (5th, 4:56:38)Below, Venus Va'a (2nd, 4:48:59)Above, Hawaiian-1 (8th, 5:11:20).Below, Keahiakahoe (15th, 5:19:56)

Team ZebraTeam Zebra who finished 21st(5:28:22) is a collection of paddlerswho got together only weeks before theMolokai Hoe. Five paddlers are fromCanada: Paul McNamara, steersman,Peter Buday, Tamas Buday (a threetimeOlympian), Andrew Russell (onetimeOlympian), Kyle Jeffery and IanMortimer (who are both members ofthe Canadian flat water team). Thecrew also included a German, AndreasDittmer who has won three Olympicmedals in flat water in Atlanta, Sydneyand Athens, Attila Vajda from Hungary,who medaled in Beijing, and MartinDoktor from the Czech Republic whowon two medals in Atlanta.Team Zebra started as a dream forthe Olympic paddlers on the team whoafter the Olympics said they wanted tocome to Hawaii to experience a totallydifferent paddling adventure. "Theywere all solo paddlers and they decidedthis would be a chance to race together,and what better place to come, Hawaii"said Peter."These guys are great athletes, noproblem getting in the boat, they have'huge' power, but they have never beenin a rough ocean environment before,"said Pete's friend Paul who steered thecrew. " It will be the little things, likewater management — bailing that willbe a challenge."Team Zebra also helped theHungarian Olympic team with logisticsin preparing for the race. The MolHungary Team who won the gold medalin the 1000 in Beijing, learned outriggerpaddling just two weeks before the raceand were nick-named 'the swim team'because of the countless hulies duringpractices in Kailua Bay. They finished43rd in 5:53:28.Q&A with Olympian Martin DoktorHow did you guys like the race?The race was great. For most of us, it was one of the best experiences in oursports life.Are you satisfied with the 21st place?Well, the 21st place from the first look is not what we like, but when yourealize that for most of us in our crew, it was first time in an outrigger boat,then I think we did well.Would you like to come back and do the race again?Definitely. I don’t know if it will be next year, but sometime in the future.What was the biggest challenge for you as Olympicpaddlers?We are flat water canoeist, so what we like is really flat, like glass. I thinkyou’ll agree that conditions in the middle of the channel weren't glassy.What do you think about the level of the top Hawaiiancrews?I think that Hawaiian crews are top in the outrigger world, together withTahitians of course. But it is natural, because your paddlers were brought up inthese conditions, so we don't feel water the way they do.What do you think about the Tahitians?You mean this year's results? Unbelievable! They were in top form, and if youlook at the results, you can see it. I’d be curious if they try our flat-water canoe.Maybe we’d be surprised!The race is considered unofficially as a WorldChampionship of long distance paddling. do you thinkthat we should administer drug testing?Yes, for sure. I was very surprised when I realized that in a race like this thereis no doping control. I think to keep prestige of the Moloka’i Hoe for the future,that will be next step. And you know that especially in long distance races likethis, doping testing is very important.pacificpaddler.com Deccember ‘08 23

Waikiki Beach BoysKaiola Canoe ClubKai Poha (78th, 6:21:53)Anuenue-2 (46th, 5:55:25)Niumalu (49th, 5:57:46) Shogun Outrigger, Japan (52nd, 5:59:10)24 December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

Lanikai Canoe Club (3rd, 4:51:50)Marina Outrigger (75th, 6:17:30)Above, Mol Hungry (43rd, 5:53:28). Below, Lokahi (77th, 6:18:50)A Kiwi paddler's storyIt is true what people say about Hawaiians. Thetrue aloha spirit is alive and well,that is what I'm feeling on my flightback to NZ. This was my very firsttrip to Hawaii and the Molokai HoeInternational 41mi Outrigger race.From my first day there (thanksto Pat Erwin and Tom Connor fromLanikai Canoe Club for allowing meto train with their club) to crossingthe finish line while paddling withNamolokama open men's crew(thanks to Torrey Goodman & Jody Simpson). This wasquite an experience of the competition and competitivenessof all those wanting to get into a crew on thestart line for the last big race of the season.During these two short weeks, between trainingand adventures that my host took me on, I have had afun-filled voyage that most other International paddlersonly read about. From 2-3m surfing swells off Kailuato bucking bronco paddles around Makapu'u Point toHawaii Kai, and even more impressive was the downwindruns off Molokai Island.Finally the day of the race arrived. All of theexcitement started at 4:15 am with breakfast, thenwe embarked on our way to the race venue one houraway behind the long que of vehicles, along dustyroads with wild deer and pigs running for shelter.The Race: I have never seen this many paddlers ona start line since the Te Aito Vaa race in Tahiti.This race was typical of a group of guys comingtogether for the first time having never before workedon combinations and cohesion. We would have goodpatches when the canoe ran well, then we would havebad patches where the canoe floundered. Around thefour hour mark, the water became wishy-washy andreally hard to paddle, but sheer guts and enthusiasmfor each other pushed us through so that we could surfthe last hour of our race. Coming past Diamond Headand into Waikiki Beach, our bodies were crying out tofinish, with various cramps starting to creep in… Whata great bunch of guys I paddled with. It was an interestingmix of guys; 1 Iranian, 1 Californian, 2 Kiwi'sand 5 from Kauai.We were all happy to stand on terra firma again,and I had a grin from ear to ear. We finished 30th outof 104 crews. We didn't threaten the Tahitians, but manwas it fun!Big Arohanui to Torrey Goodman, Vivian Griffin(my hosts), Pat & Kathy Erwin, Tommy Connor (LanikaiClub), David & Kalani (Oiwi ocean gear), Ron, Camand Kim (Molokai Island) and all the Kauai boys whomade me so welcome. To everyone from Hawaii,Kakite ano kia hoa ….No reira tena koutou, tenakoutou, tena koutou kata (Good bye my friends… farewell,farewell, farewell, thanks to you all).Martin Helleurpacificpaddler.com Deccember ‘08 25

Kaulua Canoe Club-2 (22nd 5:22:37)New Hope (5th, 6:15:09)Kaneohe Canoe Club (90th, 6:36:44)Outrigger Canoe Club (4th Masters-55, 6:11:00)Kaiola (5th Masters-55, 6:15:39)Kai Opua-2 (44th, 5:52:40)26 December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

Pure Light Racing TeamHonolulu Pearl-1 (94th, 6:50:15)Lanikai Canoe Club (29th overall/1st koa)Kihei Canoe ClubI posted a video of an incrediblegroup of people who this yearaccomplished feats that even theyhad never imagined before.These people are elite athletesthat overcome challenges every dayof their lives. From getting out ofbed, brushing their teeth, makingbreakfast, to buying groceries;common things we take for granted.And to be able to see them andcapture them on video as they setout on a journey of self-discoveryusing the sport of hoe wa'a oroutrigger canoe paddling, was tome as a Polynesian, a great honor.The values of friendships, familyand sportsmanship – for some theyhad never belonged to a team, forsome they have never had to carefor anybody else but themselves, forsome they had never had a sportsaccomplishment.This year the team won five goldmedals, one silver and three bronzeat the World Sprints in Sacramento(Hawaii won a total of 9 goldmedals). They completed the Queenfinished in 7:59:25Lili'uokalani Race in Kona (18miles), the Henry Ayau Race (32miles) from Hawaii Kai to Nanakuli,and of course the Molokai Hoe, 42miles in less then 8-hours, unbelievable!Aka Hemmings and the group ofvolunteers at Pure Light Racing hadgone beyond the duty to help theseathletes with disabilities (as theywould prefer we say, athletes withabilities) give opportunities!A message beyond sport:participation especially for peoplewith disabilities. Pure Light Racinghas set an admirable shiningexample for disabled peoplearound the world… so stay tuned toPacificnetwork.tvIf you would like to participateor help in any way possible contactwww.projectpurelight.com/racing.Aloha, Johann BouitHui Nalu (5th Masters-40, 5:48:16)New Hopepacificpaddler.com Deccember ‘08 27

Kalani Irvine, Molokai Hoe Race DirectorKalani Irvine has raced across theMolokai Channel over 20 times forLanikai Canoe Club. This year hedecided it was time to step up to theplate and help to run the race thathas been his passion. We asked himabout his hopes for the future of theMolokai Hoe.How long have you beeninvolved in the paddlingcommunity?I have been involved with paddlingever since I can remember. My fatherwas involved with Lanikai Canoe Club asPresident in the late 60’s and escorting forthe club into the late eighties. My first yearof actually participating as a paddler was1976 in the boys 12B division.What club did you startout with?I have always been with LanikaiCanoe Club except for one year, I thinkit was 1986; I paddled for Surf SportsCanoe Club. Lanikai was struggling as aclub and only had freshmen men in theupper division men's program. I had beenmoved up to sophomore men the yearbefore. I would show up to practice andthere would be nobody to paddle with.Who introduced you topaddling?I would attribute my involvement inpaddling to my father. He was reallyinvolved and I would tag along to meetings,working on canoes, and escorting races.What do you think arepaddling's biggest benefits tothe community?The biggest benefit paddling hason the community is bringing familiestogether. It also enables people fromnot so stable family life to become partof a family. It gets kids out in the oceaninstead of watching television, playingvideo games, or just hanging out.Paddling provides a learning experiencefor life. Hard work, responsibility,working as a team for a common goal,and friendships.Paddling has changed so much sinceI started paddling. When I first startedpaddling, it was all about where the club28 December ‘08, Pacific Paddlerparty was after the race, and hasevolved into a world class athleticevent. In order to do well in races, ithas to be a lifestyle revolving aroundpaddling and family.Why did you decide tobecome an OHCRA official?I was asked by a few clubs if Iwould be willing to run for the officeof President of OHCRA. I have beeninvolved at different levels for the past15 years, and with the support of myfamily, I felt it was my responsibilityto put my name in the hat and letthe clubs decide. If we did not havepeople like Mike Tongg, HannieAnderson, Joan Malama, Uncle JohnKekua and countless others who tookso much time and effort to evolve oursport, where would we be as a sport?“If you are not part of thesolution, then you are part of theproblem” Words my friend John Fotionce told me. Clubs and leaders ofthe clubs should get involved and setthe direction of our sport in Hawaii.We sit back and complain but don’tback it up with action and solutions.What is the best thingabout being involved inthe Molokai Hoe ?The best thing about beinginvolved in Molokai Hoe is workingwith the volunteers. They truly lovethe sport and the paddlers and arewilling to donate such large amountsof time and effort for such little appreciation— to represent the paddlers'point of view on race decisions and totalk to the paddlers and coaches, manyof whom I raced with and against andbecame friends with, and have not seenfor a while.What does it take to runthe Molokai Hoe ?Money, money and more money. Iwas surprised by the size of the budgetand the planning involved to pull offthe race. This year with the closing ofAloha Airlines and the Molokai Ranchand the price of gas, it made it extrachallenging. Through working with theMolokai Canoe Racing Association, thepeople of Molokai, Maui County, thevolunteers and the sponsors of this event,we were able to put on the race.Please tell us about someof the difficulties you haverunning the Molokai Hoe?The biggest issue is safety. It isamazing what goes on during the raceand all the safety issues. The committee isresponsible for the safety of over 1,000paddlers as well as escort and pleasurecrafts stretched out over five miles northto south and over four miles east to west.Another big issue is putting on a race ofthis magnitude while staying on the currentbudget and keeping entry fees as lowas possible while still trying to make it aworld class event.What do you think is thefuture of the sport?The future of our sport is global.You can see it growing around theworld. If we are not careful, we willlose the cultural aspects of paddling.The Tahitians have raised the bar forthe men. Hawaii should review theirevent structure, format and distances tostrengthen their relevance in the world ofoutrigger canoe paddling.If you had unlimitedresources to run the raceswhat would you like to seehappen?If we had unlimited resources, Iwould like to implement more technologyto make it more spectator-friendly. GPStracking and live world-wide internetfeeds from events.

Fixing the canoe at the finish line onRaiatea, Billy Philpotts (blue shirt), PatErwin (green shirt), Ron Kimball (bareback)and coach Walter Guild (whiteshirt). Tahaa in the background, andBora Bora faintly in the distance.The 2008 Havaiki Nui confirmedShell Vaa’s continued dominance inthe outrigger distance world, but theyHavaiki Nui — Shell gets a pushwere pushed to win it this year, as EDTfrom Papeete gave them a run for theirmoney (@ US $19,000). The Huahineto Raiatea leg saw the two clubs takea north route and battle head to headalong the reef outside the pass intoRaiatea, before Shell pulled away towin by a minute. EDT struck back onDay Two, winning with a minute-anda-halfgap over fourth place Shell. Awin by Shell on the Tahaa to Bora Borarun would not guarantee the overall ifEDT could finish a close 2nd. But Shellcame out of the lagoon with a healthylead and increased it to over 5 minutesat the finish, while EDT ended up 3rd.Manutea Owens’ new crew MataireaUnlocking the secret of the Havaiki NuiOnce again, a victory at the Havaiki Nui has provento be one of the most elusive and frustrating goals that anypaddler would hope to strive for. The '08 journey to HavaikiNui started out like most paddling trips, the belief that maybejust maybe, this would be the year. The right crew, the rightweather conditions, the right equipment, and the right luckwould all come together for this moment and the dream ofwinning Havaiki Nui would be realized. Well, maybe not towin the whole thing but just to win one leg in the three dayevent would be a huge statement for Hawaii paddling. Forthe record, no team outside Tahiti has ever won the HavaikiNui and only once has a non-Tahitian team ever won one ofthe stages. That was Team Hawaii in 2000 and accordingto the Tahitians that was a huge embarrassment for theircountry’s most popular sport. Most paddlers in Hawaii can’timagine how important outrigger paddling is to the peopleof Tahiti. Hawaiian paddlers are probably more recognizedin Tahiti than they are in Hawaii. For example, when weboarded our plane bound for Tahiti, as Jim Foti entered theplane, I could hear whispers from the Tahitian passengers,“Foti… Foti… Foti.” When Karel Jr., Mike Judd, and KaiBartlett entered the plane, you could hear the same whispersof the paddler’s names. It was an amazing phenomenonto be known and respected in another country more than weprobably are in our own state.As respected as the Hawaii paddlers are, though, theTahitians are fiercely competitive and come race day, TeamHawaii is just another crew in a pack of eighty-plus boats thatbelieve that they have a shot at winning. As the first day ofracing commenced, our team didn’t know yet that our desireto try and place top five on every day and maybe push topossibly win a leg would shortly reach its first road block. Tenminutes into the race, as we began to make our last turn insidethe lagoon fronting the small town of Huahine, we felt a joltcome from the tail of the boat and immediately heard a loudHoe from Huahine is one to watch inthe future, as they finished 3rd, 5thand 2nd.Finishing 25th overall was KamanuOiwi, with 5 paddlers from Hawaii,two Aussies, a Kiwi and a CookIslander. They were the top foreignteam edging out Team Hawaii ontime (they were tied on points), andfinishing a respectable 13th on DayThree. Team Hawaii, with most ofthe paddlers coming from MolokaiChannel bronze medalists LanikaiCanoe Club, ran into equipment problemson Day 1, and couldn’t make itinto the top 15 after that.Gaylord Wilcoxcracking sound. It was the kind of cracking sound that youdon’t want to hear in a race, and when you hear it, you praythat it isn’t your canoe. As we moved out of the lagoon intothe open ocean, Karel slowly realized our canoe was actingsluggishly, as the rear manu filled with water and our competitionstarted passing us. An eight-foot crack that stretched fromthe steersman’s seat to the tip of the tail, right along the seamwas evident, and our Havaiki Nui was over almost faster thanit had begun.Fortunately, with quick thinking from our escort crew, wewere able to do an open ocean repair on the boat and comeback from “DFL” (with most canoes out of sight by then) toplace a respectable 47th. From that day forward, though,we were never really able to find our rhythm and were neverable to do better than 18th. Anybody who’s been paddlinglong enough and competing, knows that having equipmentproblems is just the name of the game and the crew has tolearn and move on from those problems. Our team fromHawaii gave everything we had on every day, and in theface of adversity, but unfortunately fell short of our goals.We didn’t, however, give up on the dream that someday acrew from Hawaii will be able to unlock the secret to winningthe Havaiki Nui. One day, all the 'rights' will line up and acrew of all Hawaii paddlers will achieve that elusive victory.The paddlers that represented Hawaii in the HavaikiNui 2008 were Jim Foti, Karel Tresnak Jr., Mike Judd, KaiBartlett, Kaai Bruhn, Kekoa Bruhn, Mike Kane, ThibertLussia’a, Pat Dolan, and David Daniels. Also making thisendeavor possible was Coach Walter Guild and IHCAsupporters Lauren Bartlett (head cook), Jimmy Bruhn, GaylordWilcox, Dr. Phil Foti, Billy Philpotts, Pat Erwin, and RonKimball. Their vision and leadership in outrigger canoepaddling will be an important component in any success thatis achieved for Hawaii in the world of international paddling.Dave Danielspacificpaddler.com Deccember ‘08 29

Coffees of Hawaii Pailolo ChallengeCoffees Hi2008 Coffees of Hawaii PailoloChallenge Maui to Molokai (FlemingsBeach park to Kaunakakai Pier)Saturday, September 20, 2008On Saturday, September 20, 25crews from across the state took part inthe Second Annual Coffees of HawaiiPailolo Challenge. The event, organizedby Hawaiian Canoe Club, is fastbecomingone of long-distance canoeracing's "must-enter" races, largely dueto the incredible straight-downwind runfrom Northwest Maui to Kaunakakai,Molokai.The event started off with a funrigging/barbecue at Flemings BeachPark the evening before the race, wherecrews mingled, discussed race strategiesand grinded kau kau provided by PaiaFishmarket.Race day dawned bright and clearwith light tradewinds, but everyoneknew winds would pick up as the dayprogressed. Thewomen's crewsstarted first, withdefending NaWahine O Ke Kaichampions, TeamBradley, taking off toan early lead. Aiming straight for Lanai,Team Bradley's course allowed them tosurf one big bump after another, anglingto the right after passing Kamalo, andinto Kaunakakai.The men's crews started 15 minutesafter the wahine, with hosts HawaiianCanoe Club and the Big Island's Team30 December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

photos by Ray Mains PhotographyLivestrong getting off to an early lead,and in a pitched battle to the very end.As the pack approachedKaunakakai, the ocean was white withbumps and some amazing glides werebeing ridden by all. Team Livestrongcrossed the finish line first, withHawaiian Canoe Club not far behind,and Pa'a -- the only iron crew -- rightbehind them!On the women's side, Team Bradleycame 5th overall, and a comfortable25 minutes in front of the HawaiianCanoe Club women, who werefollowed closely by Lae'ula O Kai fromKanaha, Maui.Once on shore, weary paddlerssettled under canopies at the end ofthe Kaunakakai Pier where Coffees ofHawaii provided an awesome mealand an awards ceremony. Overheardon numerous occasions was "What anawesome downwind run!" and "Wecan't wait for next year!"A spectacular DVDcontaining both thisyear's and last year'srace videos, plus a shortnon-profit video called'Molokai: Return to Pono' is availablefor purchase by visiting www.coffeesofhawaii.com.Blair ThorndikeThe 2007 and 2008 Pailolo Challenge Maui toMolokai OC6 Race DVD is now availableYou can buy them now at www.createspace.com/256453This is the perfect Christmas gift for paddlersthat participated in Coffees of Hawaii's PailoloChallenge OC6 race over the past two years.The DVD contains two feature videos. Onedocuments the 2007 race and the other documentsthe 2008 race. Two additional bonusvideos are included. Over 40-minutes of totalcontent. Every crew's finish, with finish time, isincluded in the 2008 race video.Participating teams get a SPECIAL 10 percentdiscount for a limited time. Go to the salespage and enter the following discount code onthe checkout screen: *3B4GMQUR*pacificpaddler.com Deccember ‘08 31

First race of the seasonI can't come up with anything that offthe top of my head can explain the day.Wow... for starters.San Diego OCC hosted the first raceof the SoCal Ocean racing series onSaturday under what has to have beenthe best day of the week weather wise;it was sunny, mild temperatures, lightbreeze and perfect conditions.We had a record number of preregistrations,91 people, to set the mood.On race day, we added another 165paddlers to the mix.We had a record number of Stand-UpPaddle Boarders including a nice influx ofwomen.We were also pleased to have morewomen on the Surfski course this race,which is making a little comeback—that'sgreat. Most pleasing is the number ofjuniors we have on both the OC1, OC2and Surfskis for 16s and 19-and-under.To facilitate the excitement andencourage the juniors to get on board,Epic (Chris Barlow) has set up a pointssystem for the juniors racing on a Surfskiwith the final award being a new Epic32 December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

34 December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

Surfski. Will I hear from any ofour OC1 vendors who want tomatch that for the juniors racingthe OC1's? Chris has a really fairpoint system in place so that it isn'tobvious who will win, and everyonewill stand a chance for a new boat.More on that will be posted on thewww.eteamz.com/socaloceanracingsite.A big thank you to the paddlersfor coming out and to our sponsors,Epic Surfski, Huki Outrigger,Better Surf than Sorry, PaddleMe.com, Ocean Ohana, OceanPaddleSports, Pacific PaddlerMagazine and Keli's Outrigger.First Team Extreme donated areal fantastic 'Most InspirationalPaddler award'. It was an honorto have Dee Van Winkle and NickHanoian both unveil it on Saturday.It's a fantastic award. We nowwant you to start thinking of whothis year's recipient could be? Whoinspires you and makes you wantto get out there and be your best?Submit nominations to Thomas(contact info will be forthcoming inthe next few weeks at our web site).If you want to be a sponsor of ourseries, please get back to me, andwe'll talk opportunities to become abig part of our sport.Again, a big thank you to allwho took part. We hope to seeyou in Oceanside on the 6th ofDecember. Karel 'Jr.' Tresnak willbe in town and will be at the racehosting a free paddling seminarbetween races. You don't want tomiss out on that opportunity to getfirst hand tips from a world champ.Be safe, paddle smart, see youon the water.Cheancewww.hamsterworks.compacificpaddler.com Deccember ‘08 35

Gold Coast Cup AustraliaOC1/OC2 Relay RaceThis race is always fun no matterwhat the conditions, and this year wasbigger and better again.Hard work from the OutriggerAustralia Club and Club President JohnStewart for lining up several top sponsorsfor the event made it a must do forall paddlers. The race was also open toSurfski and Stand-up Paddling which istaking off 'Down Under' too.The race had a bit of everything,even getting out to the start line wasinteresting. There was a small channelto paddle out, but some support boatstimed it wrong and took on the middleof the Tweed Bar.Paddling conditions were a bit tuff;there was a little swell to catch, but wasa little side-on with very little wind assistance.The Stand-up Divisions took offabout a half-hour before the outriggersas it was going to be hard for themtoo. In the OC1s, it was clear from thestart, were going to be the teams tobeat. Team Hinano/Hurricane comboof Travis Grant and Chris Maynardwould have an epic battle against GregLong and Mike Millsthom. Both teamswere never separated by more than50 yards. It came down to the last 5kms in the flat water where a lot ofsurfing took place funny enough. Theywere going head to head when thismassage 70 foot luxury boat went pastcreating the best bumps of the day.They went runner-for-runner, bump-forbumpuntil finally Millsthom got therun to the line to take the win. Thirdwas some six minutes back with ToddCohen and Andy Weatley still beatingsome top local crews. But the big newswas the effort of two under-18 guys,Nick Wendt and Andrew Mcaleenan,coming in 5th in the open men only afew minutes behind and beating somecrews who have won the race before.Most other divisions had closefinishes; the mixed OC1 was separatedby one second in a sprint finish, andWoogie Marsh and Danny Sheardwon the Stand-Up by 10 seconds.Complete results can be found at www.sqcanoe.org.All-and-all it was a great day forpaddling along 'the Strip' on the GoldCoast. The strong winds we werelooking forward to were back two dayslater.Matt Carter36 December ‘08, Pacific Paddler

Na Pali adventureWe were approaching the end of theNa Pali kayaking season and decidedto embark on a weekend camping trip toMiloli’i, an amazing beach on the Na PaliCoast which is accessible only by water.The first step was to get our campingpermit, as only a few people are allowedto camp there. We were making it a ‘familyouting’ with our 15 year old daughter, Anabelle, and her 16 year old friend,Vanessa who had never kayakedor experienced the Na Pali on thewater (she had only hiked). Wewere also including our nephew,Aaron who would leave two hourslater on a OC1.The logistics of a Na Pali kayaktrip are a challenge. Departingon kayaks from the North Shoreand ending up on the west shorerequires leaving a vehicle atthe very end of the road at PoliHale. Rick drove his truck with hismotorcycle in the bed, left it there and rodeback to our house. Once he arrived home,we packed up the kayaks and minimalcamping gear and headed out to Ke'eBeach on the north shore of Kauai.There was a small N.W. swell, and thelifeguards told us that earlier in the daya couple on a kayak had gone ‘over thefalls’ as they attempted to get outside thebreaking waves. He said we needed tohead out through the 'keyhole' instead ofstraight out like we would on a calm day.We waited for a lull in the surf and thenpaddled hard to make it out beyond thewaves. Once clear of the reef, we stowedour front seat paddles and set up ourBreezer sails.We had a sustained 25 knot windat our backs and sailed along at a goodspeed, making it to Kalalau, 6.5 miles, inabout 50 minutes. Paddling would havetaken us two-and-a-half hours, at least.Once we passed Kalalau, the wind starteddying and we switched to paddling.Although there was a fair amount of surf,we landed on the beach at Miloli’i withoutincident. On the beach, we met the son ofone of our friends who is a local fireman.They were also having a family adventurewith another couple who, it turned out, werethe ones who went over the falls at Ke’e.They had an arduous trip since their kayakswere overloaded with tents, inflatablebeds, food and gear for a five-nightstay. The Na Pali Coast can be verycalm one moment and the next, turntotally treacherous. The first time yougo, you should definitely go on aguided tour with guides that are wellversed in the different challenges youcan expect. As soon as we landed,we looked back and right on our tailwas Aaron who had caught up withus after leaving two hours behind us.Aaron was smiling ear-to-ear andcompletely excited about his paddle/sail experience.Miloli’i is known for it’s abundanceof precious shells. We alwaysfind purple, pink and coral coloredcone shells and the occasional KauaiSunrise shell. The trick is to keepwalking the shoreline as the tide comesin and goes out. It isn’t as easy as itsounds since the sand is deep, theshoreline rocky in places and the sunis typically blazing. After we filledour shell bags, we took a short hikeup into the valley to rinse off at ourfavorite little waterfall. Hearing thegoat hunters' shots in the valley, wequickly made our way back down tothe beach and prepared our campsite.We ate cold chicken and edamame fordinner and then slept out on the beachwith our sheets. As we lay countingshooting stars, we were energizedby the full moon andcould hardly believe that wewere so blessed to be havingthis unique and wonderfulexperience. We all eventuallyfell asleep to the sound of thewaves.After a wonderful day andnight at Miloli’i, it was time topack up and head on aroundto Poli Hale where Rick hadleft the truck. We were blessedwith a nice wind that took us therebefore we knew it. The surf was big,and landing the kayaks on the beachseemed daunting. We sat offshoreand watched the sets until the timewas right 'to go' and then paddledreally hard managing to ride theshore break to the sand. It is always arelief to get safely back to civilizationand at the same time sad to leave themagic of Kauai's North shore behindyou. After packing everything ontothe truck we immediately started planningour next adventure down thespectacular Na Pali Coast.By Amy Marvinpacificpaddler.com Deccember ‘08 37

What to ask Santa for this ChristmasWhat to get for your paddling enthusiast? Hereare a few things that may be on their wish list.Want to keep your paddling significant safe fromthe harmful rays of the sun, get them some Vertrasunscreen, www.vertra.com. Think a paddle iswhat they want? A Gillespie Ultralite paddle wouldbe a good choice, with rich laminates of cedar andbutternut. The blade is lightweight and durable andedged in double bandings of red maple. They alsocome in double angles, www.gillespiepaddles.com.Or for a stand-up paddler you can get them aQuick Blade paddle or one of theirwide selections of paddles, www.qbpaddles.com. PolynesianPaddling Products in Kona hasa beautiful selection of koa paddles,www.p3kona.com.. A Kialoa Wacky Helium OC-1 would be fun to give. It's one of many among their line of qualitypaddles. Not only does the neutral wrist position keep your handsfrom going numb, it also helps to improve your technique, www.kialoa.com. Mudbrook Racing Paddles also has a wideselection of quality paddles test driven by California's top paddlerDanny Ching, www.mudbrookpaddles.com.If you want to leave it up to your paddling buddy to pickout what they would like, try a gift certificate from IslandPaddler, www.islandpaddlerhawaii.com, orTwogood Kayaks offers gift cards so your paddlingfriend can choose from a wide selection of paddling gear,www.twogoodkayaks.com.Go Bananas has a wide selection of paddling accessories,including racks for your truck or car, www.gobananaskayaks.com.If you're on the BigIsland, Polynesian Paddling Productshas a wide range of koa paddles and paddling gear,www.p3kona.com.. On the other side of theisland in Hilo, check out the accessoriesat Hilo Bay Paddler, www.hilobaypaddler.com. If you'reon Maui, you must check out TriPaddle in Wailuku, call (808)243-7235 for their in-storespecials. They have lots of paddlinggear to choose from including aplastic angled paddle and Thule Xsporter racks. Ifyou're off to a Christmas party, take along someBud Light Lime. It's an American-style lightlager with a delicate malt sweetness, a crisp clean finishand the taste of fresh squeezed lime for ultimate refreshment,www.budweiser.com. They remind us to drink responsiblyand not to drink & drive. Also some of New Zealand'sSteinlager beer will add a nice touch of green to thecooler, www.steinlager.com. Don't forget to have adesignated driver when you go out to party.If you want to get your paddler water wear, look forthe Xcel brand of clothing at your favorite store. Theymake a wide selection of UV Protection gear for all ageslike the Xcel Ventx. It's made from a breathable, moisturewickingmaterial offering incredible protection from thesun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays. They also have high-performanceXcelerator shorts with a neoprene front and back38 December ‘08, Pacific Paddlerand engineered for paddling with maximumease and comfort, www.xcelwetsuits.com.If you're looking for a canoe, OutriggerConnection has a wide selection includingthe OC-1 Fuze and Zephyr. Their test driverKarel Tresnak, Jr. has won many championshipraces on them. They also have the Stingray-2, Makaha OC-4 surfing canoe and OC-6Mirage, and are offering $200 off the price ifyou get one before the end of the year (2008).For a full selection, check out www.outriggerconnection.com.If you want to customize your OC-1,look into a Kamanu Composites canoe. Theseboats are hand-made by actual paddlers, www.kamanucomposites.com. Paddling championKai Bartlett of Kai Wa'a also makes his own canoes,the Pegasus and Scorpius. His wife Lauren Bartlett has wonthe Molokai Solo Championships several times on the family's canoes,www.kaiwaa.com. If you're looking for a canoe that the wholefamily can share, from keiki to kupuna, a Hurricane Canoe fromOzone has a line of them in a rainbow of colors, www.fotibros.com. Huki Outrigger & Surfskis has a wide selection of singleand double OC's and surfskis to choose from. Visittheir website to see their line of water crafts, www.huki.com. Want some cool tee-shirts and women'sPolynesian style clothing for your significant other? Goto Hinano clothing online store, www.hinanobeach.comand check out their wares.How about a nice dress shirt from KahalaSportswear? They have a beautiful line of onehundredpercent Sand-Washed Tradewind Silk. If youlike a Santa-themed shirt for Christmas, they have onewith Santa catching a monster swell or a stand-upsurfing Santa which is one-hundred percent Organic Cotton witha sleigh pilot Rudy pulling Santa into the last wave of the day, justbefore he gets ready for a long night of deliveries.You can find them at the Kahala retail store in AlaMoana Center, www.kahala.com. If you wantto give the gift of a delicious morning brew, MauiCoffee has a selection of coffee roasted fresh fromtheir plantation on Molokai. Their premium coffeeblends are a perfect gift, and island-style gift tins areavailable at www.coffeesofhawaii.com. Nowif you know your paddling buddy likes to be able to fix their owncanoe, call Art nelson who stocks West System Epoxy'sfor do-it-yourselfers (808 593-9958). Not in time forxmas but available early next year and on our wish list isthe Aqua Bebe. Small babies can sit in it and play withthe steering wheel while enjoying the water without fearof tipping over. The older child that already knows how toswim can use the board for surfing. Checkit out at www.aquabebe.net.And for the paddler who wants to readabout their favorite sport from all cornersof the world, a gift subscription to pacificPaddler is the way to go. From our family,Violet, Daisy, Amy and me, we wish youa happy, merry christmas and awonderful, safe, prosperous New Year!Ropati Hebenstreit