Howzit!

This blog focuses on paddling locally here in Hawaii as well as elsewhere. As a long time paddler with Anuenue Canoe Club, there's lots of good fun talk story time with Nappy and others on our crew. We even get around to some issues that get a lot of comments from the paddling community and need attention to improve our sport.

Friday, October 21, 2011

6 in a row!


Shell Va'a did it again, but it took a new record of 4:30:54 to hold off challenger EDT who also bested the old mark finishing in 4:36:45. Taking advantage of their familiarity with the Kaiwi Channel and some favorable surfing near Oahu, Shell won for the sixth consecutive time matching Waikiki Surf Club (1958-1963) for the record number of victories in a row. Two of their crew have been members of all six wins.

For the young EDT crew, it was a learning experience. With hopes of knocking off the defending champions as they had already done in the Tahiti Nui Va'a 3-day race in May, EDT jumped out to a 400-500 meter lead as the canoes raced along the coast of West Moloka'i. However once past La'au Point and into the channel itself, it was a different story as the crew took a while to adjust to the conditions and pick the best course. Shell remained in sight but they never relinquished their lead, and EDT had to settle for second place. Third place went to Team Primo/Wailea Canoe Club despite an early hull followed by Lanikai in fourth. The other two Tahitian crews were next including Team Livestrong Tahiti competing in the Masters 40+ division.

The stage is set then for next year's race and a possible new record of consecutive victories. EDT officials were high on their crew's performance and their Moloka'i Hoe experience and hopeful for a return in 2012. EDT will get another crack at their Shell rivals as well as as the two-time defending champion OPT crew in the upcoming Hawaiki Nui race coming up in three weeks. Due to work conflicts, this year there will not be a Team Hawaii crew competing in Tahiti but the crew will be racing there again in 2012.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Upside Down Dragons!

Dragon boat racing in Hawaii took a step forward this past weekend with new boats available for racing for the first time. Crews had been practicing in the old barge lead sled versions first brought here during Mayor Jeremy Harris's time. With practically no time to get used to the new boats, the result was predictable and amusing. It was an action packed dragon boat festival marked by hulis, missed flags, and other mishaps on the water. Anuenue paddlers have been helping out with practices for the crews since the event began, and this year, veteran steerers Nappy, Hardy and Baby Bell had some adventures trying to keep from going for a swim. The new boats with their different design are definitely tippy as everyone found out in a hurry! It got to the point where the decorative dragon heads were removed due to the frequent drenchings.

Of course dragon boat racing is serious business especially in Asia with world championships held every other year since 1995. In Hong Kong for example, dragon boat racing is the main event while outriggers are secondary for their paddling clubs. For more info on the cultural aspects and history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_boat

Next year with practice time available there should be a big improvement! In the meantime, three old boats with their newly painted heads await their fate. Anyone need an old dragon boat to decorate their backyard and bring good luck?



Monday, July 25, 2011

Full Circle: The Story behind the Image.


As usual while waiting for my race, I was taking photos of the 2011 edition of the OHCRA Championships at Ke'ehi Lagoon. I was joined by Star-Advertiser photographer, Bruce Asato, and we started talking story about paddling photos. Asking him if he had taken some race photos from one of the official boats, he smiled and said he preferred to stay onshore. However he mentioned that he had shot the Moloka'i-Oahu race before from one of the boats with the help of a little "medication." He went on to say that one of those photos was used for the cover of a book about the race. Hmmm, I thought, do you suppose it was the cover photo we used for my book on the history of the Moloka'i race. Sure enough, it was the shot of Lanikai on the way to winning the 1995 race in record time. Bruce said it was pretty choppy off Hawaii Kai, and the Lanikai crew was really flying. Their canoe happened to hit a wave and shoot up in the air, and the result was a great photo I had always liked in my search for photos for the book. I got a copy from the Advertiser and paid the fee for usage but I didn't know who the photographer was other than his name. Eventually we decided to use that image for the cover of the book, which was published in 2006. This past year I started seeing Bruce at basketball games and volleyball games while taking photos for my son's Moanalua games. I didn't make the connection with the paddling photo and had forgotten who the photographer was until today in the process of having our casual conversation. Like many memorable photos, there are often behind the scenes stories ranging from just being in the right place at the right time to pure luck. It's one of the reasons for the fascination with the world of photography for us amateurs and in Bruce's case, accounts for his success in his profession. Thanks, Bruce!!

An additional note: Having steered that race, I can testify that 1995 was a rough one, and for those spending the the day in an official boat, no doubt Bruce wasn't the only one helped by some anti-mal de mer meds. Another point of interest about the photo is that it looks like there are only five paddlers in the canoe as the paddler in seat #5 is almost completely hidden from view!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

New Sheriff in Town?

News from Tahiti: Recently the 166 Km 3-day race around Tahiti ended. When it was all over, EDT was the winner besting heavyweights Shell Va'a, OPT and Paddling Connection. Does this result mean that the Shell run of five straight Moloka'i Hoe wins could be over? We'll find out in October but this up and coming crew appears to be ready to knock off the big dog.

For a look at the action:


Monday, June 20, 2011

Disaster in Lane Eleven: The Demise of Honaunau


On a beautiful sunny day on Nanakuli Beach, disaster struck Honolulu Pearl Canoe Club with a horrendous crash on the beach that seriously damaged their venerable koa canoe Honaunau and injured two paddlers. Intermittent large sets had been running through lanes 10-12 with big surges up the sloping beach. Unfortunately, Honolulu's Novice A women's crew, paddling in Lane 11, could not pull out of a wave at the finish and the canoe hit the sand with explosive impact. Afterwards there was a sad procession as the canoe was carried up the beach along with the pieces of the front half of the canoe.

Keahiakahoe's Stan Dickson expressed it well for all onlookers and fellow paddlers: "When I saw then carry the canoe out, my heart just dropped. It's really unfortunate because everybody treasures their koa canoe. That's part of your family, part of your club. Koa canoes mean everything to us in paddling."

On a personal note, when I started paddling in 1994 before coming to Anuenue, it was with this club, and my first race in a koa canoe was in Honaunau. The club had another koa at the time, the Honolulu, but Honaunau was the pride of the club and was paddled across the channel by the women's open crew that year. A little more background: Built in 1952 on the Big island, the canoe was sold to Hui Nalu and then later obtained by Gary Oakland for the new Honolulu Canoe Club. I remember well working on the canoe during those days, and most recently, it had another makeover for this year's regatta season. We all feel badly when koas get damaged but in this particular
for me it was especially a sad sight to witness.

However we've seen some remarkable restorations over the years. The return of Keoua Canoe Club's Kaahumanu from a Kaiwi Channel disaster in 1996 comes to mind. Our sympathies and aloha go out to Honolulu Pearl with best wishes for their injured paddlers and the return of Honaunau. Fundraisers no doubt will be on the horizon, and we'll be able to help them out.




Monday, May 30, 2011

Veterans in the Boat

Anuenue paddlers had a chance to share their sport with veterans participating in the annual Golden Age Games this past weekend. Turns out that every Memorial Day Weekend for the past 25 years this get together for military vets over age 55 is held at various sites across the USA and for the first time it was held in Hawaii. Over 900 vets were on hand with a full schedule of activities ranging from dominoes to some track events like discus and shot put. Paddling was added as an "exhibition", and four canoe clubs helped out taking participants out the Hilton channel for a run off Waikiki. Aka Hemmings and his Pure Light paddlers were instrumental in running the event. For many of the veterans, it was the high point of the weekend especially for those with significant handicaps. For us, it was also a memorable experience as we got to meet them and hear about their background. It's always inspirational to see how these individuals overcome their disabilities to stay competitive and enjoy sports. "We're part of a wonderful brotherhood, " said one. One guy with lower leg prostheses told me he was a ski instructor back home on the east coast As the volunteers on the beach mentioned numerous times, the excited faces of the vets as they returned to the beach told the story. Many were Vietnam era vets, and for me personally having spent a year in Vietnam as a Navy doctor in the Marines, we had much in common. On Sunday, Hardy and I were helping a guy back to his wheelchair when the beach church service was taking place outside the Hilton and they were playing the Star Spangled banner and God Bless America. Everyone paused to sing along and it was definitely a chicken skin moment thinking of what those words meant to these people as well as me. Thank you guys ( "Patriots in Paradise" ) for your service to your country!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Eono Hoe #2

Just a few observations about the second edition of Eono Hoe: This year there were two stages with the first being from Maui (off Fleming's Beach) to Kaunakakai and day two from Molokai (west end) to Maunalua Bay. Conditions were smoking for the run from Maui with gusty trades and small craft warnings. Kaumana was paddling a new carbon fiber boat and took advantage of the day to leave the rest of the field behind including the other light boats. Karel had a new composite boat which looked "Hawaiian" with manus. The surprise to many was that the Primo boys in a Bradley were right there as well. One question: Why trailer the boats for the second day? Why not finish at Hale o Lono and start from there the next day? Longer but still a reasonable way to do it. Maybe next year? Taking photos from my usual perch off Koko Head , I was expecting the composites to be battling for the lead. Kamanu led the pack but close behind was Primo giving up over 150 pounds with their conventional Bradley. A California Lanikila crew paddling a Bradley finished well also. Moral: Composites make a difference but it still comes down to who's in the boat.

This weekend Anuenue will be helping out with the "Veteran Games" on the water especially with some guys who will be paddling despite some major handicaps. A high for them as well as those who help!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

2011 updates

Here we are with March and a new paddling season around the corner. Of course at Anuenue, there really is no off season as many of us continue with our three times a week routine for exercise and chances to talk story. Nappy and a few others helped out again with ILH paddling races with the high schoolers competing their season with the State Championships on 2/4/2011 at Ke'ehi Lagoon (a Kamehameha sweep with the Kapalama paddlers coming in first in the boys, girls, and mixed competition). A few entries in the OC-1 races but other than that, not much on the racing scene. Nappy and several of the boys are currently down in New Zealand for something new: The Takapuna Cup near Auckland which consists of sprint, relay and distance events.