With clear skies and a blazing sun the Kawaihae heat was thankfully tempered by a NW breeze and some on-shore chop which welcomed racers on Saturday.
Another clean line on the start line was achieved with both courses starting at the same time and heading north out of the main harbor into the breeze. The threat of a 5 minute penalty from HIPA for over the line early paddlers might have helped.
It was a good race for those skilled at working the waves coming at odd angles as the lead paddlers broke loose from the pack at the turns. Short course ran 7 miles and long course ran for 10.
About 65 canoes set off south Saturday morning with a light breeze, some mixed bumps and plenty of current. The race committed decided to prank the short course paddlers by telling them to stay inside and their turn would be in the bay near the shore. Their turning boat followed the fleet on the inside then took an abrupt 90° turn to cross both the short course and long course paddlers to set their mark outside. Naturally this caused some confusion and a lot of canoes crossing each other. But their 7 mile course and the long course 9.7 mile course didn’t overlap after that due to the currents. The long course had some surprisingly strong currents past that point and no one seemed to escape the struggle easily. Almost all the short course paddlers finished before the long course caught up.
Our open mens paddlers had their #1 seasonal streak broken as no one could make it to this race to represent. In fact, the turn out was pretty low for this race possibly due to spring break vacations. Good work to the paddlers who came out and battled their way though the current streams and heat. Lots of paddlers placing on this race.
The Four Seasons Resort held their 1st regatta for OC1/OC2 canoes on an early Saturday morning. There was a high surf warning and most paddlers were unfamiliar with this section of coast line. There was some early speculation about how to get across the shallow rocks during the lulls. But this well staffed and organized event came prepared to offer valet canoe launches.
About 12 people formed a fire-bucket-brigade style line to pass canoes over the shallow rocks. Paddlers would just carry their canoe to the start of the line, then proceed around the shore to a entry path that was lined with sandbags to protect your feet. At the end of the path you waded out and your canoe was served to you ready to paddle.
The start line was about 1 a mile warm up to the north, then south about 5 miles and another 4.5 back to the finish.
With this prize list, paddlers brought their A-Game:
1st Place, OC1 Menʻs and Womenʻs Overall – each will receive a two night stay at the Resort (including room, taxes, parking & $250 per day for expenses) plus $500 cash
2nd Place, OC1 Menʻs and Womenʻs Overall – each will receive a dinner for 4 at Ulu Ocean Grill
3rd Place, OC1 Menʻs and Womenʻs Overall – each will receive a dinner for 4 at Beach Tree
1st Place, OC2 Menʻs (or Mixed) and Womenʻs Overall – each will receive a dinner for 4 at Hualālai Grill
Registration was capped at 100 and filled up within a few hours. Lots of Keaukaha Paddlers came out for this race with some short course paddlers trying the longer distance for the first time.
Congrats to both Jose (1st) and Kama (3rd) who put in some wicked fast times along with Tyler (4th). It was almost a Keaukaha shut out. And excellent paddling to everyone who came out for a challenging race including one of our Jr.’s Eha who took 1st V1 and was the 4th Jr. overall. For several paddlers it was their first time doing a long course.
Saturday’s sunrise reviled a clear day in Honaunau with a light NW breeze and some NW swell rolling into the shore. To the dismay of some, the close out sets over the rocky reef exit wasn’t something they wanted to test their expensive carbon fiber canoes on. A few paddlers awed by the larger sets decided not to race. Others grit their teeth and tried their best to time their exits and entrances. Out of about 60 or so canoes about 5 found rocks. The start was slightly delayed as the jet ski assisted bringing a canoe or two back inside the channel.
There was a single start horn and the paddlers sprinted north riding some reflected bumps and looking for current pushes as the ocean tides created a variety of confusing surface streams.
Tyler was the first OC1 to finish on the long course and Kyle being the 3rd OC1 overall and we had many KCC paddlers placing. Great paddling!
Light NW winds and little bumps were running for the race on Saturday. Long course was about 9 miles running from Honokohau Marina north and back and the short course was about 5 miles long.
Jose, Tyler and Kama were among the top 4 individual finishers on the long course and on the short course we had Eha as the 2nd individual finisher but the first Junior. Great paddling! And good job to all those out there on the course!
Long Course: Jose (1st OC1 overall), Tyler, Kama (1st V1), Kyle, Keola
A calm day with a light northerly swell met a packed field of paddlers on Saturday the 12th. This race has a few options, you can do half the course and tag a partner to do the second half, you can iron it and still tag a partner to do a leg or you can just power the full race solo.
Long course was 10 miles and the short course was 8 miles. You could either do half or iron the full course. We had an impressive top showings from our open men and a relay on the long course and division dominance on the short course. Congrats! Everyone managed top placings.
Long Course: Jose (1st OC1), Tyler (2nd OC1), Kama (1st V1), Kyle (and partners, 1st mix OC2)
Short Course: Grant (division 1st), Kawai (division 1st)
Saturday’s race had a good turn out with some sunny weather and some slight bumps. Long Course ran about 9.5 miles and short course was about 6 miles with both of them running south from Keauhou Bay.
Four Keaukaha paddlers decided to let the racers start as they loaded their canoes from the beach just to see if they wouldn’t be last. You know those famous stories: they started last but finished first. Unfortunately this isn’t that kind of story, but they didn’t finish last and still had a great time.
Congratulations to Tyler who hammered to first OC1 to finish (3rd overall) and Kama (6th overall) was the first V1 to finish long course.
This race was sponsored by So Juicy Hawaii owners Keaukaha paddlers Kwai-Chang and Corrina Publico. Part of the proceeds went to raise funds for the Hayward Ohana and everyone was happy to see Eddie come out and race with us too. There was large turn out and registration filled up early due to the covid limits on crowd sizes.
The weather was calm and sunny again and while Western Hawai’i had plenty of swell, the East Side had fairly flat conditions. Both the long and short course started at the same time from the beach. The long course running about 8.4 miles towards the radio tower and short course a little over 3 miles inside the bay.
Our club had about 22 paddlers on the water testing their abilities and pushing hard. Jose pulled off another 1st over all win followed closely by the rest of the Keaukaha open men paddlers. And on the short course Eha hammered it out with the adults to pull off a 4th overall (discarding the 2-man canoes) and first V1 Junior.
Congrats to all the club paddlers who came and raced. It was exciting to see so many turn up for these beginning 2 races. Let’s keep going!
Stan has been thinking of renaming this race due to all the natural disasters that seem to occur on his race day from the false missile attack alert to Saturday’s early morning tsunami and the pandemic and floods in between.
Nevertheless Hilo was ready to open the season and race. Both events were near capacity and some standby paddlers were able to jump in.
Unfortunately, unlike the last weeks, the weather was calm and the ocean was flat. Even the tides were barely moving. That didn’t stop Jose from catching an epic “wave” all the way to the first turn. He somehow managed to get onto the escort boat wake at the start and ride it at a blistering pace with out being noticed by the escort crew who usually try to shake paddlers loose.
We had a good club turn out and there were several paddlers who wanted to race but either missed the entry due to the Covid capacity limits or couldn’t join in after the high school sprint regattas were cancelled in Kona at the last minute.
Congrats to the Long Course: Jose (1st Overall!), Tyler, Kama, Eric, Keola
And the short course hammahs: Jeff, Nate, Warren, Michael
Here’s the updated and corrected results for both short course and long course.
