It’s fitting that Paddlers of Laka is host to the next regatta, which will spotlight the club’s young paddlers and the musical chairs battle for standing points.
For the last four Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association regattas, Paddlers of Laka has won the first five races, all at Hilo Bay.
When people check out the race results at the scoring stand, it’s a peek to see who finished second or how big Paddlers of Laka’s winning margin was.
The girls 12 crew (Kale’a Kuamoo, Precious Kuamoo, Dejalei Pakani, Kamaile Pakani-Flores, Selah Stefaniak, and Ka’ano’i Young) has won five in a row.
The boys 12 crew (Keoni Bacdad, Makana Bumatay, Dalten Fely-Sanborn, Alon Halsted, Skyler Macomber, and Kenan Quintos-Freeman) has captured the last four.
The mixed 12 (Keoni Bacdad, Makana Bumatay, Dejalei Pakani, Kamaile Pakani-Flores, Kenan Quintos-Freeman, Ka’ano’i Young) is undefeated.
The girls 13 (Hinano Ahin-Ganir, Maia Biegler, Hi’ilei Hauanio, Isabel Paulo, Sara Santos, Kaiulani Young) and boys 13 (Wyatt Andrade, Kainalu Bumatay, A.J. Germano, Jacob Pakani Jr., Tyler Spencer, Kaiulu Tiogangco) have five straight wins.
For years, Kai Ehitu, Kawaihae, and Kai Opua had the best farm system reputation, developing young talent.
It’s not like they’ve turned from an Aunty Maile Mauhili/Moku O Hawaii championship production into something irrelevant, like the San Francisco Giants.
Those three clubs are either second or third in the Moku O Hawaii standings, an important distinction because the Big Island has three lanes to the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association regatta.
The state championships will be held Saturday, Aug. 4 at Oahu’s Keehi Lagoon, famous for its motto among paddlers: Don’t swallow that brown water.
At states, there will be the introduction of a race for 70 year olds. It’ll be an exhibition and balloon trial run, giving Kai Opua chiefs Mike Atwood (HCRA first vice president) and Uncle Bo Campos (race commissioner) an idea of how the lineup shakes out.
The old folks — women and men 65 and women and men 60 — paddle first at states with the thinking that they’re up early anyway and can take their afternoon naps.
There are no mixed races for those divisions. (Moku O Hawaii has a mixed 60 but not a mixed 65.)
The reason for no mixed oldies races is a time-management issue.
“We’d either have to shorten some races or take some races out,” said Atwood, who knows the pulse of the paddlers and recognizes that eliminating events would be a Sisyphus-type task.
It would boil down to a hot potato debate, along the lines of “No, no, no. We’re not wiping out that race. How old are you? We’re axing that one.”
Of course, the benefit of a 70 race would open up more seats for the Geritol crowd. They already have to battle either energetic 60 or 65 paddlers for spots.
“We have quite a few in their 70s on this island,” said Atwood, who noted that if things run on schedule most state championships finish about 5:30 p.m.
He added that things get delayed if there’s a huli (canoe flip) here and there or protests, which can be time-consuming and headache-producing for officials.
Meanwhile, the second-to-last Moku O Hawaii regatta is always bird watching time for the point standings at hcrapaddler.com.
Unlike BIIF canoe paddling, where only the championships count, every Moku O Hawaii regatta counts.
If a crew wins an Aunty Maile/Moku O Hawaii race and is fourth in the standings, that canoe is staying home from states.
However, more often than not, underdogs do not pull surprises. There’s a reason familiar names or favorites win titles: they’re faster than everyone else.
That said, the most exciting race to watch, outside of the first five, at the Paddlers of Laka regatta is event 8, women’s novice A.
Puna leads with 36 points, followed by Keoua Honaunau, 25; Kai Ehitu, 22; Ka Opua, 21; and Kamehameha, 20.
Crew on the rise
The Puna girls 15 crew placed fourth, had a DNF (did not finish), and scratch (no show) in its first three races.
Following Green Pride’s tradition (start slow, finish strong), Lori Ann Aiu, Kaila Vallente, Nyka Laeda, Shyla Williams, Taysia Rocha, and Leila Rosehill have since finished second, first, first, and first in the last four races.
More importantly, they’ve jumped to third in the Moku O Hawaii standings with 21 points, behind Keoua Honaunau’s 29 points and Kai Ehitu’s 22 points.
Who knows?
Maybe the Puna girls 15 crew smashes old convention, continues its underdog run and wins an Aunty Maile/Moku O Hawaii crown.
Canned goods
A canned food drive for Malia Puka O Kalani, the Keaukaha Catholic church, will be held on Saturday in front of the scoring stand.
Paddlers, as well as the general public, are asked to donate a canned good item.
