There’s a reason the motto “Paddle as one” has been around forever, and that’s because the philosophy works so well.
The second split regatta of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation season was held on a very windy Saturday at Hilo Bay, where the few East Hawaii schools found themselves.
Take the Kamehameha girls for example.
They won the half-mile race in 4 minutes, 42.94 seconds, despite something of a newbie crew in kite-flying weather conditions that included a bothersome current at the turn flags.
Ka‘imi Kipapa, a sophomore, and Lahela Rosario, a freshman, came up from the junior varsity to help out starting sophomores Hopoe Sipinga and Wai Wichimai, and seniors Hali‘a Nahale-a and Nawai Makua.
They don’t hang out all together at school. They’ve got other friends and interests.
Sipinga, Wichimai and Nahale-a are also Warrior water polo members. Makua does hula and ballet. Kipapa plays basketball and volleyball at Kamehameha. Rosario dances hula.
Only Sipinga and Makua paddle during the summer’s Moku O Hawaii season with the Keaukaha Canoe Club.
Makua is a four-year veteran for Kamehameha coach Keahi Warfield. Sipinga, Wichimai and Nahale-a are two-year paddlers while Kipapa and Rosario are rookies.
“The canoe brings us together,” Makua said.
The Warriors beat a pretty tough Keaau crew by a healthy margin. The defending BIIF champion Cougars finished in 5:04.75 and Waiakea, clocked in at 5:14.44.
Nahale-a tipped her paddle to coach Warfield for sharpening the crew.
“He works us hard, but he knows how to let us have fun, too,” she said. “I’m so proud of all the girls. Our two other original varsity girls are not here, and our two JV girls (Kipapa and Rosario) really stepped up.
“We all have fun together and a good time. It was teamwork that helped us and talking and using that hammer.”
Hilo surprise
Ronsan Kui Reis and steersman Chris Kekaualua-Tuia‘ana are returning starters for the Vikings. The rest of the crew includes first-time starters Daniel Nunes, Tasala Pola, Scott Kualono Kaupu, and Kaonohi Botelho.
Hilo won the boys race in 3:59.94 to edge two-time defending BIIF champion Keaau, which finished in 4:01.61.
It was the closest race of the day. About a football field’s length from the finish line, the Vikings were 20 yards behind or the equivalent of two holding penalties.
Even though there weren’t any West Hawaii schools, it was still an impressive win because the Cougars feature returning starters Kalai Ho, Kenny Simmons, Kainalu Kiyuna and Byron Cachola.
Nunes, a senior stroker, is a second-year paddler for the Vikings. As a sophomore, he lived on Oahu and was on Leilehua’s canoe paddling team.
“It was pretty interesting because we didn’t know who would win,” Nunes said. “Keaau paddles with us during the offseason. We got into the turn before them, but they caught up. We tried our best and gave it all we got.”
The flu bug wiped out Hilo’s varsity girls crew, but a few were available for the mixed race.
Ronson Kui Reis, Kapiolani Perez, Everlee Oliveira, Leihualani Palakiko, Deja Santana, and Kekaualua-Tuia‘ana powered to a 4:27.17 time to capture the mixed race.
Kealakehe is the defending BIIF champion.
“We lost a lot of kids to the flu bug this week, and some took the SATs,” Hilo coach Aloha Mauhili said. “We have a roster of 35 but had 24, and no girls crew and no JV.”
The Vikings went all kapakahi – six paddlers were thrown into a canoe, like an ono tasting mixed salad, and paddled as one.
“It’s just the second day practicing with that mixed crew,” Mauhili said. “We just put that team together. We just try to have everybody paddle who comes out.
“Everybody came together. They helped each other and we’re just an ohana out there.”