Sometimes to fully understand the significance of an event, it takes looking back at its history, especially when that history is quickly approaching the 40-year mark. ADVERTISING Sometimes to fully understand the significance of an event, it takes looking back
Sometimes to fully understand the significance of an event, it takes looking back at its history, especially when that history is quickly approaching the 40-year mark.
The Hapuna Rough Water swim has changed hands and seen numbers grow and fall, but has stood the test of time. And most importantly, the event has provided great memories and competition for Hawaii Island athletes along the way.
Currently run by Academy Swim Club, the 1-mile open water race is one of the oldest athletic events on the Big Island, predating even the IRONMAN World Championship — which moved to the Big Island in 1981 — and the other two races in the Triple Crown series (King’s Swim and Cinco de Mayo Splash).
At the inaugural race in 1976, 13 swimmers — five junior men, five senior men and three women — took on the waters of Hapuna. The route ran from Mauna Kea Beach Club to Hapuna and back, a much different course than the current race. Archie Hapai was Hapuna’s first champion, clocking a time of 31 minutes and 15 seconds. Hapai is also known for being the first swimmer out of the water at the first IRONMAN in 1978 on Oahu.
Legendary swimmer Mo Mathews — a Big Island Sports Hall of Fame Member — is known as the grandfather of the Hapuna race. Mathews was a part of that inagural event in 1976, and competed in nearly every one since. Mathews was present for Saturday’s race, but now in his late 80s, opted for a spot on the beach.
Sean “Peaman” Pagett — a noted participant at Hapuna and historian of athletic events on the Big Island — completed his 33rd race on Saturday. Peaman missed the first four swims and one race in 1985, but has participated in all the other swims.
After the inagural swim in 1976, the event went on a three-year hiatus until it returned in 1979. Participation more than tripled that year, with 46 swimmers taking part in the race. Kristen Collins took top overall honors in 23:47, and Mark Cunningham followed close behind in 24:04.
The race continued through the 1980s, with US olympian Robin Backhaus being the only repeat overall champion in 1987-88. Backhaus won the bronze medal for his third-place performance in the men’s 200-meter butterfly during the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Frozen Pea Productions took over the race from Big Island Masters in 1992 and guided it to a record 323 swimmers by 2003. More than a decade later, that number stands as the most participants in a single edition of the 1-mile swim.
Veteran Hawaii waterman Chris Moore was the king of Hapuna for the majority of the early years. Moore finished with a time of 17:12 in 1994, breaking his own record of 17:15 he set eight years earlier in 1986.
Ryan Donaldson, a former USC swimmer, broke Moore’s record in 2004, finishing with a time of 16:52. Peaman recalls Donaldson finding out about the race as people were setting up. He threw on his shorts and set a record.
Donaldson’s record did not last long, however. Four years later, 16-year-old Nick Garrett — a former Kona Dolphins and Kealakehe swimmer who just wrapped up a college swimming career at Colorado Mesa University — and 17-year-old Sterling Wine — a Florida native who went on to swim at Auburn — crossed the finish line in 16:13. Garrett and Wine still share the course record with that stellar time, although Peaman noted in his July 11, 2008 column that the time came on a short course because of some swaying buoys.
Garrett (2007, ’08, ‘10) is also the only three-time overall champion. He said he hasn’t been back to the Big Island in five years, but hopes to be in the water for the 2016 edition of the race.
“After the training and dedication I put forth, I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome,” Garrett said. “I give all the winners of the race a lot of respect.”
Kona aquatics alumnus Nathanial Goodale (2012-‘14) has three men’s titles. Ashley Rose and Karlyn-Pipes-Neilsen are the most decorated female athletes, with four wins apiece.
So Saturday added another page to the storied history of the Hapuna Rough Water swim. And with a committed group of voulenteers coupled with athletes still yearning for a chance to add their name to that history, the Hapuna Rough Water Swim doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere.
