Puna’s strength with its experienced paddlers proved too powerful at the 10th annual Aunty Maile Mauhili/Moku O Hawaii championships on Saturday at Hilo Bay.
Under a punishing sun that disappeared in the afternoon and windy conditions, Puna snapped Kai Opua’s seven-year Division A (21-42 events) title reign.
Puna (35 events) scored 233 points, and was followed by Kai Opua (42), 223; Kai Ehitu (37), 168; Keauhou (36), 161; Kawaihae (42), 149; Keaukaha (37), 128; and Kamehameha (29), 103, in Division A.
Much like in 2007 when Puna last pocketed the Aunty Maile championship, coach Afa Tuaolo’s club started with a deficit because of a youth gap.
Kai Opua had a nice head start scoring 17 points with its boys 14, 15, 16 and 18, and girls 18 crews to Puna’s zero points. That’s because Puna doesn’t field any crews in those events.
There’s always been a misconception in paddling. Time is not the most important thing. It’s points. Being second 10 seconds behind or one second behind is the same thing.
It’s why Puna was in good shape after 26 events, even though Kai Opua was in first place with 121 points. Kai Ehitu was second with 118 points and Puna third with 112 points.
Then after 36 events the gap grew bigger. Kai Opua was in first with 180 points while Puna moved to second with 168 points, and there were six races remaining.
At the time, the statisticians — Kai Opua’s Mike Atwood and Puna’s Miri Sumida — knew what was going on, and both saw the momentum swing.
“Puna proved its strength with its adult crews,” Atwood said. “We built a buffer in the morning with our kids. There’s got to be a winner and a loser and it was Puna’s turn.
“Credit Puna’s training program and coach Afa Tuaolo. We gave it our best shot and tried to put our best crews in certain races.”
Sumida credited Puna coach Afa Tuaolo and his wife and chief-in-command Bev Tuaolo for sticking paddlers where they best fit.
But more than anything, she credited her head coach for being an inspirational leader.
“He’s the rock of our club,” Sumida said. “Everybody admires him and when he praises you, then you feel good. Everybody wants to do well for him and the club.”
Puna made something of a historic run to get back in the ballgame, starting with event 31, its undefeated women 60, which kept its record perfect.
For good measure, Puna was third in the men 60, then reeled off six straight gold in the women 55, men 55, men 50 (unbeaten crew), mixed 60 and mixed 55 (unbeaten crew).
Tuaolo is on the perfect men 50 crew, though he’d never announce that. But he would throw glory at his crew mates: Terry Andrade, Bubba Baldado, Louie Mendonca, Forest Parker-Bailey, Brian Peterson.
On a nice perfect note, Peterson finished the Moku O Hawaii season as the only paddler on two unbeaten crews. He was also on the mixed 55.
In those eight races, Kai Opua stuck to the old paddling adage: If you can’t beat ’em, then finish second.
The West Hawaii powerhouse was second three times, third twice, fourth twice, and fifth once, keeping it close during Puna’s run.
The next race was event 39, mixed 40, and Puna was second and claimed 10 points. Kai Opua was 10th and got two points.
That was an eight-point swing. And that hurt Kai Opua, and so did the last two races, the men open four, and the mixed men and women, the last event of the day.
In the men open four, Puna took first with 13 points and Kai Opua was sixth with seven points. In the mixed men and women, Puna was first again with 13 points, and Kai Opua was third with 10 points.
Add those points and the eight points from the mixed 40, and it totals 17 points — Kai Opua’s head start with its youth crews.
It wasn’t just about Kai Opua’s safety net disappearing. It was more about Puna hauling more medals (29), including gold (14), to Kai Opua (27 and 11).
Oh, Puna cleaned house in the opposite department, too, the novice B (rookie paddlers) and novice A (first or second year paddlers).
Puna won the women novice B, mixed novice B, men novice B, women novice A, and men novice A, growing its farm system for next year and beyond.
Sumida, who was on the unbeaten 55 mixed, and gold women 55, summed up Puna’s strategy perfectly.
“Every points counts,” she said.
Division B
Keoua Honaunau didn’t have the numbers to take down defending champion Laka in Division B (11-20).
Laka entered the maximum 20 events and took the title with 62 points on Saturday at Hilo Bay. Waikoloa (18 events) was second with 58 points, and Keoua Honaunau (14) was third with 54 points.
Keoua Honaunau president and head coach Rafael Ramirez’ club had a bit of sunshine and enjoyable moments, and qualified two crews, the men and women novice A (first or second year paddlers), for states.
The women, who have medaled in every regatta, entered the day first in the Moku O Hawaii standings, but placed second in the half-mile race in 4:35.10, behind Puna, 4:33.72.
The Keoua Honaunau men were third in the standing, and finished third in the mile race in 8:36.06, behind Puna, 8:17.32, and Kai Ehitu, 8:23.63.
“Our men and women novice always put points on the board, as well as make the club an exciting group. They’ve got energy,” Ramirez said. “We don’t many kids, but I’d like to see our kids and young adults paddling 20 and 30 years later. It’s a lifestyle sport.”
Ramirez, 70, is a shining example of paddling endurance. He’s been paddling for 42 years, and his wife Gretchen also competes for the club, which has about 100 keiki.
The women novice A members are Jene Green, Pauahi Kamakau, Angela Johnson, Kawai Domingo, Christine Kern and Brittany Caporrimo, who’s Green’s younger sister.
The connections don’t stop there. There are three couples for the novice A crews.
Green’s husband Trey and Kamakau’s husband Jean are on the men’s crew. The other couple is Johnson and Josh Allen. The other men paddlers are Matt DeMotte, Gabe Duignan and Jeremy Chien.
Jene Green, who’s a realtor for Hawaii Life, has been paddling for the club for 15 years, and cherishes the family vibe. Her two children Dylan, 11, and Makayla, 10, paddle for Keoua Honaunau’s boys and girls 12 crews.
“We’re ohana. We work hard, train hard and have passion for it,” she said. “The biggest thing is we do our best and have fun.”