Spanning six miles along Kona’s popular coastline – from the pristine waters of Keauhou bay to the protected shores of Kamakahonu Beach – boasts the Big Island’s longest open water swim event, the Alii Challenge.
It has become the island’s most iconic swim race, and one that has certainly been added to the bucket lists of many athletes. Just one glance at the record books filled with swimming legends like Mo Matthews, Karlyn Pipes, Dietrich Lawrence, Steve McElrath, Aimee Kolman and Jim Mellon only proves the depth of this prestigious event.
Race director Tom Sena has been organizing the Alii Challenge for the past 29 years. And while listening to him talk about it, his bright smile and enthusiasm is clear confirmation as to the event’s continued success and longevity.
The History
Sena said he began the challenge in 1987 to give Big Islanders a long distance swim event of their own. Back then, Sena strategically scheduled it in late August after Peaman’s 1-mile Hapuna Rough Water Swim, but two weeks prior to Oahu’s 2.4-mile Waikiki Rough Water Swim – the oldest open water swim event in the state. This allowed Kona’s athletes recovery time for those wanting to participate in all three events. And in those early years, Sena’s swim race didn’t always end at Kamakahonu Beach.
“For the first six years we went from Kailua Bay to Keauhou,” Sena said. “Keauhou makes for a very nice place to finish the race but we had a couple of those years where we were in a tail end of hurricanes and we were swimming against currents. Swimming in place and seeing the same coral heads just wasn’t fun. So we flipped it, and now we typically get a following current pushing us.”
The Challenge
If swimming six miles in open water, vulnerable to strong currents and chop, with the occasional shark sightings and jellyfish invasions doesn’t seem daunting enough, then how about the logistics of the challenge itself?
“Navigation is big,” Sena said. “And so the biggest challenge is if we get currents. We are lucky if we get following currents or a south swell. In the summer time, we typically get more of the South swells so we are better off swimming in this direction. But you never know, with hurricane season sometimes we get currents that go against us which can be a big challenge.”
Sena added that athletes may choose to take the inside line, closer to the shoreline, or outside, further out into the deep, depending on the currents of that day. On a day with big swells or strong currents, Sena advised one should swim further out to avoid getting caught in the surf.
And how one chooses to swim it, whether as an individual or relay, is also important.
“If you are swimming individually, your kayak escort is definitely critical for you because you are basically swimming blind,” he said. “What I would normally do is have my kayak trail a line with a ribbon at the end and that way I can just look up a bit and see that. Some people choose to have the kayak on their breathing side which is smart as the kayak sets the course to go in the most straight line.
“When you are doing a relay, you are trading off every 20 minutes. So you have 20 minutes in the kayak and 20 minutes of swimming, so you are both navigating. As a team you need to decide the course you want to take before the race starts.”
Other important factors critical to completing the challenge is making sure one is properly fueled and hydrated throughout the race, and pacing. Athletes also have the option to use fins, wetsuits, and as difficult as it sounds — mermaid monofins.
The Race
The 29th Annual Alii Challenge 6-mile Rough Water swim on Sunday attracted 51 participants to the tranquil waters of Keauhou Bay. What started out as smooth and calm ocean conditions became somewhat choppy and bumpy by the halfway point of the race due to changing winds and current.
Reaching the white sands of Kamakahonu Beach in first was the relay team of Daniel Manzo and Nolan Grossman. The duo’s combined efforts clocked in at 2 hours, 8 minutes and 34 seconds.
In second for the relay division was the Triple Crown swim champ Dan Kniseley and Robin Parisi in 2:22:54, followed by Ed Doherty and Brent Imonen at 2:25:33.
In the overall women’s and men’s individual race, two Alii Challenge veterans, Madison Hauanio and Jim McCleery, happily claimed their first victories.
Hauanio, a 19-year old swimming phenom attending California State University as a junior this fall, stopped the clock with her winning time of 2:22:44. Hauanio said Sunday’s event was her first solo attempt as she had always competed in the relay division.
“It’s exciting to win and I was really surprised with my time,” Hauanio said. “I was just trying to see how well I could do by myself. Me and Alyssa set a record when we did it (as a relay) and won just under 2 hours. So I’m happy because I was close to that today doing it on my own.”
Following Hauanio for the women’s podium spots was Kristin Old and Staci Studer in 2:57:43 and 3:02:05 respectively. Using a “mermaid monofin” was Jennifer Stabrylla, who whipped through the 6-mile course in 2:26:08.
In the men’s division, McCleery’s performance confirmed that there is no stopping this ageless wonder. After placing second for a few years, the 69-year old Kailua-Kona resident finished in an amazing time of 2:29:10.
“I love open water events and I just love swimming in the ocean,” McCleery said with a huge smile. “This was definitely challenging because you have to coordinate your nutrition, your kayaker, and deal with the conditions so there’s a lot of logistics involved besides the actual fitness to accomplish this swim, and I like that. And just to swim in the ocean with your friends – and dolphins – is about as good as it can get. “
Second and third for the men went to Keolalani Oka in a great time of 3:02:08, and 15-year old Ryan Cohen in 3:02:50.
As participants along with their kayak escorts, one by one, reached the finish line at Kamakahonu Beach with bright smiles of accomplishment on their faces, then listening to the instant camaraderie as they chatted among one another about their 6-mile adventure, only proved that Sena’s Alii Challenge is far from over.
“Just giving back to the swimming community is why I enjoy putting this event on,” Sena said. “The Alii Challenge was to give the Big Island a long distance race and it’s been fun because the people that do it enjoy it so much. I’ve done it myself 20 times. It challenges you to get into shape for a longer distance swim. I’m happy that Big Island can feel proud to have a long distance swim race of their own.”