HILO – The canoe paddlers at Kamehameha and Keaau may change with graduation always wiping out experience, but the mindset remains the same.
The Warrior girls and mixed crews won the BIIF season-opening regatta’s half-mile races on Saturday at Hilo Bay, where calm and peaceful conditions were present.
The Kamehameha girls are the defending BIIF champion and return just two starters in juniors Wai Wichimai and Hopoe Sipinga. Another junior Kaimi Kipapa saw spot action last season.
The three-time defending BIIF champion Cougar boys also won despite a severe lack of experience. Senior stroker Kenny Simons is the only returning starter.
Konawaena is the league’s defending mixed champion and raced with the other West schools off Kailua Pier.
Each winner’s time was much slower than last year’s BIIF championship, which means there’s a lot of room for improvement.
The Kamehameha girls finished in 4:36, compared to 4:26 a year ago. The Keaau boys came in 3:59, compared to 3:53. The Warrior mixed crew clocked a 4:24, compared to Kona’s 4:08.
It’s the 16th season of BIIF canoe paddling, and no school has ever swept all three titles. Parity may be in play again. And that provides extra incentive for everyone chasing a title.
Keaau got a double in 2014, but Kealakehe took the mixed. Kealakehe doubled in 2012, but Hawaii Prep took the mixed. Kamehameha got two BIIF golds in 2010, but Pahoa took the mixed.
See a pattern?
Those mixed races at the BIIF championship always dash someone’s dream of sweeping all three titles.
Judge’s rules
Kamehameha coach Keahi Warfield’s coaching philosophy is based on five C’s: competence, commitment, character, courage and compatibility.
He borrowed that from retired judge Tommy Kaulukukui Jr., who’s a Queen Liliuokalani Trustee.
His late dad Tom Kaulukukui, a Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame member, was the University of Hawaii’s first All-American football player, and coached the Rainbows from 1941 to ’50.
Warfield also has a point system, where such things as attendance will be worth points. Basically, working hard and being a good teammate will also lead to paddling time.
“It’s a matter of filling in the shoes the seniors left,” he said. “A lot of them are in water polo and cross-training and are in pretty good shape.
“Everybody in the girls crew has paddled before. They know how we do things. They’re accustomed to the drills, practice and commitment.”
Wichimai and Sipinga are both in water polo and share their coach’s team-first thinking.
“It’s the same like last year. We’re all family and we’re on all the same page,” Wichimai said.
Like any short-time period sport, like judo or wrestling, there’s much more to canoe paddling than just being on the water.
“We do a lot of cardio. We’re not always in the water at practice,” Wichimai said. “We do a lot of strength exercise and running.”
Wichimai noted that it was nice to get a regatta win, but on the upcoming Saturday there will be an all-schools clash at Kailua Pier.
Then everyone is at Hilo Bay on Jan. 9, and it’s an all-schools regatta on Jan. 16 in Kailua-Kona. The BIIF championships will be held Jan. 23 at Hilo Bay.
“We were the champs last year,” Wichimai said. “Anybody could be the champs this year.”
Sipinga already knows the key to repeating for the girls.
“It’ll take hard work and dedication,” she said. “We have to help each other and push each other and keep up our competence.”
Lone Cougar
It’s Simons and five new guys for Keaau, which paddled in a fast and furious manner to overcome its inexperience.
“This year, three-fourths of the team have never paddled,” said Keaau co-coach Anna Golden Kaaua, who coaches with her husband Grant Kaaua. “Things went good. We want to try and go faster because it was only the East schools. We have room to improve, but the kids were all having fun.”
Simons, who was in seat No. 2 last year, is enjoying his move up the canoe as the stroker. He sets the pace and Temaurai Border, Jimbo Hisaiah, Michael Tenorio, Ceres Lester, Solan Martinez follow his lead.
“It feels really good,” Simons said. “I get to set the tempo and everybody contributes. Everybody has stepped up and filled their roles, and we have all come together.”
Simons played football for the Cougars, and pointed out his crewmates are roughly the same size.
Power helps, but the Cougars also benefit from coach Grant Kaaua’s motivational pushes.
“Coach Grant inspires us every day,” Simons said. “He tells us to step up and fill the next guy’s shoes. A lot of the guys are the same size and same strength as me. And we’ve just come together as one.”
Mahalo volunteers
A special mahalo goes out to longtime BIIF canoe paddling volunteers Mike Ben, Betty Ben, Darlene Iokepa, Judy Puniwai, Jerone Mauhili and Don Weir, who’s on the officials boat.
