Most paddling people view the first Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association regatta in Hilo as something of a championship preview.
After all, the Aunty Maile Mauhili/Moku O Hawaii championships are held at Hilo Bay.
But the Puna Canoe Club paddlers know better.
Puna hit perennial powerhouse Kai Opua with a double whammy last year: on June 27, breaking Big Blue’s 42 consecutive regatta win streak dating back to 2010, and winning the Aunty Maili/Moku O Hawaii title, snapping a seven-year KO reign.
“I wasn’t surprised Puna won,” Aunty Maile said. “A number of their old-timer paddlers used to paddle with Wailani, like Afa and Bev. Every day they used to come into Hilo Bay from Kalapana.
“Kailana Canoe Club is in its 30th year. But it’s still Wailani, which is 43 years old. We just changed the name.”
Afa Tuaolo is the Puna head coach and his wife Bev is the commander-in-chief.
They’ve built a reputation with doing more with less. Last year, Puna had 34 crews but still defeated Kai Opua’s 42 crews, 233-223 points, for the Aunty Maile/Moku O Hawaii crown, its first since 2007.
However, on Saturday at the Kailana regatta, it felt like old times again at Hilo Bay, where rain and strong wind reminded paddlers that Kailua Pier’s turn as host is done for the season.
To add to the old-fashioned vibe, the Moku O Hawaii computer crashed. Scores needed to be tabulated by hand. So much for technology and welcome back paper and pencil.
To the surprise of no one, Kai Opua extended its regatta winning streak to four with 212 points while Puna found familiar ground at second with 183 points.
Kai Ehitu was third with 145 points in the A division (21-40 events); followed by Keaukaha, 135; Kawaihae, 108; Kamehameha, 101; Keauhou, 95; and Paddlers of Laka, 66.
In the B division, (1-20 races), Keoua was first with 49 points, followed by Waikoloa, 16; Hui Wa‘a O Waiakea, 8; Na Wa‘a O Hanakahi, 8; Kailana, 3; and Miloli‘i, 3.
Kai Opua has turned into a superpower with the transfer of a boatload of paddlers from Keauhou, which had just 28 crews.
Last year at the Aunty Maile/Moku O Hawaii championships, Keauhou field 36 crews and placed fourth.
At the 64th annual Hawaii Canoe Racing Association state championships at Hilo Bay last summer, Keauhou was second in the AAA (13-20 events) division.
Puna continued its glorious summer and won the AAA title, dethroning Keauhou. Kai Ehitu made it a Big Island sweep with third place.
Kai Opua went on a suicide mission and entered the HCRA’s top AAAA division (21-42 races) with 30 crews and was last in a six-club field.
Puna power
Chance Agpoon has been with Puna since he was 13 years old and placed at states in age divisions 13, 14, 15, 16 and 18. Last year at states, he was on the gold mixed men and women crew.
On Saturday, he was on the Puna sophomore men crew (along with Lance Oliveira, Kekoa Yockman, Colby Nicolas, Gerard Pila, Flame Kaaihue) that won the mile race in 7:47.92. Kai Opua was second in 7:58.09.
Agpoon, a 2013 Hilo graduate and UH-Hilo computer science major, was there when Puna placed second to Kai Opua for the Aunty Maile/Moku O Hawaii crown in 2008, ’09, and ’14. Puna was third in those other years.
“They’re always our challenge. We always push ourselves to beat them,” Agpoon said. “Afa’s thing is to add speed to the crew and not be singular.”
Agpoon was feeling good when he traveled down a golden summer memory lane and recalled the state mixed men and women race.
Puna (Manu Akuna, Michele Padayao, Harriet Parsons, Keola Sumera-Lee, Kanani Yockman and Agpoon) captured the half-mile race in 4:01.80.
“When we took the turn, I thought, ‘We got this.’ When we crossed the finish line, I had nothing left,” he said. “We left it all out there.”
Puna smoked Maui’s Na Kai Ewalu, which finished second in 4:06.83. Hawaiian, another Valley Isle competitor, was third and won the AAAA title, its third straight and 12th of the past 15 years.
By the way, heavy rain and wind also welcomed the 559 crews and 2,738 paddlers from across the state last summer.
Brian knows rain
At the Kailana regatta, Puna steersman Brian Peterson was on two winning crews: the senior men 50 and mixed 55 crew.
That senior 50 crew (Terry Andrade, Bubba Baldado, Louie Mendonca, Forest Parker-Bailey, Peterson, Tuaolo) also won HCRA gold last summer.
The crew recently took a vacation/competition trip to Australia, where the Va’a World Sprints were held in May.
Puna finished second to Tahiti in the men’s 50 age division 500 meters race by one second.
But maybe it’s a good thing Puna didn’t win. The Tahiti paddlers are all paid professionals. Lose one too many races on the government’s dime and the paddlers will soon be in an unemployment line.
But back to the rain, one of Peterson’s favorite subjects.
One reason Peterson knows rain is because he owns Yama’s Roofing. When it rains, that’s good for business because a downpour usually opens a hole in someone’s roof.
“We’re always busy when it rains, but we can’t work in the rain,” said Peterson, who figures rain might be a handy weapon for canoe paddling.
Like all of the Puna paddlers, Peterson knows the best time to peak is July 16. That’s when the 11th annual Aunty Maile/Moku O Hawaii championships will be held at Hilo Bay.
Hopefully, for Puna, it’s raining that day.
“Kai Opua will be tough. They got a lot of top paddlers from Keauhou. But they can’t paddle in the rain,” Peterson said. “We know how to paddle in the rain. We’re used to the rain. It’s home for us.”
Results not available at press time