KAILUA-KONA — A high surf advisory for southwest facing shores did little to slow down paddlers in the 46th annual Queen Liliuokalani Long Distance Outrigger Canoe Race.
The legendary 18-mile trek between Kailua Bay and Honaunau drew 126 men’s and 117 women’s crews from around the world to the Kona coast, but a little home course advantage proved to be a nice edge for some Big Island paddlers.
In the Iron (no crew changes) Open Non-Koa Division, two local crews managed to clinch top honors. Host club Kai Opua won the women’s division in a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 7 seconds. The men’s division was claimed by Kona-based Red Bull Wa’a in a time of 1:43:30.
Helping Kai Opua pull off the win in the women’s division were crew members Lorelei Nakagawa, Nicki Lacey Enos, Cheryl Villegas, Kristin Old, Maile Leslie and Angela Rey.
Kawaihae Canoe Club (2:25:39) finished second in the women’s Open Non-Koa Division and Kahana Canoe Club (2:28:25) placed third.
“It was the coolest race I can remember, the morning air was fresh,” said Enos, a veteran steersman and long-time Kai Opua paddler. “Right off the starting line the south swell helped us with little pushes. Although the two other crews were always in the hunt, our strategy was to get out there on the course fast and stay in front.”
The Kai Opua crew battled a little wind in their face as they paddled from Kailua Bay to Honaunau, but the day was full of positive energy.
“We had the Kawaihae girls breathing down our necks early on,” said crew member Kristin Old, who has beening paddling for three years and finished second in the Queen Liliuokalani race last year. “You have to be mentally tough for this race, but these girls are like my sisters and we blend well together. We can feel each other’s energy and we wanted to win. We held each other accountable.”
Villegas, another crew member for Kai Opua, knew the race was going to go the crew’s way from the moment she heard who she would be paddling with.
“I knew these were really strong girls with a good mix of veterans and young paddlers,” Villegas said. “It felt really good from the minute we left the beach to the final five strokes.”
For Kai Opua, the biggest advantage was knowing the waters well. Along with the veteran experience they had in the canoe, they also had a coach, Melanie Kelekolio, who has paddled in Big Island waters for 40-plus years. She has also competed in the Queen Liliuokalani race since she was a young girl.
“I like the fact that this race is right in my backyard,” Kelekolio said. “It helps to know how the waters run and we are also used to the heat here.”
In the men’s Open Non-Koa Division, Red Bull Wa’a had that same advantage, as the crew outdistanced themselves in the 18-mile stretch from Honaunau to Kailua Bay from Lanikai Canoe Club (1:45:04) and Lanikai Canoe Club 2 (1:47:17).
Filling out the Red Bull Wa’a crew were Keakua Nolan, Kainoa Tanoai, Haiva Paieamo, Daniel Chun, Trey Cox and Heiarii Mama.
As they did last year when they took the Iron Unlimited title, the Red Bull crew seemed to only get stronger as the race went on. Approaching the southern tip of Kealakekua Bay, the team had established a four to five boat length advantage.
“The guys really shifted into another gear to create a gap at this point,” said Mike Nakachi, who serves as a manager for the team but prefers the title of Team Uncle. “I don’t know if it was a swell or a wave, but the crew was able to time it right to create even more separation. This section of the race really helped the team establish the lead.”
For Red Bull Wa’a, the conditions were actually a pleasant sight.
“For about 320 days a year here, the water is calm,” Nakachi said. “It was a welcomed relief to see the south swells rolling in. The points were moving and our steersmen mapped out a beautiful course line. It seemed like a very quick race.”
Competing in the Iron Unlimited Division, Outrigger Canoe Club placed first overall in the women’s division with a time of 2:21:22. In the men’s division, Wairua Oceania finished first overall with a time of 1:41:29.
“As usual, Kona’s water performed as it should, giving the women’s race a start, although the south swell kept the course times a bit slower,” said Race Director Mike Atwood. “Big Island teams were well represented on the winner’s podium and the iron crews are all incredibly fit with impressive times. As paddlers in this sport continue to train at very high levels, their physical conditioning will continue to push faster and faster finish times. I look forward to the years ahead.”
“We host paddlers from all over the world who come here to share these five days of fun, competitive canoe racing as we all honor Hawaii’s last monarch, Queen Lili‘uokalani,” added Kai Opua Canoe Club President Uncle Bo Campos. “Mahalo nui loa to everyone who helps make this world’s largest long distance canoe race run so smoothly. The smiles on the faces are so rewarding and remind us that we look forward to next year.”