Kai Opua figures to be seriously overmatched at the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association championships Saturday on Oahu, but that’s life in Division AAAA (21-41 races).
That’s nothing new for Kai Opua, a top contender on the Big Island but an annual underdog against the state’s best.
With 30 crews, Big Blue is the Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association’s only entry in the large division, again.
Four-time Aunty Maile Mauhili/Moku O Hawaii champion Puna (20 crews) will look to match with a four-peat at states in Triple A (13-20 events).
Kai Ehitu (12), Kawaihae (12), Keoua Honaunau (10), and Waikoloa (8) will chase the Division AA (7-12 races) crown.
Paddlers of Laka (6), Keaukaha (5), Keauhou (3), Kailana (1), Kamehameha (1), and Hui Wa‘a O Waiakea (1) will compete in Single A (1-6 events).
Maui’s Hawaiian (39) has been the state’s best the last five years. The Valley Isle club also won its association’s championship for the 33rd straight year, an unparalleled streak of dominance.
Lanikai (41), from the Oahu association, finished second last year, 400-386 points, and stubbed its toe with two disqualifications. Hawaiian had one DQ.
Kai Opua has raced in the large division for the last nine years. In 2008, Kai Opua dropped down to Triple A and beat Puna, 165-160 points, for the title.
It’s been a decade since Big Blue hoisted a state championship trophy, but there are other attractions for racing in Quad A.
“We try to get in as many people as we can,” Kai Opua chief Mike Atwood said. “We want to give our people the experience of going against the best teams in the state.”
Moku O Hawaii crews have the fastest times in nine of the first 10 youth and rookie events, including Paddlers of Laka in the girls 12, boys 12, mixed 12, girls 13, and boys 13.
The Puna girls 14 crew holds the fastest time in its quarter-mile race. Kai Ehitu’s women novice B and Waikoloa’s mixed novice B and men novice B are tops in their events.
In those early morning battles, Lanikai has four crews with top five times; Hawaiian has one top five keiki crew.
Those top times are on different courses, but it’s still fun to speculate. Atwood put on his tactician’s hat and took a stab.
“It should be interesting between Lanikai and Hawaiian. It’s both quality and quantity,” he said.
“Hawaiian has a commitment from the schools on Maui, and their coaches have been in place a number of years. They’ve got a lot of family connections and a winning reputation to uphold.”
The unbeaten Moku O Hawaii crews are Paddlers of Laka’s mixed 12, Waikoloa’s mixed novice B, Kai Opua’s boys 16 and 18 and women senior, Kawaihae’s women freshmen, Keaukaha’s men senior and men 60, and Puna’s women 50 and men 50. (The 1.5-mile senior races are only held at the championships.)
Those 10 crews have undefeated reputations to uphold, but Waikoloa and Kawaihae will paddle at a slight disadvantage.
The Waikoloa brush fire produced snail-crawling traffic the past couple of days. Waikoloa practices at Anaehoomalu Bay near Hilton Waikoloa while Kawaihae trains at Kawaihae Pier, which was the choke point of congestion.
Atwood noted his paddlers faced no such traffic problem, another five-star positive for living in Kailua-Kona besides beautiful, humid sunshine.
“The Waikoloa brush fire didn’t affect us too much,” he said. “The majority of our club lives around Kailua. They didn’t have to travel too far.”
Speaking of travel, Atwood pointed out that it isn’t cheap to compete at states. Shipping the club’s two koa canoes is $3,000. And that’s one way.
Meanwhile, Oahu’s Keehi Lagoon is well-known for two things: unappealing water and swirling winds. In 2016, Tropical Storm Darby dumped polluted runoff, which led 10 clubs (none from the Big Island) to bail from states.
“It’s a different venue but good for spectators,” Atwood said. “That water quality is not the type of water I would go swimming in. Sometimes, it gets pretty windy.”
Maybe Hector decides to make an early appearance and crashes the party at Keehi Lagoon and makes things interesting.
Life as a Quad A underdog is not so bad after all, in Atwood’s eyes.
“The best part is being good enough to get there and knowing there are 14 lanes filled with koa canoes,” he said. “Whether you’re in the inside, outside, or middle, you’re competing amongst the best paddlers in the state.”
Next year, Kauai will host states, Oahu (Hui Wa’a) in 2020 and Hilo Bay in 2021.
