Ageless Lokahi captures Hui Wa'a canoe title
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
In a matchup of strengths, experience prevailed over youth.
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That's what the Lokahi Canoe Club relied on to win the Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a Championship Regatta yesterday at Ke'ehi Lagoon.
Two members of the Kane'ohe Canoe Club celebrate their victory in the men's novice B half-mile race.
It was the second consecutive Hui Wa'a title for the Ala Wai-based club, and 14th in the last 15 years.
Kane'ohe, which was responsible for the only glitch in Lokahi's streak with the 1999 title, placed second for the second consecutive year.
"This was as noisy as I've heard the Lokahi tent in years," said Lokahi head coach Wayne Babineau. "The club spirit was really alive. It seems like all the paddlers here just really wanted to win this."
Riding a stellar performance from its adult paddlers, Lokahi won 13 of the day's 36 races and finished with 89 points. Riding an equally impressive performance from its youth crews, Kane'ohe scored 85.
The A division for smaller clubs was even closer, with Kamehameha and Koa Kai tying for top honors with 29 points each. Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i was third with 28, and Kalihi Kai fourth with 26.
"There's only so much our kids can do," Kane'ohe head coach Clint Anderson said. "The rest have to come from the adults. The good part is we did our job and Lokahi did theirs. I can not complain about that."
Indeed, Kane'ohe's vaunted youth paddlers had their best showing of the season. They opened the regatta by winning the first five races. Of the 13 youth races, Kane'ohe won eight and placed second in three others, and accounted for 51 of the club's 85 points.
"We count on them every week, but today was exceptional," said Ace Esau, coach of Kane'ohe's victorious boys 12, boys 13 and mixed 12 crews.
Hosanna Folk, coach of the victorious girls 12 and girls 13 crews, added: "They knew what was on the line and they really wanted it."
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Ultimately, it would not be enough as Lokahi countered with a stunning run from its adults.
Lokahi's mixed novice B team hammers toward the finish line at Ke'ehi Lagoon to win the quarter-mile race in 2 minutes, 0.74 seconds.
"After Kane'ohe's kids won all those races in the morning, I said to myself, 'OK, that's it, we're done,' " Babineau said.
But Lokahi swept both novice A races, then somewhat surprisingly, also swept the sophomore and senior races.
The Lokahi women were expected to have a strong showing, and they did, winning the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior races, while placing second in open-4.
"You never want to take them for granted," Babineau said. "But, quite frankly, we need that from them every week."
Most impressive, Lokahi won the prestigious women's senior race by a whopping 38 seconds. The winning crew: Bozo Vierra, Jennifer Thompson-Tuzon, Mikala Hetland, Jennifer Horner, Theresa Gerry and Jennifer Davis.
"It felt so good," said Davis, who steered the crew. "It's not just putting in the strongest paddlers, but finding the right blend."
That blend has produced 38 consecutive women's senior victories against Hui Wa'a competition — a streak dating to 1997.
"The key is what we call the Lokahi stroke," Davis said. "Going downwind, people are kind of hanging with us, but when we turn and start going upwind, we get that stroke going and it seems to do the trick."
What wasn't as expected was the performance of Lokahi's men, who won the sophomore and senior races for the first time this season.
The men's senior crew of Robert Viernes, Sarge Ouchi, Mike Cushnie, Ryan Mielke, Marshall Giddens and Ropati Hebenstreit completed the 1 1/2-mile course in 11:55.36 to edge Kane'ohe by seven seconds.
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"I have no idea where that came from," Babineau said. "It was basically the same guys we've had all year."
Kalihi Kai's girls' 15 crew was in fine form in placing third in the half-mile race. Kane'ohe finished first.
Anderson credited Lokahi with "doing their homework." He said Lokahi produced various combinations in the adult races that he had not seen all season.
"They took advantage of their depth and filled all the holes," Anderson said. "That's why they're the champions every year — they know how to play the game."
Four Lokahi crews went undefeated this season: men's novice A, women's sophomore, women's senior and women's golden masters (55-older).
"We gave them a good rub the whole year," Anderson said. "But they beat us fair and square."
Among other significant race victories:
• Na Keiki O Ka Mo'i won the men's open-4 race in 3:56.79, becoming the first Hui Wa'a crew to break the four-minute barrier in that race all season.
• Kalihi Kai won the men's senior masters (45-older) race in a koa canoe. All other crews raced in fiberglass canoes, which are supposed to be faster.
• Kalihi Kai won the women's masters (35-older) race to cap an undefeated season.
The top two Hui Wa'a crews in each division earned spots in the Aug. 4 state championship regatta at Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i.
The O'ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association will hold its championship regatta today at Ke'ehi Lagoon.
