Australia rules Ocean races

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

A team of Hawai'i lifeguards celebrates after winning the outrigger canoe race of the Hawaiian International Ocean Challenge at Kailua Beach. Members of the winning crew, from front to back, Glenn Wachtel, Dolan Eversole, Guy Pere, Brendan Shea, John Flanagan and Jim Foti. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

Relying on its overall strength, Australia won the Hawaiian International Ocean Challenge yesterday at Kailua Beach.

The two-day event featured nine international teams of lifeguards competing in various ocean- and beach-related races.

Australia compiled 213 1/2 points over eight races for its ninth title in the 12-year history of the event. California was second with 205, followed in order by New Zealand (190), Hawai'i (170), New Jersey (120), Florida (118), Japan (96), Canada East (83 1/2) and Canada West (67 1/2).

"We got it back, but it was pretty scary, let me tell you," said Australia manager Hayden Kenny. "It's great to be back in the driver's seat for another year, but we can't remotely think that we're back in control like we were before."

Australia won eight consecutive titles from 1991-98. New Zealand won it in 1990, 1999 and 2000.

In regaining the championship, Australia had to hold off a surprisingly solid California team until the very last race of the event. California, which held a slight lead after the first day of competition on Friday at Makapu'u Beach, trailed Australia by a half-point entering the final race — the ocean medley.

"You have to be well-rounded all across the board," California manager Scott Diederich said. "I think everybody knows by now that Australia is solid in everything."

Fittingly, then, Australia clinched the title by winning the ocean medley, which features two legs of swimming, two of kayaking and two of paddleboarding. Britt Collie and Steve Short stayed near the lead pack during the swim; Dean Gardiner and Michael Murry provided a lead during the kayaks; Heath Collie and Steve Pullen increased it to non-dramatic proportions during the paddleboards.

"It's a cliche, but it really was a team effort," said Murry. "We each did our part, which was exactly what we talked about doing."

California placed third in the ocean medley, and second place overall was its best finish since 1997.

"I think we surprised some people coming that close," Diederich said. "If we had a better result in the outrigger (canoe race), who knows how it would have turned out."

In yesterday's first race, a six-person outrigger-canoe sprint, California placed seventh, resulting in just 12 points. It fell out of contention during the qualifying heat when a wave swept over the canoe, swamping it into the ocean.

Australia placed second in the canoe race for 26 points. Hawai'i won the canoe race for the third consecutive year.

Led by Lanikai Canoe Club steersman Jim Foti (each team's canoe came with a local steersman for safety purposes), Hawai'i overcame a near-disastrous swamping of its own. During its qualifying heat, Hawai'i's canoe got hit by a wave near "Flat Island" off Kailua Beach.

But because they were in the shallow water near the island, Foti instructed the Hawai'i lifeguards to step out of the canoe, then lift it and dump the water back into the ocean. "Fortunately, these are all strong, fit guys that we could pull it off," Foti said.

Even after that, Hawai'i qualified for the final heat, where it then took a more cautious route to victory.

"We stayed wide of the island and it paid off," Foti said. "We were in the right spot to catch (a wave) and it slid us past Australia."

Australia rallied to win the next race, the paddleboard relay, by nine seconds over California.

Jean Patrick Godbout of Canada East won the beach flags race, which requires competitors to sprint in the sand to grab designated "flags."

Hawai'i manager Mark Cunningham called fourth place "bittersweet," after a third-place showing last year.

"I think the level of competition was raised," he said. "And we obviously have room to improve. We just need more experience in events like this throughout the year."

The Ocean Challenge is the highlight event of the Hawaiian Airlines World Ocean Games, which continues today with the Outrigger's Waikiki King's Race and the Town & Country Grom Surfing Contest, both at Waikiki Beach.

Final Team Standings

1, Australia 213 1/2. 2, California 205. 3, New Zealand 190. 4, Hawai'i 170. 5, New Jersey 120. 6, Florida 118. 7, Japan 96. 8, Canada East 83 1/2. 9, Canada West 67 1/2.

Outrigger Canoe Race

1, Hawai'i 11:39. 2, Australia 11:52. 3, Japan 12:32. 4, Canada West 12:56. 5, Florida 13:00. 6, New Zealand 12:03. 7, California 13:09. 8, Canada East 13:13.

Paddleboard Relay

1, Australia 22:50. 2, California 22:59. 3, Hawai'i 23:28. 4, New Zealand 23:48. 5, Florida 24:22. 6, New Jersey 24:34. 7, Japan 24:41. 8, Canada West 26:59. 9, Canada East 27:17.

Beach Flags

1, Jean Patrick Godbout (Canada East). 2, Anthony Vela (California). 3, Danny Morrison (New Zealand). 4, Hidenobu Tadano (Japan). 5, Kevin Flanagan (Hawai'i). 6, Nicholas Joubert (Canada East). 7, Michael Murray (Australia). 8, Guy Pere (Hawai'i).

Ocean Medley

1, Australia 25:49. 2, New Zealand 26:05. 3, California 26:06. 4, Hawai'i 27:15. 5, Florida 27:45. 6, New Jersey 27:46. 7, Japan 28:12. 8, Canada West 28:38. 9, Canada East 33:37.

QUARTERBACK CLUB

BYUH AD to speak: Randy Day, Brigham Young-Hawai'i athletic director, will be the featured speaker at tomorrow's Honolulu Quarterback Club.

Day will be joined by Ron Mizutani of KHON-TV, soccer's Jack Sullivan, and Michelle Nagamine, Kamehameha Schools girls soccer coach and Outrigger Hotels and Resorts sports director.

Lunch is at 11:30 a.m. with the program following at noon at the Pagoda International Ballroom. The public is invited. Contact Albert Minn at 261-5143 for more information.