Hawai'i crew masters big race in Australia
Advertiser Staff
Team Hawai'i, a crew of paddlers from various clubs around the state, dominated the men's senior masters division of the Coca-Cola Hamilton Island Cup last weekend at Hamilton Island, Australia.
The crew won every race it entered: 500-meter sprint, 1,000-meter sprint, 16-kilometer marathon and 42-kilometer marathon. The four-day event drew more than 100 teams, and is considered the biggest canoe race in Australia.
Members of the 45-older crew: Sam Alama (Hui Lanakila), Fred Delos Santos (Hui Lanakila), Beanie Heen (Kai 'Opua), Kamoa Kalama (Kailua), Chris Kincaid (Outrigger), Jimmy Kincaid (Outrigger), Leighton Look (Hui Lanakila), Bruce Lucas (Lanikai) and Greg Poole (Hui Lanakila).
"Conditions were really rough," said Look, who steered the crew. "The tide changes are huge, like 10 feet, so there's a real strong current. And the wind is strong, so you really have to work."
In the 42-kilometer marathon — the premier race of the event — Team Hawai'i finished in 3 hours, 48 minutes, 19 seconds. The second-place senior masters crew came in almost five minutes later.
"It's an interesting course because you go around all these different islands," Look said. "Sometimes you're with the current, sometimes you're against it. It's a good test."
In the open men's division, Team Hawai'i-Maui Jim placed third despite paddling a majority of the race with a cracked canoe. That crew was also comprised of paddlers from various clubs around the state. Team Hawai'i-Maui Jim collided with another canoe moments after the start.
In the open women's division, Kai 'Opua placed second in both the 16-kilometer and 42-kilometer races. In the 42-kilometer race, Kai 'Opua was 22 seconds behind the first-place crew.
In the individual races, Patty Eames of Kai 'Opua won the women's senior masters 8-kilometer race, while teammate Cheryl Villegas won the women's masters 500-meter sprint.
Other individual champions from Hawai'i were Bruce Ayau (men's masters, 500-meter sprint) and Ann Farrell (women's masters 16-kilometer marathon).
• Liberty World Challenge: The Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau is once again sponsoring two all-star crews from Hawai'i during this weekend's Liberty World Challenge at New York.
Team Hawai'i is the three-time defending champion of the men's race, and the two-time defending champs for women. The 15-mile race travels around New York Harbor, passing the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and World Trade Center. More than 70 crews from around the world are expected to participate.
Members of the Team Hawai'i men's crew are Steve Cole, Jim Foti, John Foti, Walter Guild, Mike Judd, Thiebert Lussiaa and Kea Paiaina. Members of the Team Hawai'i women are Paula Crabb, Patty Eames, Kelly Fey, Margie Kawaiaea, Nicole Sawyer and Cheryl Villegas.
The Team Hawai'i women will be challenged by another Hawai'i crew, the Outrigger Canoe Club.
Coca-Cola Hamilton Island Cup
At Hamilton Island, Australia
How Hawai'i competitors fared:
One-person, 500M sprint
Women senior masters: 3, Patty Eames (Kai Opua), 2:53.97. Women masters: 1, Cheryl Villegas (Kai Opua), 2:47.02. 2, Ronona Della Cioppa (Kai Opua), 2:47.49. 4, Patty Eames (Kai Opua), 2:48.80. 5, Beth Graves (Kai Opua), 2:49.65. 6, Margie Kawaiaea (Kailua), 2:55.53. 7, Cindy Razga (Kailua), 2:57.62. 8, Tanya Olive (Koa Kai), 2:59.00. Women open: 3, Carrie Sue Hendricks (Kai Opua), 2:37.26. 6, Cheryl Villegas (Kai Opua), 2:46.65. Men senior masters: 4, Harrison Heen (Team Hawai'i), 2:33.82. Men masters: 1, Bruce Ayau (Team Hawai'i), 2:23.22.
One-person, 8K marathon
Women senior masters: 1, Patty Eames (Kai Opua), 55:46.18. 2, Amy Young (Kai Opua), 56:42.47. Women masters: 2, Ronona Della Cioppa (Kai Opua), 58:34.13. Women open: 2, Jessie Eames (Kai Opua), 54:44.54.
One-person, 16K marathon
Women masters: 1, Ann Farrell (Kailua), 1:41.44. 3, Tanya Olive (Koa Kai), 1:55.01. Men open: 3, Karel Tresnak Jr. (Team Hawai'i Maui Jim), 1:41.03.
Six-person, 500M sprint
Women open: 3, Kai Opua, 2:21.57. 6, Kailua, 2:24.68. Women senior masters: 1, Team Hawai'i Maui Jim, 2:27.92 (course record). Women masters: 2, Kai Opua, 2:25.60. Men senior masters: 1, Team Hawai'i, 2:08.67. Men masters: 4, Team Hawai'i Maui Jim, 2:06.46.
Six-person, 1,000M sprint
Men masters: 5, Team Hawai'i, 5:09.20. Men open: 4, Team Hawai'i Maui Jim, 5:04.95. Men senior masters: 1, Team Hawai'i, 5:13.24. Women open: 6, Kailua, 5:50.75. Women senior masters: 1, Team Hawai'i Maui Jim, 5:52.00. Women masters: 3, Kailua, 6:03.89.
Six-person, 16K marathon
Women open: 2, Kai Opua-1, 1:23:33. 4, Kai Opua-2, 1:28:27. 10, Kailua, 1:32:57. Women masters: 1, Kailua, 1:37:47. 5, Koa Kai, 1:46.17. Men open: 2, Team Hawai'i Maui Jim, 1:14:31. Men masters: 1, Team Hawai'i Maui Jim, 1:13:13. Men senior masters: 1, Team Hawai'i, 1:19:15.
Nine-person, 42K marathon
Women open: 2, Kai Opua, 4:01:33. 5, Kailua, 4:19:25. Women masters: 4, Koa Kai, 5:04:28. Men senior masters: 1, Team Hawai'i, 3:48:19. Men open: 3, Team Hawai'i Maui Jim, 3:28:22.
