Moloka'i-O'ahu race will be 44th for paddler Napoleon
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Joseph "Nappy" Napoleon is the only canoe paddler assured of establishing a record at Sunday's Bank of Hawaii/Hinano Moloka'i Hoe.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
In a race that is often hyped for its unpredictability, Napoleon has been the one constant since 1958.
Joseph "Nappy" Napoleon will compete in a record 44th Moloka'i-to-O'ahu canoe race this Sunday. "I've been lucky to last this long," he said. The 41-mile race is considered the world championship of long-distance outrigger canoe paddling.
This year's Moloka'i Hoe is the 50th crossing of the Kaiwi Channel. Napoleon will be participating for a record 44th consecutive year.
The 41-mile race from Hale O Lono Harbor, Moloka'i to Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Waikiki is considered the world championship of long-distance outrigger canoe paddling.
No other paddler in the world comes close to matching Napoleon's consistency and resiliency.
"I enjoy it, even now," said Napoleon, 60. "I've been lucky to last this long, so I consider myself fortunate just to keep doing it."
Perhaps fitting for the 50th anniversary of the event, Napoleon will paddle in a newly formed "Golden Masters" division for paddlers age 55 and older. He will steer the 'Anuenue Canoe Club, the same team he created in 1983 and has been coaching ever since.
"We'll try our best to beat the other old men," he said. "But we know Kailua is good and there's a team from Illinois that's supposed to be good. We'll just go out and see what happens."
In truth, Napoleon has just about seen it all in canoe paddling.
He said the most significant changes over the years have been equipment upgrades and increased participation. The first Moloka'i Hoe in 1952 featured three teams. Sunday, around 110 are expected.
Hinano Moloka'i Hoe
What: 41-mile outrigger canoe race for men
When: Sunday, 7:30 a.m. start; first finishers expected around 12:30 p.m.
Where: Start at Hale O Lono Harbor, Moloka'i; finish at Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Waikiki
Who: Approximately 110 crews from around the world competing in various divisions (Open, Masters 35-older, Senior Masters 45-older, Golden Masters 55-older, Koa canoe)
•
Format: Each team will paddle a six-person canoe, and can rotate nine paddlers in the six seats throughout the race (Golden Masters crews can rotate 12 paddlers)
"When I first started, we all paddled koa canoes and our paddles were longer and heavier," he said. "Now, everything is so light. Even the canoes. I think that allows more people to paddle."
In his first Moloka'i Hoe in 1958, Napoleon was a member of the winning Waikiki Surf Club team.
"That's the one I remember the most," he said. "I was young and had no idea what to expect. I just went all out."
In 1966, he was on the winning Waikiki Surf Club team that battled 15- to 20-foot waves across the Kaiwi Channel. Only six of the 12 teams that started the race were able to finish.
"I remember that one a lot, too, because that was the roughest one," he said.
He paddled on several other winning Waikiki Surf Club teams before transferring to other clubs over the next few years. Because of his steering experience, Napoleon has been asked to paddle for several other clubs over the years.
"I got offers, but once I started ('Anuenue), it didn't make sense to paddle for anybody else," he said.
Jim Foti, veteran steersman for the defending Moloka'i Hoe champion Lanikai, said: "He is absolutely The Man. What he's done in this sport is just amazing. Most guys would be thrilled to do half of what he's done."
Napoleon's wife, Anona, and their five sons have all paddled for the club at one time or another. Napoleon and his wife decided to call the club 'Anuenue (the Hawaiian word for rainbow) because that's the name they had selected for the daughter they never had.
"Yeah, I guess this club has become like my daughter," he said.
Three of his sons, Aaron, Joey and David, will paddle on an open crew for 'Anuenue Sunday.
"I kind of wish I could paddle with them," Napoleon said. "But at my age, it's fun to paddle with the old guys, too."
• Reciprocating goodwill: The Pirae Canoe Club of Tahiti already has an advantage over the other foreign entries.
Pirae, regarded as one of Tahiti's best teams, will paddle in a brand-new canoe, courtesy of defending Moloka'i Hoe champion Lanikai. In June, Pirae allowed Lanikai to use one of its top canoes during the Heemoana Canoe Race in Tahiti. Pirae won that race, and Lanikai placed fourth.
"They helped us out over there, so we're helping them out here," said Lanikai's Jim Foti. "The canoes in Tahiti are different from the ones we have in Hawai'i, so it makes a difference to have a good one."
Lanikai purchased the new Mirage canoe last month. Pirae will return the canoe to Lanikai after the race.
Lanikai will use the same canoe it used to set a course record last year.
• Hana hou?: Kai 'Opua from the Big Island will attempt to complete a rare Moloka'i-to-O'ahu sweep.
Two weeks ago, the Kai 'Opua women won the Na Wahine O Ke Kai. The Kai 'Opua men have been one of Hawai'i's top teams all season, although no team from the Big Island has ever won the Moloka'i Hoe.
Only three teams have swept the men's and women's races in the same year: Outrigger did it in 1979 and '84, and OffShore of California in '89.
• Foreign flavor: At least nine teams from foreign countries are expected to participate in this year's Moloka'i Hoe.
Tahiti will have three entries, including potential contenders Pirae and Tepaetia. Two teams are from Australia, including 1997 Moloka'i Hoe champion Outrigger-Australia. Other entries are from Canada, Hong Kong and Japan.
Several teams from California are also expected to race, along with teams from Connecticut, Maryland and Illinois.
