No doubt, Kai 'Opua No. 1
| • | Washington D.C. club feels emotion |
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Kai 'Opua is now the best women's outrigger canoe team in the world.
Kai 'Opua paddlers rejoice after winning the Na Wahine O Ke Kai race from Moloka'i to O'ahu for the second year in a row. * Kai 'Opua had plenty to cheer about after proving its dominance in rough conditions. "(It) makes this one special," said Jackie Taylor.
Period.
There is no need to qualify it anymore with statements like "best in the flat water" or "best in kona (calm) conditions."
Not after the team from Kailua, Kona dominated the 23rd annual Bank of Hawaii Na Wahine O Ke Kai for the second consecutive year yesterday.
Kai 'Opua completed the 41-mile course from Hale O Lono Harbor, Moloka'i to Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Waikiki at 6 hours, 24 minutes, 52 seconds. The race, which drew a record-tying 65 crews, is considered the world championship of long-distance outrigger canoe paddling for women.
Team Eyecatcher, a crew comprised of paddlers from Kaua'i, Maui, O'ahu and New Zealand, was second at 6:30:43. Outrigger was third at 6:32:41.
A receding tide clashed with large swells and favorable winds to make for a "sloppy" Kaiwi Channel. The winning time was more than one hour slower than the course record.
"This one is even better," said Jackie Taylor, who steered the Kai 'Opua crew. "We worked so hard to defend this and we really wanted to defend it in the rough water. It would have been great if it were flat and we won, too. But just to have the satisfaction of knowing we held our own in rough conditions makes this one special."
Last year, Kai 'Opua took advantage of generally calm conditions to become the first Big Island club to win a Moloka'i-to-O'ahu race.
Nine of the 10 paddlers returned this year, and endured a year-long training session — including weekly practices in rough water — under coach Beanie Heen.
"Everybody labels us as flat-water paddlers because that's all we see in Kona," Heen said. "Not anymore. This was a big statement."
Members of the winning crew were Taylor, Ronona Della Cioppa, Jessie Eames, Patty Eames, Nicki Enos, Beth Graves, Carrie Sue Hendricks, Cherisse Keli'i, Cheryl Villegas and Amy Young. All but Keli'i paddled on last year's championship crew.
Each team was allowed to rotate 10 paddlers into the six seats in the canoe throughout the race (masters 35-and-older and senior masters 45-and-older crews were allowed to use 12 paddlers).
"I'm getting old, but the feeling never gets old," said Patty Eames, the oldest member of the Kai 'Opua crew at 52 and mother of the youngest member, Jessie Eames, 20. "Each one is special and each one has new meaning."
Patty Eames also paddled on the winning Wailua Kayak & Canoe crew in 1999, making her a part of three consecutive championship teams.
"There was a lot of pressure because the expectations were there," she said. "But we all knew how hard we worked. Whenever we put in an extra training session, (Heen) would say it was money in the bank. Well, we made our withdrawal today."
Although the final margin made it appear otherwise, Kai 'Opua was actually in a battle with Team Eyecatcher and Outrigger nearly the entire way across the Kaiwi Channel.
Because the tide was running strong from north to south, all three teams took a northerly course toward O'ahu to avoid winding up too far south near the finish.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
"The neat thing was that we could all see each other pretty much the whole way," said Outrigger steerswoman Kisi Haine. "We were hoping for wind and swell, and we got it. We just got out-paddled by two teams to the finish."
Kai 'Opua had plenty to cheer about after proving its dominance in rough conditions. "(It) makes this one special," said Jackie Taylor.
Kai 'Opua's advantage came early, when it raced ahead of the fleet a few miles after the start. That allowed them to "cover" the other contenders the rest of the way.
"Our original strategy was to go south," Heen said. "But we got ahead and we saw (Eyecatcher) to the north, so we ended up going that way. Wherever they were going, we wanted to go."
But even with the lead, Kai 'Opua had to prove its worth in the surf, which got as big as eight feet midway across the channel.
"I have to admit, I was kind of nervous," said Keli'i. "We were confident that we could do it, but we also knew that some of the other teams were really good at surfing."
Despite one mistake, Kai 'Opua never surrendered the lead. Midway across the channel, two paddlers missed on a relief-change attempt, leaving just four paddlers in the canoe (during changeovers, tired paddlers jump out of the canoe, while the fresh relievers are supposed to climb in simultaneously).
"I'm sure that lost us some ground," Heen said. "But we were fortunate enough to recover pretty quick and get those two paddlers back in. It just meant we had to go harder the rest of the way."
And they did, increasing the lead to an insurmountable length off East O'ahu.
Team Eyecatcher, which was on the northern-most course among the leaders, had to battle an especially sloppy section off Koko Head to maintain second place.
"That was the race right there," said Eyecatcher paddler Kelly Fey. "We got stuck in that one section, and it was like we weren't moving. That's when (Kai 'Opua) gapped us. I'm pretty sure they had us no matter what, but it would have been nice to make it closer at the end."
Eyecatcher, which was known as Wailua Kayak & Canoe prior to this year, commended Kai 'Opua for the statement-making victory.
"We were hoping they wouldn't be able to hold (the lead) in the bumps," said Eyecatcher paddler Jackie Carswell. "But they did an awesome job. All the credit goes to them. It wasn't like anybody lost the race, they won."
Outrigger placed third with seven of its 10 paddlers eligible for the masters (35-older) division.
Hui Nalu placed fourth at 6:39:35, and Kailua was fifth at 6:44:08, giving Hawai'i crews the top five places for the second consecutive year.
False Creek from Canada was sixth at 6:47:17. Newport Aquatic Center from California placed 10th at 6:58:51. That team was formerly known as OffShore Canoe Club, which owns a record 10 Na Wahine O Ke Kai titles.
A novice crew from Healani, comprised entirely of first-time channel-crossers, was an impressive 19th overall at 7:17:41.
Another Newport Aquatic Center crew placed 12th overall at 7:03:41 and won the masters division. O'ahu's Hui Lanakila was second in the masters division and 14th overall at 7:07:31.
Another Kai 'Opua crew placed 27th overall and first in the senior masters division at 7:26:41.
Waikiki Surf Club was first to finish in a koa canoe at 7:38:27.
• • •
Final results
Open
1, Kai 'Opua-1 (Ronona Della Cioppa, Jessie Eames, Patty Eames, Nicki Enos, Beth Graves, Carrie Sue Hendricks, Cherisse Keli'i, Jackie Taylor, Cheryl Villegas, Amy Young), 6:24:52. 2, Team Eyecatcher, 6:30:43. 3, Outrigger-Red, 6:32:41. 4, Hui Nalu-1, 6:39:35. 5, Kailua-Kahiau, 6:44:08. 6, False Creek-1, 6:47:17. 7, Lanakila-California, 6:54:27. 8, Lokahi-1, 6:56:09. 9, Lae Ula O Kai, 6:57:29. 10, Newport Aquatic Center-2, 6:58:51. 11, Kaiola-1, 6:59:41. 12, Lanikai-1, 7:06:59. 13, Jericho, 7:10:02. 14, Lanikai-2, 7:13:02. 15, Outrigger-White, 7:14:16. 16, Marina Del Rey, 7:16:26. 17, Healani-Novice, 7:17:41. 18, Hui Nalu-2, 7:18:46. 19, Waikiki Beach Boys, 7:19:01. 20, Hawaiian, 7:19:12. 21, Kailua-Kikaha, 7:22:38. 22, Keaukaha, 7:23:59. 23, Dana Outrigger, 7:24:16. 24, Waikiki Yacht Club-1, 7:25:03. 25, Kailua-Alika, 7:26:41. 26, Hui Nalu-4, 7:27:41. 27, False Creek-2, 7:30:39. 28, Washington Canoe Club, 7:31:02. 29, Tamalpais, 7:33:15. 30, Outrigger-Blue, 7:33:20. 31, Koa Kai, 7:47:24. 32, San Francisco, 7:48:03. 33, Anuenue, 7:48:39. 34, Kahana, 7:51:10. 35, Kai 'Opua-2, 7:53:59. 36, Kaiola-2, 7:55:32. 37, Lokahi-2, 7:55:51. 38, Healani, 7:56:22. 39, Lahaina, 7:57:32. 40, Kai E Hitu, 8:00:57. 41, Waikiki Yacht Club-2, 8:05:48. 42, Napili, 8:07:32. 43, Manu O Ke Kai, 8:09:21. 44, Waikiki Beach Boys-2, 8:10:14. 45, Kamehameha-O'ahu, 8:10:48. 46, Keahiakahoe, 8:10:57. 47, Hui Nalu-5, 8:16:30. 48, I Mua, 8:17:44. 49, Lanikai-3, 8:19:59. 50, Kai Oni, 8:23:38. 51, North Shore, 8:50:25.
Masters 35-older
1, Newport Aquatic Center-1 (Kim Diltz, Karen Evans, Pamela Fletcher, Leslie Gould, Maria Holmes, Choppie Kalama, Carrie Kimball, Penny Martin, Susan Murphy, Cindy Nartatez, Monique Seager, Kristen Tennaut), 7:03:40. 2, Hui Lanakila, 7:07:31. 3, North Shore, 7:18:40. 4, California Masters, 7:27:49. 5, Pupo O Hawai'i, 7:45:08. 6, Kahakai, 8:20:38.
Senior masters 45-older
1, Kai 'Opua (Noel Ackerman-Black, Peggy Anderson, Judy Auwae, Nancy Concepcion, Marsha Isaacs, Sarah Kihoi, Susan Lalanne, Sari Lassiter, Denise Murphy, Linda Lee O'dell, Kim Weltz, Pocho Youderian), 7:26:01. 2, Hui Nalu-3, 8:00:05. 3, Waikoloa, 8:11:48. 4, Na Kai Ewalu, 8:38:05.
Koa canoe
1, Waikiki Surf Club (Gio Aguilera, Sandra Chong, Richline Fong, Kuumea Gora, Kathryn Javellana, Cheryl Kauhane, Rene Klingle, Lani Mann, Lei Marks, Kathryn Mitchell, Arlene Reventas, Ponolani Tuinei), 7:38:27. 2, Pu'uwai, 7:46:13. 3, Hui Lanakila, 7:53:39. 4, Keoua O Honaunau, 8:09:28.
