Kai 'Opua seniors win top events
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
HILO — The paddling world already knew about the women of the Kai 'Opua Canoe Club.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Now, the Kai 'Opua men are getting into it.
Kyle Youderian, a member of Kai 'Opua's winning senior and sophomore crews, negotiates a victory tunnel after the sophomore race.
In an impressive sweep of the top divisions, Kai 'Opua won both the senior men's and senior women's races of the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championship Regatta yesterday at Hilo Bay.
The senior races — the longest races of the day at 1 1/2 miles — are considered the top events at canoe regattas.
"Our women are world champions; they've won everything," said Kai 'Opua president Bo Campos. "And our men are world-class, too. They proved it today."
Indeed, Kai 'Opua's senior men snapped a 10-year winning streak by the Lanikai Canoe Club. Kai 'Opua completed the course in 10 minutes, 22.93 seconds; Lanikai finished second at 10:26.27, and Healani was a close third at 10:27.00.
The Kai 'Opua crew consisted of Nathan Hendricks, Kyle Youderian, Scott Jones, Steven Boreri, Jason Hauanio and Bruce Ayau. Proof that the victory was no fluke, that same crew also beat Lanikai in the 1-mile sophomore race.
"Lanikai has been the superior powerhouse for the last 10 years," said Ayau, who steered both the sophomore and senior crews. "It was nice to catch them this one time."
The finish to the senior race did not come without controversy. Down the last quarter-mile stretch, an official's motor-boat raced ahead of Lanikai. The resulting wakes appeared to slow the Lanikai canoe.
"I'm sure it affected them and that's a bummer because we don't want to win that way," Hendricks said.
Immediately after the race, the Lanikai crew paddled to the official's boat and "thanked them for the wake," according to Lanikai steersman Jim Foti.
Once on shore, however, the Lanikai paddlers walked to the Kai 'Opua tent to congratulate the new senior men's champions.
"Nothing to take away for (Kai 'Opua) because they were ahead of us anyway," said Foti, who paddled on all 10 of the previous Lanikai wins. "You always want that one extra, but it's gotta end sometime."
Lanikai led for the first half of the race, but Kai 'Opua made up ground behind textbook turns by steersman Ayau, who said he was inspired by his father. Henry Ayau, a longtime Outrigger Canoe Club paddler and expert waterman affectionately known as "Brother Henry," died earlier this year.
"We had a (prayer) before the race and dedicated it to him," Ayau said. "And I think Brother Henry was smiling today."
As has been the case for the past two years, the Kai 'Opua women also walked away with smiles yesterday.
Kai 'Opua edged Hui Nalu by three seconds to win the senior women's race for the second consecutive year. The crew of Carrie Sue Hendricks, Cheryl Villegas, Beth Graves, Cherisse Kelii, Amy Young and Jackie Taylor paddled to victories in both the senior and sophomore races.
"We were running scared the whole way," Villegas said. "We were really nervous going in because you never can tell what's going to happen in the state race."
What's more, the crew of Jessica Eames, Rebekah Lussiaa, Ronona Della Cioppa, Patricia Eames, Wendy Simmons and Nicki Lacey-Enos paddled to wins in the freshman and junior races, giving Kai 'Opua a sweep of four top women's races.
All 12 of those paddlers are vying for spots on Kai 'Opua's vaunted long-distance crew. Kai 'Opua is the two-time defending Na Wahine O Ke Kai champion.
"What's nice about our club is that we have a lot of really good competition with ourselves," Villegas said. "Somebody is always there behind you pushing."
