Outrigger dominates at John D. Kaupiko Regatta

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

After all the talk of parity in the O'ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association this year, the Outrigger Canoe Club has quietly established itself as the team to beat.

Outrigger won the John D. Kaupiko Regatta in convincing fashion yesterday at Ke'ehi Lagoon. It was Outrigger's third consecutive OHCRA regatta victory, and the last two have been by double-digit margins.

"We've just been getting steadier and steadier," Outrigger head coach Mike Mason said. "We seem to be getting better every week, but I still wouldn't say we're that far ahead of the others. It's still a battle every week."

Outrigger amassed 75 points in 36 races yesterday. The close battle was for second, with the host club Hui Nalu taking it with 61 points to edge Kailua (60), Hui Lanakila (59) and Lanikai (54).

Waikiki Surf Club won the A division for smaller clubs with 21 points.

Yesterday's event was the final regatta of the OHCRA regular season. On Sunday, the OHCRA Championship Regatta will be staged at Ke'ehi Lagoon. The state championship regatta is scheduled for Aug. 3 at Hilo Bay.

"It's hard to say what's going to happen because teams are shuffling paddlers around trying to qualify for (the state championship regatta)," Mason said. "A lot of teams, including us, moved paddlers around today. Some moves work, and some don't. We were fortunate to come out on top in the end."

Consistency is key

Outrigger won six races yesterday: boys 14-younger, girls 15-younger, boys 15-younger, women 55-older, mixed open-6 and men 35-older. However, Outrigger scored points in 21 other races (only the top four crews in each race earn points).

"Consistency has been helping us out big-time," Mason said. "We're getting points from all our divisions. The kids have been doing their share, the men, the women. It's really been a team effort."

Hui Nalu earned second place behind a dominating performance from its open women paddlers. The Hui Nalu women swept the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior races.

The crew of Kelly Allen, Catherine Fuller, Julie Aio, Gail Kaaialii, Keala Hironaka-Tampon and Kaui Pelekane paddled to victory in both the sophomore and senior races.

"These women have been willing to put in the time and effort to get to this point and it's paying off," said Steve Scott, the Hui Nalu women's coach. "We're fortunate to have good depth this year, but it's not just the numbers, it's the quality as well."

Trophy time

Kailua won four races in placing third overall. The victory by Kailua's men 55-and-older crew resulted in the inaugural Pinky Thompson Memorial Trophy, named in honor of the former Hui Nalu club president.

Hui Lanakila got fourth place overall, but finished with a regatta-high nine race victories. The Hui Lanakila men were particularly impressive, winning the freshman, sophomore and senior races.

The crew of Manny Kulukulualani, Raven Aipa, Mel Pu'u, Tomas Schlotman, Greg Poole and Kalama Heine won both the sophomore and senior races.

As winners of the prestigious men's senior race — by two seconds over Healani — Hui Lanakila won the Kala Kukea Memorial Trophy, named after the former Hui Nalu paddling great.

Fountain of youth

Making it more impressive, five of the six paddlers in the Hui Lanakila men's senior crew are actually eligible for the masters division (for paddlers age 35 and older).

"We're still young at heart," said Aipa, who also serves as coach of the Hui Lanakila men. "It's just exciting to be a part of this because the men's races have been a battle every week. Lanikai is always going to be there and now Healani threw something in there. We just got lucky this time."

Mason said the performance by Hui Lanakila's men may have actually benefited Outrigger in the overall point standings.

"A lot of this (regatta) victory is circumstance," Mason said. "Take the Hui Lanakila men. Because they did so well, that took away points from Lanikai and Hui Nalu."

But just to be sure, Outrigger secured the regatta victory by winning two of the final three races of the day — mixed open-6 and men 35-older.

"We always try to add up the points and see what's going on before we race," said Karl Heyer, a member of Outrigger's victorious men's 35-older crew. "It always seems like it's close and so the pressure's on us to do something. But that's what makes it fun. We'll go out and paddle hard no matter what."

Hui Wa'a

• Hui Wa'a: The Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a organization did not hold a regatta yesterday.

The originally scheduled Waikiki Beach Boys Regatta was canceled because permits for Waikiki Beach could not be secured in time.

The Hui Wa'a Championship Regatta will be held Saturday at Ke'ehi Lagoon.

Lokahi has won 14 of the last 15 Hui Wa'a championships, including the last two. However, Kane'ohe won four regular-season regattas this year to Lokahi's two.