Hawai'i paddlers take on rough Oregon waters

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Some of Hawai'i's best outrigger-canoe paddlers will face tough competition and even tougher conditions this weekend.

It has nothing to do with the association championships taking place at Ke'ehi Lagoon on Saturday and Sunday.

More than 20 Hawai'i paddlers will compete in the Ford Gorge Games this weekend at the Columbia River Gorge, Ore.

Approximately 400 paddlers from around the world are expected to participate in the paddling races of the Gorge Games, which will also hold competition in windsurfing, kiteboarding, kayaking, trail-running and mountain-biking.

"It's the premier paddling event in the Pacific Northwest," said Mike Judd, a member of the Lanikai Canoe Club who placed second in the men's individual race last year. "It's some of the most exciting conditions I've ever paddled in."

This is not your typical sprint down the Ala Wai Canal.

The racing will take place in a secluded area of the Columbia River, bordered by steep mountain cliffs and a lush forest.

"It's a totally different environment than what we're used to," Judd said. "You almost expect a big brown bear to come jumping out of the woods."

The Columbia River is also known for its strong current and fierce winds. The challenge for paddlers is that the current and wind run in opposite directions.

"The course is actually a loop, so one way you have the water at your back and the wind in your face; coming back the other way, you have the wind at your back and the water in your face," Judd said. "The water is active, so you have to know how to handle it."

Kai Bartlett, another Lanikai paddler, added: "If you just look at the water, it looks like a mean ocean. But then you look around and realize you're in a river. It's actually kind of exciting."

Judd is considered one of the favorites in the men's individual race, which is approximately 15 miles long.

Kai 'Opua Canoe Club, the two-time defending Na Wahine O Ke Kai champion, will enter more than a dozen paddlers in the women's division, including two crews in the women's team race for 6-person canoes.

A men's crew from Kawaihae on the Big Island will enter the men's team race.

Judd and Bartlett expect to join a California crew in the team race.

NOTES: The windsurfing and kiteboarding competitions will also feature several Hawai'i athletes. The freestyle windsurfing division was completed on Monday. Nick Warmuth of Maui won the junior division; Riley Coon of Maui placed second in juniors and fourth in men; Jennifer Henderson of Maui was third in women; Randel Strome from Maui was second in men's masters. ... Highlights of the Gorge Games are scheduled to be televised on NBC on Sept. 1 and 8.