Bartlett, Napoleon win canoe race in record time
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Paddling on a canoe named Polaris, Kai Bartlett and Aaron Napoleon emerged as the brightest stars in a record-breaking Starbucks Kaiwi Channel Relay yesterday.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
Bartlett and Napoleon completed the 40.2-mile course from Kaluakoi Beach, Moloka'i, to Magic Island in 4 hours, 30 minutes, 26 seconds, which was almost six minutes faster than the previous record.
Kai Bartlett reaches the finish of the Starbucks Kaiwi Channel Relay. Bartlett and first-time partner Aaron Napoleon set a record in the 40.2-mile race from Moloka'i to O'ahu, finishing in 4 hours, 30 minutes, 26 seconds.
Megan Harrington and Lauren Spalding won the women's race in 5:38:09, which was more than 17 minutes faster than the previous record.
Light but favorable winds, and an assisting tide led to generally fast times for the 114 entries, which was also an event record.
The race required two paddlers to alternate in a one-person canoe. When one teammate paddles, the other follows in an escort boat. They can switch positions anytime throughout the course.
"The conditions were good — really good — but I think the competition is what pushed us to get here so fast," Bartlett said.
The runner-up tandem of Maui Kjeldsen and Karel Tresnak Jr. stayed within shouting distance of Bartlett and Napoleon the entire way. Kjeldsen and Tresnak finished in 4:30:45, or about 40 yards behind the winners.
"It was a dog fight the whole way," Kjeldsen said. "They just had a little more than us at the end."
While most partners follow a timed strategy — for example, switching positions every 20 minutes — Bartlett and Napoleon said they "mixed it up."
"Sometimes we went long, sometimes we went short," Napoleon said. "If one of us was on a good run, he stayed in (the canoe)."
With the Kaiwi Channel providing swells to surf, most of the top teams stayed on a relatively straight course.
As Bartlett put it: "Nobody went too far south, nobody went too far north. Everybody was just right there the whole time."
The key, according to Bartlett, was reaching Diamond Head first.
"We got to Diamond Head about 50 yards ahead of them," he said. "And after that, it was pretty much flat, so we could cover them the rest of the way."
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
Kjeldsen, who won the individual state championship two weeks ago, made up some ground down the stretch, but that only made second place seem more frustrating.
Kai Bartlett paddles for Lanikai Canoe Club.
Aaron Napoleon paddles for 'Anuenue Canoe Club.
Megan Harrington is a lifeguard on O'ahu.
Lauren Spalding is the women's individual champion.
"Physically, I was feeling good at the end," he said. "But I didn't feel good about finishing second."
Tresnak, the three-time defending solo champion of the Kaiwi Channel, proved his worth in the waves. However, he admitted feeling "weak" yesterday.
He has spent the last seven months as a student at the University of Colorado. He returned to O'ahu this weekend specifically for yesterday's race.
"I didn't feel too good out there," Tresnak said. "It felt like I've been in Colorado instead of training in Hawai'i."
Interestingly, Bartlett and Tresnak were partners two years ago, and held the previous course record.
Yesterday, Bartlett and Napoleon paddled as partners for the first time. Bartlett is a member of the Lanikai Canoe Club; Napoleon paddles for 'Anuenue Canoe Club.
Bartlett now constructs his own canoes — he built the winning Polaris — and Napoleon is one of his clients.
Thibert Lussiaa and Mike Judd placed third at 4:33:05, followed by Andy Penny and Kea Paiaina at 4:38:01.
The sibling tandem of John and Jim Foti, who own a record five Kaiwi Channel Relay championships, placed fifth at 4:38:21.
The women's division also featured a record-breaking performance by first-time partners.
Spalding, who is from Maui, is the women's individual state champion. Harrington, an O'ahu lifeguard, rarely paddles one-person canoes. That combination proved to be uncatchable from the start.
"Lauren had an awesome start," Harrington said. "She gave us the lead at the beginning and we pretty much held it the rest of the way."
Harrington, who mostly paddles on surfskis, also did her share.
"For somebody who doesn't paddle one-man (canoes), she picked it up real fast," Spalding said.
Noe Sawyer and Dane Ward placed second at 5:42:50, followed by Paula Crabb and Kisi Haine at 5:43:01.
There was also a division for two-person canoes, with four paddlers allowed to alternate in the two seats. The team of Cherisse Kelii, Scott Jones, Ken Powell and Amy Young was the first to finish in 4:53:47.
The event was dedicated to Henry Ayau, the expert waterman and Outrigger Canoe Club paddler who remains in critical condition after a swimming accident last week. His son, Bruce Ayau, participated in yesterday's race, placing 13th overall with partner Steve Blyth.
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Final results
Male, OC-1
Overall: 1, Kai Bartlett/Aaron Napoleon 4:30:26. 2, Maui Kjeldsen/Karel Tresnak Jr. 4:30:45. 3, Thibert Lussiaa/Mike Judd 4:33:05. 4, Andy Penny/Kea Paiaina 4:38:01. 5, Jim Foti/John Foti 4:38:21. Open: 1, Walter Guild/Nate Hendricks 4:38:47. 2, Manny Kulukulualani/Tapa Worthington 4:45:04. 3, Bill Pratt/Scott Hendricks 4:45:17. 40-49: 1, Marc Haine/Mark Rigg 4:47:23. 2, Sam Alama/Alan Lipp 4:51:30. 3, Todd Bradley/Chris Miller 4:56:18. 50-99: 1, Greg Davis/Kawika Goodale 5:15:03. 2, Chris Crabb/Jeff Metzger 5:19:19. 3, Nappy Napoleon/Gaylord Wilcox 5:20:04.
Male, OC-2
Overall: 1, Tommy Damon/Jeff Brown/Rob Harrison/Andrew Glatzel 4:42:35. 2, Lucas Won/Keoki Freitas/Charles Tantog/Ama Amantiad 5:00:00. 3, Jack Dyson/Eric Barto/John McCandless/Judd McCandless 5:01:45.
Female, OC-1
Overall: 1, Lauren Spalding/Megan Harrington 5:38:09. 2, Noe Sawyer/Dane Ward 5:42:50. 3, Paula Crabb/Kisi Haine 5:43:01. Open: 1, Katie Curtis/Nicole Wilcox 5:48:47. 2, Carrie Sue Hendricks/Cheryl Villegas 5:49:07. 3, Margie Kawaiaea/Theresa Felgate 5:51:49. 40-90: 1, Patsy Vasquez/Kelly Fey 5:52.26. 2, Mary Brewer/Jackie Carswell 5:53.26. 3, Camie Kimball/Choppie Kalama 6:04.32.
Mixed
OC-1: 1, Jill Schooler/Nathan Shore 5:21:02. 2, Vincent Robinson/Deb Robinson 5:43:08. 3, Torrey Goodman/Paul Gay 5:45:13. OC-2: 1, Cherisse Kelii/Scott Jones/Ken Powell/Amy Young 4:53:47. 2, Ricky Balidoy/Sharon Balidoy/Andrea Moller/Mark Kawaiaea 4:56:52. 3, Cap Allen/Kim Weltty/Beth Graves/Yurik Resetnokov 5:12:17.
