Australians push past Hawai'i competitors in paddleboard race
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Australians set the standard once again, but Hawai'i competitors helped raise it in the Quiksilveredition Moloka'i to O'ahu Paddleboard Race yesterday.
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Jamie Mitchell, a lifeguard from Queensland, completed the 32-mile course from Kaluako'i, Moloka'i, to Maunalua Bay, O'ahu, in 5 hours, 42 minutes, 15 seconds to repeat as the overall men's champion.
Australian Hayley Bateup crossed the Kaiwi Channel for the first time and won the women's division in record time.
"It was a lot harder this year, but I just wanted it bad," said Mitchell, 26.
Hayley Bateup, also a lifeguard from Queensland, won the women's division in record time of 6:47:30.
"I've never done a race longer than three hours, so I wasn't sure what would happen," said Bateup, 23. "I wanted to win, but wasn't sure if I could."
The race is considered the world championship of long-distance paddleboarding. It is also regarded as the most grueling race in the sport, and yesterday proved it.
The Kaiwi Channel was about as flat as it can get, and humid weather made for a torturous crossing.
"Coming across the (finish) line, I nearly passed out," Mitchell said. "I can't remember when I got a decent (wave) out there — I don't think I did. It was just paddle the whole way."
Hawai'i competitors Brian Rocheleau and Kanesa Duncan pushed the Australians the entire way en route to runner-up finishes.
Rocheleau, an East O'ahu lifeguard, actually led for much of the race before Mitchell passed him in the final hour.
"It's probably the hardest I had to try and dig to get past Brian," Mitchell said. "He was incredible today."
Rocheleau credited his father, veteran waterman Bob Rocheleau, for navigating a fast course. While the Australians opted to take a northerly route to O'ahu, Rocheleau stayed south.
"I was out there all by myself for a while," said Rocheleau, 27. "(The Australians) went radical north and I just knew that wouldn't be the best line so I stayed the course. My dad played a huge part. He told me where to go."
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Jackson English, another Australian who placed third, said: "Brian had that good line on the south and I think that was a huge advantage. We were hoping that he'd kind of falter a bit, but he powered on."
Women's winner Hayley Bateup of Australia, right, is congratulated by runner-up Kanesa Duncan. Duncan, a University of Hawai'i graduate student, finished the 32-mile race 1 minute, 34 seconds behind Bateup.
Once Mitchell realized that Rocheleau was on a fast line, he started drifting south as well.
"I was looking at Brian and just cursing myself," Mitchell said. "He was just going so good and I wasn't."
But once on the same line as Rocheleau, Mitchell proved his worth — and his conditioning. He surged past Rocheleau just off Portlock and maintained the lead the rest of the way.
"He went past me and I was hurting by then," Rocheleau said.
Rocheleau finished in 5:44:06. The difference of 1:51 made it the closest margin between first and second in the seven-year history of the race.
Mitchell, who has been training on O'ahu's North Shore for the past six weeks, has now won every major paddleboard race held around the world the past two years.
English came in third at 5:50:11, and fellow Australian Mick Dibetta was fourth at 5:54:52.
The women's race followed an almost identical script as the men.
Bateup went north, while Duncan stayed on the faster south course. They were never aware of each other until they converged off Hanauma Bay.
"Seven hours of paddling and all of a sudden we were right there," Bateup said. "I almost couldn't believe it."
Bateup also had to battle an upset stomach, but still had enough stamina to pass Duncan down the stretch.
"I couldn't even hold down any water," Bateup said. "That didn't make it fun, but I just kept pushing."
Duncan, a graduate student at the University of Hawai'i, is still recovering from a dislocated shoulder, but said it was not a factor in the outcome.
"I was fully bonking at the end there," said Duncan, 27. "(Bateup) went right past me and all I could do was watch."
Duncan's time of 6:49:04 also beat the previous women's record of 7:08:05 she set last year.
It is also the first time that Duncan got to compete against other women in this race. In 2001 and '02, she was the only female competitor to race solo. Yesterday, four women completed the course solo.
"Considering the conditions and everything, I'm really happy with how I did," Duncan said.
Shaun Jappe of Oxnard, Calif., won the stock division with a time of 6:31:35. Ernie deSilva of Kaua'i was second in 6:35:58.
Competitors in the open unlimited division could use paddleboards of any size (Mitchell's winning board measured 17-2). Competitors in the stock division had to use 12-foot paddleboards.
Ryan Addison of California and Nathan Meyer of Australia won the team division in 6:02:32. In the team division, two paddlers alternated throughout the course on a stock paddleboard.
Paddleboards are streamlined boards, similar to surfboards. They are powered only by arm strokes.
Final results
Unlimited (0pen Class Boards)
Elite (Overall): 1, Jamie Mitchell (Australia) 5:42:15. 2, Brian Rocheleau (Hawai'i) 5:44:06. 3, Jackson English (Australia) 5:50.11. 29-younger: 1, Hayden Smith (Australia) 6:04:28. 2, Taku Araki (Japan) 6:34:16. 3, Anthony Selwyn (Hawai'i) 8:07:22. 30-39: 1, Chad Noble (Australia) 6:20:18. 2, Anthony Cambra III (Hawai'i) 6:47:40. 40-49: 1, Mick DiBetta (Australia) 5:54:52. 2, Joe Bark (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) 6:28:33. 3, Chris Owens (Hawai'i) 6:42:25. 50-older: 1, Buddy Sheppard (Hawai'i) 6:44:08. Women: 1, Stephanie Barneix (France) 7:01:35.
Stock Board (12 Feet)
Elite: 1, Shaun Jappe (Oxnard, Calif.) 6:31:35. 2, Ernie deSilva (Hawai'i) 6:35:58. 3, George Ramos (Hawai'i) 6:41:18. 29-younger: 1, Justin Mitchell (Australia) 6:55:00. 30-39: 1, Walter Geyer (France) 6:46:49. 2, Matt Sack (Hawai'i) 6:47:01. 3, Bill Taylor (Hawai'i) 7:13:58. 40-49: 1, Kamuela Aea (Hawai'i) 6:59:50. Women's Elite Stock: 1, Hayley Bateup (Australia) 6:47:30. 2, Kanesa Duncan (Hawai'i) 6:49:04. 3, Jane Cairns (Santa Barbara, Calif.) 7:12:50. Team Men's 59-younger: 1, Ryan Addison (Malibu, Calif)/Nathan Meyer (Australia) 6:02:32. 2, Ian McDonald (Palos Verdes, Calif.)/Taio Shipman (Hawai'i) 6:54:18. 3, Pete Rocky (Newport, Calif.)/Chris Schaumburg (Newport Beach, Calif.) 7:14:59. Team Men's 60-79: 1, Eric Meech/Brian Zeller (La Jolla, Calif.) 6:07:59. 2, Jim Austin/Todd Bradley (Hawai'i) 6:08:14. 3, Victor Hemmy III/Gregory Quinn (Hawai'i) 6:13:43. Team Men's 80-99: 1, David Daly/Dave Kalama (Hawai'i) 6:07:48. 2, Aaron Napoleon/Dennis Pang (Hawai'i) 6:12:50. 3, Philip Binney/Buzzy Kerbox (Hawai'i) 6:14:22. Team Men's 100+: 1, Matt Barnet (Hawai'i)/Bob Wyler (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) 6:22:30. 2, Titus Kinimaka/Victor Lopez (Hawai'i) 6:53:34. Mixed Team: 1, Chitose Iwanami/Motoki Isorai (Japan) 6:13:06. 2, Anne and Kenneth Pippin (San Diego) 7:10:17. 3, Darlene Randles (Ventura, Calif.)/John Regan (Oxnard, Calif.) 7:41:40.
