Chalupsky first to 10th win in Moloka'i paddling race

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Oscar Chalupsky won two races yesterday — the race to 10 and the race across the Kaiwi Channel.

South Africa's Oscar Chalupsky won the surfski division of the 'Oiwi Moloka'i World Championships for a record 10 times. His time was 3 hours, 28 minutes, 33 seconds. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Twenty years after his first win, Chalupsky won his 10th Moloka'i championship yesterday.

He completed the 32-mile course from Kaluako'i Beach, Moloka'i, to Hawai'i Kai Towne Center, O'ahu, in 3 hours, 28 minutes, 33 seconds. The race is considered the long-distance world championship for ocean surfskis.

"It's what I came back for," said Chalupsky, who is from South Africa. "Ten is a nice number to have."

Australian Kirsty Holmes was happy with one. In her first appearance in the event, Holmes won the women's surfski division in 4:22:25.

Chalupsky, who did not enter the past two years, returned this year after Australian Dean Gardiner tied the record with his ninth Moloka'i championship last year.

Gardiner, who was the two-time defending champ, placed second yesterday at 3:29:42. Fellow Australian Clint Robinson was third at 3:30:33, followed by Herman Chalupsky (Oscar's younger brother) at 3:30:59, and Australian Grant Kenny at 3:32:26.

Steve Kelly was 11th overall and the first Hawai'i finisher at 3:58:56.

"The top five guys were within (four) minutes of each other," Gardiner said. "That's a testament to how strong the field was. I can't complain about second (place)."

Kirsty Holmes won the women's surfski division in 4:22:25. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Despite spilling his sports drink bottle early in the race, Chalupsky had more than enough juice to make a winning surge toward the end of the course.

"I didn't know it (spilled)," said Chalupsky, 40. "There was only ice left for the last two hours, so all I could do was take teaspoon fulls to wet my mouth."

It didn't matter. Chalupsky passed both Gardiner and Robinson in the last hour of the race.

Gardiner got ahead by as much as 600 yards before Chalupsky made his late push.

"I was a bit nervous because falling behind Dean is not such a good idea in this race," Chalupsky said.

Chalupsky pulled up alongside Robinson about halfway across the Kaiwi Channel and had the following conversation:

Chalupsky: "How are you doing?"

Robinson: "Not so good. My arms are cramping."

Chalupsky (smiling): "Where's Dean then?"

Robinson: "That's him up front."

Chalupsky: "OK, thanks. I'll see you later. I'm going to chase him down."

A few minutes later, Chalupsky surfed past Gardiner.

"I started to fall apart off Hanauma Bay," Gardiner said. "Oscar caught up to me and I didn't have the strength to stay with him after that."

Chalupsky has entered the Moloka'i race 11 times. He has 10 victories and one second-place finish.

"I reckon I'll have to come back next year and defend it," he said.

The women's race was not nearly as dramatic. Holmes jumped to an early lead and said she never saw any of the other female paddlers the rest of the way.

"I knew I had the surf skills to get through," said Holmes, 29. "But it was a bit of an unknown because I hadn't done it before."

O'ahu's Maggie Twigg-Smith was second at 4:31:18, edging Maui's Zoe Norcross-Nu'u (4:31:32).

Most competitors described the Kaiwi Channel as "hard," with incoming swells stacking up against the outgoing tide. The winning times were well short of the course records.