The quest begins Sunday, when the O'ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association opens its season with the Clement D. Pa'iaina Regatta at Ke'ehi Lagoon.

Club started in 1997

Pu'uloa was created in 1997, but only started competing in regattas last season. Among the 16 clubs in OHCRA, it is one of the smallest.

Eventually, that could change.

Pu'uloa is the only nearby canoe club available for potential paddlers from O'ahu's "Second City." Because of the influx of new residents to the 'Ewa area, Pu'uloa has perhaps more potential for growth than any other club on the island "We kind of wanted to keep the club small at first," Kiaaina said. "But if we build slowly, we can get big someday. That would be a dream come true, to be able to compete with those bigger clubs."

Resources limited

Because of limited resources, recruiting paddlers from the area has been difficult. This year's big push consisted of posting fliers in the neighborhood stores.

"We cannot afford to do much more than that," said Mary Serrao, the club's president. "Some clubs have the name recognition and so paddlers automatically go there. We don't have that. A lot of people are surprised to find out there's even a canoe club in 'Ewa Beach. It's like we're a secret or something."

Margaret Bush is a perfect example. She lives in 'Ewa Beach, but did not join Pu'uloa until this year. Previously, she battled pau hana traffic to paddle for clubs in town.

"I didn't even know this club existed," she said. "I love paddling, so I didn't mind making the drive to town. But this is so much more convenient. Plus, it's more family oriented when you paddle in your own community."

This year, Pu'uloa's roster will consist of around 40 paddlers. That is a slight increase from last year — a sign that the signs might actually be working.

"We got some new kids from right here in 'Ewa Beach," Kiaaina said. "But we also got kids from Waipahu, Kapolei, Pearl City. This is the closest club to all those areas."

Last year, the club did not have any paddlers younger than 16. This year, they will field crews in the girls 13-younger and boys 14-younger divisions.

"That's a big step for a club like us," Kiaaina said. "Not just because we're getting more paddlers. We're getting younger paddlers. That's where the future comes from."

For now, the club must work through its growing pains.

Equipment scarce

There are only three practice canoes available, so practice time must be split between the youths and adults.

There are also no calm channels or bays near the club's practice site at 'Ewa Beach Park, so the canoes are often left on the beach when the breaking waves make it impossible to launch from shore.

"When there's the big swells, the kids sometimes don't get to take the canoe out (to the ocean) for more than one week," Serrao said.

"It means being creative," said Rod Boucher, coach of the Pu'uloa boys.

That includes running on the beach, lifting weights, or swimming. Sometimes, the coaches rest the canoe on the sand and have the youths simulate paddling motions.

"I always tell the girls that when they do get a chance to take the canoe out in the water, they have to stay focused and work hard because those chances might not come too often," said Liz Guzman, coach of the Pu'uloa girls.

Focus on safety

Kiaaina said that if the club's youth membership continues to increase, he may have to seek a safer practice site — perhaps Iroquois Point — in future years.

"The main thing is safety," he said. "And a lot of days, the water over here is not safe for the kids."

Yet, one of the goals of the club is to create a safe haven for the youths in the area.

"Anybody can show up and paddle," he said. "We want to teach the kids something more."

The youth paddlers are expected to know how to rig and clean the canoes. Before the start of the season, Kiaaina even administered a written test.

"I want them to know the meaning and some of the history of paddling," he said. "That's an important part of the sport, too."

The secret is out.