Hawai'i teams take top three positions
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Team New Zealand/Hawai'i had a whale of a time in the Catalina Channel Crossing last weekend at Newport Beach, Calif.
Team New Zealand/Hawai'i won the men's race, leading a Hawai'i sweep of the top three places. The two-day event, which drew 100 entries, is considered the championship long-distance race of California.
Team New Zealand/Hawai'i completed the 31-mile course in 3 hours, 58 minutes, 47 seconds. It was its second Catalina victory in three years (the team placed second last year).
The winning crew consisted of three paddlers from New Zealand (Rob Kaiwai, Maui Kjeldsen and Andrew Penny) and six from Hawai'i (Raven Aipa, Thibert Lussiaa, Kea Pa'iaina, Greg Poole, Bill Pratt and Karel Tresnak Jr.).
"We jumped ahead almost right away, and then we just kind of maintained that pace the whole way," Pratt said. "It was classic Catalina conditions — glassy and flat. After a while, we got into a comfort zone and we knew we'd be OK as long as we didn't make any mistakes."
With the outcome all but decided late in the race, Team New Zealand/Hawai'i paddled alongside a whale.
"It was a good 60 to 70 feet," Pratt said. "It came up right next to us and we went 'whoa.' Then it went under (the canoe) and we were just hoping it wasn't going to toss us. It was a neat experience."
Team Outer Islands, with paddlers from the Big Island's Kai 'Opua Canoe Club and Maui's Wailea Canoe Club, stayed on Team New Zealand/Hawai'i's tail the entire course and placed second in 3:59:40.
Outrigger Canoe Club of O'ahu was third in 4:02:28.
E Lau Hoe: While the "first team" was in California, Outrigger's "second team" women's crew won the E Lau Hoe Long Distance Canoe Race for Women on Sunday.
Outrigger completed the 31-mile course from Magic Island to Poka'i Bay in 4:19:32. Hui Nalu came in second at 4:20:32, and Hawaiian was third in 4:21:22.
Members of the winning crew were Tana Kekina, Laurie Lawson, Diana Allen, Ine Miller, Melissa Mowat, Genie Kincaid, Linda Fernandez, Kelsey Buell, Jennifer Thayer and Megan Jones.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
