For starters, Hui Lanakila was actually the powerful Team New Zealand/Hawai'i crew. Due to race rules, each team had to enter under a registered state club name — which Team New Zealand/Hawai'i is not.

Making it more confusing, Team NZ/H was actually the third canoe to cross the finish line yesterday.

The Duke Kahanamoku Race is a 24-mile long-distance outrigger canoe race for men. The course starts at Kailua Beach and ends at Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Waikiki.

Outrigger Canoe Club was actually the first to cross the finish line, and Lanikai was second by a canoe length. However, both crews were disqualified for cutting too far inside the final buoy.

"It's a bummer that there's controversy, but things like this happen," said Outrigger paddler Tim Twigg-Smith. "We respect the officials, but we feel like we deserve the win."

Team NZ/H — Hui Lanakila, to be official — was awarded first place with a time of 3 hours, 2 minutes, 11 seconds. Shortly after receiving the first-place trophy, the Team NZ/H paddlers handed it to Outrigger.

"We had a good battle with them, but they got ahead of us and kept marching," Team NZ/H paddler Bill Pratt said. "We didn't win this race. Outrigger beat us, fair and square."

The general feeling among the top crews was that Outrigger and Lanikai would have finished 1-2 regardless of what happened in the final mile of the course.

"There was a lot of confusion there at the end," Outrigger steersman Karel Tresnak Jr. said. "But the bottom line is we know we paddled a strong race."

Guided by Tresnak — in his first year as Outrigger's steersman — Outrigger surfed its way into the lead by riding waves off Maunalua Bay.

"It was real sloppy and junk off Makapu'u," Tresnak said. "But we were able to work the surf after that. We had some good rides — we stayed on a couple of waves for more than a minute."

Members of the Outrigger crew were Tresnak, Twigg-Smith, Kevin Allen, Jimmy Austin, Kapono Brown, Bret Chuckovich, Scott Hendricks, Byron Ho and John Wacker.

Team NZ/H kept pace with Outrigger for the first half of the race, but new steersman Aaron Napoleon said he struggled in his first race with the crew (Napoleon replaced Tresnak this year as Team NZ/H's steersman).

"It was upsetting for me because I couldn't find anything and Outrigger and Lanikai went right by us," Napoleon said. "This crew is strong. Blame this one on the steersman."

Lanikai passed Team NZ/H in the last half of the race, and then lured Outrigger inside the final buoy off Waikiki.

With Outrigger already in a commanding lead, Lanikai paddled closer to shore to ride more waves. Not wanting to relinquish the lead, Outrigger "covered" Lanikai and headed inside as well.

"It got to a point where we were both committed and couldn't head back out (to the buoy)," Lanikai steersman Jim Foti said. "DQ or not, we know how the race went. Outrigger beat everybody, but we feel like we gave it a good push."

Prior to the men's race, a 6-mile race at Kailua Beach was staged for women. The Waikiki Beach Boys won in 50 minutes, 13 seconds.

The event was the second of the long-distance paddling season. The next races are the Kailua Bay Iron Challenge for men on Saturday, and the Dad Center Race for women on Sunday.

Final results

Men (24 miles, Kailua Beach to Waikiki)

Open: 1, Hui Lanakila V (Kea Pa'iaina, Bill Pratt, Andrew Penny, Maui Kjeldsen, Raven Aipa, Thibert Lussiaa, Ricky Nu'u, Gregg Poole, Aaron Napoleon) 3:02:11. 2, Hui Nalu I 3:04:56. 3, Kailua I 3:10:40. 4, Kailua I, 3:10:40. 5, Lanikai II 3:11:47. 6, Hui Lanakila II 3:15:41. 7, Outrigger II 3:18:39. 8, Waikiki Yacht 3:20:43. 9, Hui Lanakila I 3:21:34. 10, Healani I 3:26:52.

Masters 40-older: 1, Hui Lanakila III (Fred Delos Santos, Ron Coteen, Jim Hewitt, Eric Marshall, Steve Holbrook, Byron Martinez, Tomas Schlotman, Dee Ruzicka, Leighton Look) 3:24:44. 2, Ka Mamalahoe 4:21:00.

Masters 50-older: 1, Kai Poha (Guy Gamurot, Bernard Paloma, Rondy Fernandez, William Rees Jr., Richard Mahi Jr., Aaron Zoller, Richard Chow Jr., Nero Ocasio, James Sequin) 4:03:33. 2, New Hope 4:09:50.

Masters 55-older: 1, Lanikai IV (Carl Woehrle, Ernest Madali, Rob Milne, Bill Tibbets, Ka'ai Fernandez, Kimo Jadrincek, George Medeiros, Mike Gibson, Clint Mathews) 4:19:37.

Women (6 miles, Kailua Beach to Mokolea Rock and back)

Open: 1, Waikiki Beach Boys I (Kelsa Teeters, Erin Offenhauser, Dana Gorecki, Jennifer Bowers, Valerie Hersey, Julie Sharp) 50:13. 2, Hui Nalu V 52:12. 3, Kailua I 52:52.

Masters 40-older: 1, Kailua II (Ann Farrell, Donna Meyer, Kathy Erwin, Donna Kohl, Kalei Javellana, Ginger Lockette) 52:06. 2, Bay Blades/Australia 55:41. 3, Lanikai VIII 1:02:59.

Masters 50-older: 1, Lanikai VII (Elise Jadrincek, Lynn Woehrle, Chrystal Hogue, Cherie Moncrief, Dee Sawyers, Margaret Lefton) 59:00. 2, Hui Nalu VIII 59:40.

Masters 55-older: 1, Lanikai V (Mary Lerps, Judy Allen, Joy Schoenecker, Leina'ala Davis, Kristine Giannasio, Hoppy Smith) 1:05:21. 2, Hui Nalu I 1:05:21.

Mixed (6 miles, Kailua Beach to Mokolea Rock and back)

Masters 40-older: 1, Lanikai IX (Cheryl Campbell, Suzi Mechler, Lani Twomey, Kern Rogerson, Gordon Scruton, Artie Palaualelo) 58:44.

Masters 55-older: 1, Lanikai VI (Mauliola Aspelund, Naomi Goya, Keene Rees, Bill Henderson, Jeff Hunt, David Spafford) 1:02:37.