Golden paddlers tackling long-distance challenges
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Long-distance canoe paddling is all about pacing.
Kind of like growing older.
Lambert
At the Lanikai Canoe Club, women in their golden years are having a golden time in the sport of paddling.
"They've found a fountain of youth," said Hovey Lambert, coach of the Lanikai women's masters program. "They're out here training every day, doing things a person that age normally wouldn't be doing."
There are 30 women in the Lanikai masters program, including 10 who qualify for the "golden masters" division, which is for paddlers age 55 and older.
September is the most significant month for female paddlers, highlighted by the Na Wahine O Ke Kai race from Moloka'i to O'ahu. The Lanikai masters will participate in the 41-mile Na Wahine race as well as the 18-mile Queen Lili'uokalani Races in Kailua, Kona, next week.
"The regattas are just a warmup," said Margaret Lefton, 68. "Long distance is the real stuff. That's what we work for."
And they work as hard as all the other paddlers in the club.
According to Lambert, the masters women have voluntary paddling sessions every weekday morning at 7 o'clock. They also have three mandatory afternoon practice sessions per week.
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"The workouts aren't as strenuous as they would be for the younger girls, but they're still out here pushing their bodies to the limit," Lambert said. "These races are not easy for anybody, let alone people who are in their 60s and 70s, so they have to make sure they're ready. It really is inspiring to see how hard these women work."
Lanikai Canoe Club paddlers, from left, Judy Allen, Lori Auhll, Leina'ala Davis, Joy Schoonecker and Thelma Madali are ready for a workout.
The Lanikai women said there are a variety of reasons to keep paddling.
Hoppy Smith, who has been paddling since 1978, said: "The exercise and the friendship. You can't beat it."
Lefton has been paddling since 1971, and is still considered one of Lanikai's better steerswomen. She said she used to play tennis, but discovered that paddling was easier on the joints.
"My daughter thinks paddling is a terrible waste of my time," Lefton said. "She wants me at home babysitting my grandchildren, but I told her I'm not ready to give up paddling yet."
Lori Auhll is 68, and is still a relative novice to the sport. She started paddling after she retired seven years ago at the urging of a friend.
"When I first started, my body would get real sore," Auhll said. "But now that I do it all the time, I feel a lot stronger. It really is a good way to keep up your strength and stay healthy."
Lambert said he is aware of both the benefits and dangers of allowing such women to paddle.
"They're out in the open ocean; it doesn't take much for one of them to go down," he said. "We keep a pretty good eye on them."
All of the women must be able to swim before joining the club. Lambert said he also reminds the paddlers to take their daily vitamins and to stay hydrated before and after practice.
On race days, the golden masters paddlers are often one of the last crews to finish, well behind the elite crews. Not that it matters much to the Lanikai paddlers.
"We come in a lot later than the younger girls, when everybody is going home," Auhll said. "But it's still a rush for us to do this. We want to win, of course. But just being able to be in that canoe and ride the waves, it's a great feeling."
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
