Posted on: Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Hawai'i crews triumph in Australia

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Some of Hawai'i's best "older" canoe paddlers showed the Australians how to paddle in more ways than one last week.

Two separate teams called Team Hawai'i earned first-place trophies at the Hamilton Island Cup in Australia. The four-day event is considered the top paddling race in Australia. It consists of individual and team races in various age divisions.

The highlight of the event is the 42-kilometer team race.

Team Hawai'i continued its winning ways in the senior masters division (ages 45 and older) with its fifth consecutive victory in that age group. Members of the team were Lance Anderson, Fred Delos Santos, Beanie Heen, Kamoa Kalama, Leighton Look, Greg Poole, Tomas Schlotman, Afa Tuaolo and Charlie Wilkie.

"They started this age division five years ago, and we've won it every year," Kalama said. "It's really a fun, well-run event. That's why we go every year."

The other Team Hawai'i won the golden masters division (ages 55 and older). Members of that team were Ed Chung, Tommy Conner, Kawika Goodale, Charlie Kalama, Hank Leandro, Mel Mau, Paul Shaner, Bob Thurston and Mike Watson.

"This was the first time a lot of us went down there, so it was quite an experience," Leandro said. "The currents are incredible, and there's wind blowing from every direction."

The winning Team Hawai'is received $7,000 each.

Prior to the races, many of the Hawai'i paddlers served as instructors for paddling clinics.

"It helps build camaraderie with paddlers from that part of the world," Kamoa Kalama said.

In the open division, Team New Zealand/Hawai'i placed third. They raced with only eight paddlers because one paddler got injured earlier in the week. All the other teams used nine paddlers.

In the individual races, Leandro won the golden masters 500-meter sprint, and Andrew Penny won the open men's 8-kilometer race.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.