Chalupsky first across Moloka'i-O'ahu channel

South African surfskier Herman Chalupsky finished the 32-mile Kona Brewing Co. Moloka'i World Championship in 3 hours, 48 minutes and 40 seconds. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

The younger brother finally got to upstage the older brother yesterday in the Kona Brewing Co. Moloka'i World Championship.

Herman Chalupsky

Jasmin Cohen

Chalupsky completed the 32-mile course from Kaluako'i Beach, Moloka'i, to Koko Marina, O'ahu, in 3 hours, 48 minutes, 40 seconds.

Jasmin Cohen of Australia was the first female finisher in 4:27:01.

Chalupsky beat 99 other competitors to the finish line, including his older brother, Oscar Chalupsky. Oscar has won the Moloka'i race a record 10 times, including last year.

"It's taken me long enough," Herman joked.

In 1995, Herman and Oscar crossed the finish line together and were declared co-champs. Yesterday, Herman got there first by himself.

Describing it as "a race of attrition," Herman jumped to an early lead and never relented. "About an hour and a half into it, I decided to go for it," he said.

Nobody came close. David Kissane of Australia finished second in 3:55:16, approximately one mile behind Herman.

Oscar Chalupsky placed third in 3:58:10. In his 11 previous appearances in the Moloka'i race, he had never finished lower than second place.

"As long as you keep it in the family," said Oscar, who is 41 and two years older than Herman.

Due to unfavorable conditions, the times were relatively slow, and many paddlers described the course as "hard."

"Side wind all the way," Herman said. "And the swell wasn't really helping us. We had to really work to get down."

Mark Sandvold placed seventh overall in 4:12:23, and was the first finisher from Hawai'i.

Australia's Dean Gardiner kept pace with Herman for the first hour of the race, but then withdrew because of an injured left shoulder. Gardiner has won the Moloka'i race nine times.

"It's a real bummer," Gardiner said. "Herman and I were having a good race, and I felt like I was right there. But it's the same shoulder (injury) that's bothered me before."

Once Gardiner dropped out, Oscar moved into second place. However, Oscar had his own problems.

"I got a cramp in my leg and I couldn't do it," Oscar said. "I was lucky to hang on to third."

Herman said he would have paddled alongside his brother had the ocean been flat. But because of the choppy conditions, they separated early.

While the Chalupsky brothers took a north course across the Kaiwi Channel, Kissane paddled alone on a path to the south.

"I had no idea where I was the whole race," said Kissane, 36. "I couldn't see anyone in front of me, so I guessed that I must have been up there. But it was a big surprise to come in second."

Even more surprising, Kissane was entering the Moloka'i race for the first time. He prepared for the race by training in Australia with Gardiner.

"They're getting old, you know," he said jokingly of Oscar Chalupsky and Gardiner.

Cohen was an impressive 13th overall, beating Australian teammate Kirsty Holmes by more than six minutes for the women's title.

"Kirsty and I were racing together the first half of the race, then I got a bit of a lead on her," said Cohen, 25. "It was just a slight lead and I guess that was probably enough in the end."

It was the first solo Moloka'i victory for Cohen, but not her first victorious experience in Hawai'i. She and three other members of the Mooloolaba team that won the Na Wahine O Ke Kai last September entered yesterday's race.

"We wanted to come over here and prove ourselves as (solo) paddlers also," she said. "It wasn't the best conditions, but we made it."

Maggie Twigg-Smith was fourth among the women, and the first from Hawai'i with a time of 4:42:54.

Surfski results

Men

Overall: 1, Herman Chalupsky, 3:48:30. 2, David Kissane, 3:55:16. 3, Oscar Chalupsky, 3:58:16. 4, Lewis Laughlin, 3:58:17. 5, Martin Kenny, 4:00:48. 6, Tepa Leopold, 4:12:11. 7, Mark Sandvold, 4:12:23. 8, Robert Dorrough, 4:15:27. 9, Rod Taylor, 4:15:55. 10, Steve Kelly, 4:18:56. 11, Braden Kane, 4:24:23. 12, Brad Fernley, 4:26:31. 13, Ken Collins, 4:27:12. 14, Patrick Hemmens, 4:28:27. 15, Michael Snell, 4:28:36. 16, David Kelynack, 4:28:42. 17, Shun Kobayashi, 4:32:54. 18, Mike Shea, 4:39:56. 19, Jimmy Kincaid, 4:41:18. 20, Joseph Glickman, 4:41:19. 21, Donald Kiesling Jr., 4:42:42. 22, Noah Hawk, 4:43:46. 23, John Hoogsteden, 4:46:08. 24, Thomas Gallagher, 4:48:37. 25, George Abood, 4:52:46. 26, Butch Murray, 4:58:51. 27, Brian Mulvaney, 5:10:54. 28, Grant Billen, 5:14:43. 29, Jim Faulkner, 5:15:31. 30, John Dixon, 5:16:50. 31, 31, Erik Borgnes, 5:17:48. 32, James Vitale, 5:18:25. 33, Tom Simmat, 5:29:30. 34, Brian Graber, 5:39:47. 35, Noriyasu Kohnobe, 5:52:16. 36, Bill Beale, 5:53:32.

Masters 40-49: 1, Oscar Chalupsky, 3:58:10. 2, Robert Dorrough, 4:15:27. 3, Brad Fernley, 4:26:31. 4, Patrick Hemmens, 4:28:27. 5, Joseph Glickman, 4:41:19. 6, John Hoogsteden, 4:46:08. 7, Thomas Gallagher, 4:48:37. 8, Butch Murray, 4:58:51. 9, Brian Mulvaney, 5:10:54. 10, Jim Faulkner, 5:15:31. 11, John Dixon, 5:16:50. 12, James Vitale, 5:18:25.

Masters 50-59: 1, Rod Taylor, 4:15:55. 2, Mike Shea, 4:39:56. 3, Jimmy Kincaid, 4:41:18. 4, George Abood, 4:52:46. 5, Tom Simmat, 5:29:30.

Masters 60-older: 1, Brian Graber, 5:39:47. 2, Bill Beale, 5:53:32.

Women

Overall: 1, Jasmin Cohen, 4:27:01. 2, Kirsty Holmes, 4:33:38. 3, Cassandra Sedgman, 4:35:01. 4, Maggie Twigg-Smith, 4:42:54. 5, Deanne Hemmens, 4:49:31. 6, Kanesa Duncan, 5:06:07. 7, Selina Kendal, 5:14:25. 8, Laurie Denton, 6:01:43.

Masters 40-49: 1, Laurie Denton, 6:01:43.

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