Australia repeats as champ

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Smash it up!

Team Mooloolaba, from left, front row: Andrea Polkinghorne, Cassandra Sedgman, Lisa Curry-Kenny, Leigh Townsend. Back row, from left: Jasmin Cohen, Danielle Lindsay, Cheryl Skribe, Kirsty Holmes, Sonia Adams and Robyn Saultry. The team won the Hawaii Modular Space Na Wahine O Ke Kai for the second consecutive year. Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

Mooloolaba also smashed the old record time by more than two minutes. They completed the 41-mile course from Hale O Lono Harbor, Moloka'i, to Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Waikiki, in 5 hours, 22 minutes, 12 seconds.

OffShore set the previous mark of 5:24:32 in 1995.

"Whenever we need a kick in the pants, we yell 'Smash it up!' to each other," said Mooloolaba team captain Lisa Curry-Kenny. "We came back this year, and we didn't want second place. We wanted to win it again, and we really wanted the record."

Na Wahine O Ke Kai is considered the women's world championship of team outrigger canoe paddling. Mooloolaba has dominated the race the past two years.

"They're just stronger than we are," said Kisi Haine, who steered the Outrigger Canoe Club to a runner-up finish for the second consecutive year. "They're bulls. We thought we might be able to catch them in the surf, but they know what they're doing in the surf, too."

Members of the Mooloolaba crew were Curry-Kenny, Sonia Adams, Jasmin Cohen, Kirsty Holmes, Danielle Lindsay, Andrea Polkinghorne, Robyn Saultry, Cassandra Sedgman, Cheryl Skribe and Leigh Townsend. Seven of them returned from last year's championship crew.

"The core of this team has been together for three years," Cohen said. "We've done all the hard work that prepares us for this."

Hawai'i crews took second and third, with Outrigger getting second in 5:26:36, and Team Bradley third in 5:30:22.

False Creek from Canada was fourth in 5:31:47, and Hui Lanakila of Honolulu had its best showing in a Na Wahine O Ke Kai race by placing fifth in 5:34:35.

Sixty teams participated in yesterday's race. A favorable tide and 4- to 6-foot swells contributed to the fast crossing, although the crews had to work hard to get on the waves.

"The conditions actually weren't that good," Outrigger's Haine said. "It was a little sloppy. There was some really good surf off 'Aina Haina and Diamond Head, but before that, it was tough."

Cohen and Holmes shared steering duties for Mooloolaba. They said they practiced for the rough conditions across the Kaiwi Channel.

"We were glad to see a bit of surf," Cohen said. "We definitely had to work to get on the runners, but that's what we were working on back home. We wanted to prove ourselves in conditions like this."

Curry-Kenny added: "Any conditions should favor the Hawaiian crews because it's still Hawaiian water. But we have an ocean back home, too. We have different conditions, and we work in the flat and we work in the rough. We like to think we prepare ourselves for everything."

Just like last year, Mooloolaba led practically from start to finish. Midway across the channel, Outrigger was the only team within striking distance.

Because of the conditions, Mooloolaba did not want to break too far ahead of Outrigger.

"We wanted to keep them in our sights and cover them because we know how good they can be in the surf," Curry-Kenny said. "We actually had to change our course a little bit to make sure we covered them."

Outrigger never got within a quarter-mile of Mooloolaba in the last half of the race.

"Overall, we paddled a really good race," Haine said. "Australia just paddled a better one."

One of the rookie paddlers on the Mooloolaba crew was 18-year-old Lindsay.

"I've been paddling since I was 12 years old, and ever since then, I've wanted to do Moloka'i," she said. "We look at it as the No. 1 race in the world, so to win it in my first try is really special."

Team Bradley, which is a collection of elite paddlers from around the state, tried to go around Outrigger and Mooloolaba, but could not make up the difference.

"We went a little north, and they were south; that was our game plan," said Noe Auger, who steered Team Bradley. "But by the time we got to (O'ahu), Australia was too far ahead."

Among some of the other crews:

• Kahiau placed 10th overall in 5:47:03, and won the masters division for paddlers age 40 and older.

The crew was a mix of paddlers from Hawai'i and California: Katy Bourne, Katy Curtis, Jill Dawrs, Laurie Denton, Maria Fid-ler, Margie Goodno, Cindy Grover, Elaine Kaspar, Laola Lake, Laurie Lawson, Michelle Lussier and Eva Mauck.

The crew did not practice together prior to yesterday, although many of them have paddled with each other in previous years.

"Our goal was to finish in the top 10 (overall) and win the masters," Lake said. "It was a lofty goal, so we're really happy that we accomplished it."

The Hawaiian name Kahiau means to give from the heart without an expectation in return.

Kailua placed second in the masters division. JoJo Toeppner of California paddled with that Kailua crew. She has participated in every Na Wahine O Ke Kai since the first one in 1979.

• Lanikai won the senior masters division for paddlers 50 and older with a time of 6:41:42.

Crew members were Judy Allen, Leina'ala Davis, Chrystal Hogue, Elise Jadrnicek, Margaret Lefton, Suzi Mechler, Donna Paoa, Dee Sawyers, Joy Schoenecker, Sharon Skouge, Lani Twomey and Maggie Vogt.

• Teen Bradley O'ahu, a crew of 18-year-old paddlers, placed 37th overall with a time of 6:29:06.

Each of the paddlers on the crew was crossing the Kaiwi Channel for the first time (the minimum age to participate in the race is 18).

The Hawaii Modular Space Moloka'i Hoe — the men's Moloka'i-to-O'ahu race — is scheduled for Oct. 10.

Final results

Overall

1, Mooloolaba, 5:22:12. 2, Outrigger Red, 5:26:36. 3, Team Bradley, 5:30;22. 4, False Creek-1, 5:31:47. 5, Hui Lanakila-1, 5:34:35. 6, Kai 'Opua, 5:39:44. 7, Waikiki Beach Boys, 5:41:02. 8, Keahiakahoe Red, 5:45:22. 9, Outrigger White, 5:46:09. 10, Kahiau, 5:47:03. 11, Kailua 40s, 5:50:53. 12, Hui Lanakila-2, 5:51:01. 13, Lae 'Ula O Kai, 5:53:16. 14, Hui Nalu-1, 5:55:36. 15, Lanakila-California, 5:55:41. 16, Kai 'Opua-1, 5:56:37. 17, Healani, 5:57:17. 18, Kaiola, 5:58:53. 19, Hui Nalu-2, 5:59:05. 20, Hanalei, 6:00:12.

21, Kailua-1, 6:00:46. 22, Dana Outrigger, 6:00:58. 23, False Creek-2, 6:03:22. 24, Lokahi-1, 6:04:43. 25, Kai Elua, 6:05:09. 26, Lanikai Green-1, 6:10:15. 27, Puna-1, 6:15:00. 28, Kihei Yellow, 6:16:49. 29, Pupu O Hawai'i, 6:17:10. 30, Hui Lanakila-3, 6:18:25. 31, Kamehameha-Hilo, 6:19:30. 32, Lae 'Ula O Kai, 6:21:54. 33, Waikiki Beach Boys, 6:23:04. 34, Kailua-2, 6:25:11. 35, Lanikai Green-2, 6:26:59. 36, Waikiki Surf Club, 6:28:07. 37, Teen Bradley O'ahu, 6:29:06. 38, Kihei Red, 6:29:22. 39, Puna-II, 6:30:17. 40, Keahiakahoe, 6:30:32.

41, Lokahi-2, 6:31:09. 42, Niumalu, 6:31:24. 43, Waikiki Yacht Club, 6:34:20. 44, Hui Lanakila-4, 6:34:42. 45, North Shore, 6:34:43. 46, New Hope-3, 6:36:07. 47, Lanikai Island Masters, 6:36:08. 48, Koa Kai-1, 6:36:46. 49, Pu'uwai 40s, 6:40:09. 50, Healani-2, 6:40:52. 51, 'Alapa Hoe, 6:41:09. 52, Lanikai 50s, 6:41:42. 53, Pu'uwai 50s, 6:44:42. 54, Ka Mamalahoe, 6:45:34. 55, I Mua, 6:45:48. 56, Waikiki Yacht Club, 6:48:47. 57, New Hope-2, 6:50:10. 58, Koa Kai-2, 6:52:17. 59, New Hope-1, 6:54:43. 60, Kalihi Kai, 6:55:15.

Masters 40-older

1, Kahiau, 5:47:03. 2, Kailua, 5:50:53. 3, Pupu O Hawai'i, 6:17:10. 4, North Shore, 6:34:43. 5, Lanikai Island Masters, 6:36:08. 6, Pu'uwai, 6:40:09. 7, Ka Mamalahoe, 6:45:34. 8, Waikiki Yacht Club, 6:48:47.

Senior masters 50-older

1, Lanikai, 6:41:42. 2, Pu'uwai, 6:44:42.

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