Posted on: Saturday, April 30, 2005
Calm seas could make canoe races tougher
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Paddlers in the Starbucks Kaiwi Channel Relay might want to drink coffee before tomorrow's race.
"It could be a long one," race director Walter Guild said.
Light winds and relatively calm seas are expected to make for a grueling crossing of the Kaiwi Channel. Guild said he expects the fastest teams to take around five hours to complete the race.
The Kaiwi Channel Relay is a 40.2-mile race from Moloka'i to O'ahu. Around 100 teams are expected to participate, most of them on one-person canoes (OC-1).
In the OC-1 division, each team consists of two paddlers. When one paddler is racing, the other follows in an escort boat. They switch positions every 15 to 20 minutes.
Tresnak won last year's race with Maui Kjeldsen, but Kjeldsen is not racing this year because of work commitments.
Tresnak's partner this year is Jimmy Austin, and they are considered one of the top teams.
"It looks like it could be a death march," Tresnak said. "But there's almost always something out there. We just have to find any (wave) bump we can."
What: World championship relay race for one-person (OC-1) and two-person (OC-2) canoes
Where: Start at Kaluako'i Hotel, Moloka'i; finish at Magic Island, O'ahu (40.2-mile course) When: Tomorrow. Start at 8 a.m.; first finishers expected around 1:30 p.m. Format: OC-1 teams use two paddlers; OC-2 teams use four paddlers. Paddlers rotate in the canoe approximately every 20 minutes. In the case of OC-1 teams, when one paddler is racing in the canoe, the other paddler follows in an escort boat. They will switch positions throughout the course. "We'll take the flat water any day," Bartlett said. "Karel's surfing is pretty extraordinary right now, so he'd probably walk away from everybody if the surf was up. I think if it's flat, the race will be a lot more competitive."
Other top men's teams include Kea Pa'iaina and Thibert Lussiaa, Jim Foti and John Foti, and Mike Judd and Tapa Worthington.
"If there's no surfing advantage, a lot of different teams could be considered contenders," Guild said. "It's going to come down to two guys holding up their end of the deal. Both guys will really have to be in shape; conditioning will be a key."
The women's division will also feature multiple contenders. The defending champions, Australians Lisa Curry-Kenny and Kirsty Holmes, are not entered this year.
Top women's teams include Noe Auger and Cherisse Keli'i, and Paula Crabb and Mary Smolenski.
There will also be a division for two-person canoes. That division will feature four-person teams, with two in the canoe and two in the escort boat.
The race will start around 8 a.m., and the first finishers are expected to reach Magic Island around 1:30 p.m.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
"It's one of the best races out there and if you win it, you and your partner are the best relay team," said paddler Karel Tresnak Jr. "But there's also a fun factor in this race because you are doing it with a partner."
Karel Tresnak Jr.
Kai Bartlett won the race in 2002 and 2003 with Aaron Napoleon, but he also has a new partner this year. Patrick Dolan, a junior at Maryknoll, will race with Bartlett tomorrow.
Starbucks Kaiwi Channel Relay
