Posted on: Sunday, March 27, 2005

Winds help set pace in relay

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

It was a combination of pleasure and torture for paddlers in the Rhino Coastal Relay yesterday.

Blustery winds of 15 to 30 mph made for tricky conditions, and the best teams took advantage of it.

Jimmy Austin and Karel Tresnak Jr. surfed past the competition in the men's division. Jessica Eames and Kelsa Teeters powered through the women's division.

"We were definitely happy to see the winds blowing," Tresnak said. "It's a lot better than it being flat."

The Rhino Coastal Relay is a race on one-person canoes. However, each "team" consists of two paddlers.

The 34-mile course is divided into four legs: Kawai Nui Channel to Lanikai; Lanikai to Makai Pier; Makai Pier to Hawai'i Kai bath house; Hawai'i Kai to Magic Island.

Each paddler had to paddle two legs.

"It's sprint, then rest, then sprint, then rest," Austin said. "It's fun because you know you have to give it everything, but then you get to rest for a little while before you get back in."

Tresnak paddled the first leg and raced to a slight lead. Austin then increased it in the second leg, and Tresnak pulled away from the field for good during the third leg.

"He must have put four minutes on the other guys on that Makapu'u run," Austin said of Tresnak. "He was surfing unreal."

During the final leg, Austin turned it into a rout. Austin and Tresnak — teammates for the Outrigger Canoe Club — won in 4 hours, 5 minutes, 22 seconds.

Danny Ching and Jacob Abeytia came in second at 4:13:12, and Paul Casken and Jack Roney were third at 4:13:58.

In the women's division, Eames and Teeters also pulled away from the field for a dominating victory.

"When the surf was there, it was fun," Teeters said. "But there were some places where the wind made you feel like you were going backwards."

Their biggest move came during the third leg when Eames took the lead while paddling against the wind.

"It was going back and forth in the surf," Eames said. "And then when we turned to go in at Hawai'i Kai, the wind was completely in our face, blowing us back out to sea. But for some reason, I felt strong and I started (passing) everybody."

Teeters and Eames finished in 4:45:42. Andrea Messer and Shien-Lu Stokesbary were second in 4:53:32.

Surfskis were allowed in the Rhino Coastal Relay for the first time this year.

The team of Sean Monahan and Stuart Gaessner placed first in the surfski division in 3:53:45.

"Each leg we just made up a little more ground," Monahan said. "There were some tough sections going against the wind, but it was still fun because you could surf most of the way."

Top finishers

One-person canoe

Open men: 1, Jimmy Austin/Karel Tresnak Jr., 4:05:22. 2, Danny Ching/Jacob Abeytia, 4:13:12. 3, Paul Casken/Jack Roney, 4:13:58. 4, George Leslie/Travis Grant, 4:15:15. 5, David Daniels/Kekoa Bruhn, 4:19:33. 6, Aaron Creps/Kaai Bruhn, 4:23:11. 7, Billy Balding/Mike Pedersen, 4:32:52. 8, Byron Ho/Bret Chuckovich, 4:34:55. 9, Evan Rhodes/Mike Nakano, 4:36:26. 10, Christopher Tseu/Keanu Kuna, 4:39:02.

Open women: 1, Jessica Eames/Kelsa Teeters, 4:45:42. 2, Andrea Messer/Shien-Lu Stokesbary, 4:53:32. 3, Jaimie Kinard/Loretta Toth, 5:02:04.

Masters men (40-older): 1, Sam Alama/Raven Aipa, 4:20:28. 2, Walter Guild/Chris Kincaid, 4:23:29. 3, Mark Rigg/Greg Poole, 4:24:09.

Mixed (male/female): 1, Danny Sheard/Lisa Curry-Kenny, 4:25:47. 2, Kawai Mahoe/Jane McKee, 4:44:17. 3, Fred Delos Santos/Arlene Holzman, 4:44:50.

Surfski

Open men: 1, Sean Monahan/Stuart Gaessner, 3:53:45. 2, Mark Sandvold/Andrew Glatzel, 4:06:27. 3, Matt Stevens/Daniel Tsukayama, 4:17:17.

Mixed: 1, Noah Hawk/Jodi Hawk, 4:34:27.

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