When state Sen. Fred Hemmings turned 61 on Jan. 9, he didn't head for the bar to toast with champagne — he headed for the ocean for a long paddle with his friends from the Lanikai Canoe Club.

"I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy the camaraderie of these guys. It's just where I want to be," said Hemmings, for whom the ocean has been a passion throughout his life.

Hemmings' sports resume is even longer than his political resume, and much of it is ocean-centered.

During his teen years, he took first in the Makaha International Surfing Championships three times. In 1968, he won the World Surfing Championships. Since 1956, he has paddled for the Outrigger, Hui Nalu and Lanikai canoe clubs. In the '60s, '70s and '80s he completed the grueling Moloka'i to O'ahu Canoe Race, with his teams breaking records in 1975 and 1984. On land, he was a football standout at Punahou. He was also a long-distance runner for decades until his knees blew out and his hip had to be replaced.

Still a highly disciplined fitness buff, Hemmings' workouts now are less about competition and more about camaraderie and maintaining his health. "I am no longer on a mission athletically — I'm not out to win anything. I'm just passionate about being in the water," he said.

Hemmings is motivated by his son Heath, who loves to paddle one-man canoes with his dad, and his family. "Hey, I get a workout just trying to keep up with my dynamo wife, Lydia," he said.

On Christmas Day, the entire Hemmings family paddled out to the Mokulua and spent the day riding canoes and surfing. "The ocean was a glittering azure, the Ko'olau were crisply outlined; it was a magical day," Hemmings said with a deep sigh. "We are determined to maintain the quality of our life and share the blessings of nature while working out."

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Do you still surf? "I no longer have the passion for board surfing that I once had. That's heresy to the surfers of the world, but that's me. I now surf mostly in a four-man canoe, occasionally on a board on smaller waves. My right hip has been replaced three times. My knees are shot and next to be replaced. So surfing big waves is a problem. I used to sneak out to big Makaha up till about 2000, when my hip and knees started to get painfully arthritic."

What kind of board do you prefer? "I have always ridden long boards. I am a surfer who waltzes with the waves and am not a rock 'n' roller wave rider."

My good foods/bad foods: "Food is a problem, as I have a sweet tooth and most enjoy sumptuous meals. I still am somewhat carnivorous but do enjoy great soup and salads, especially spicy soups like Portuguese bean soup with a dash of Tabasco. Mmmmmm."

My biggest motivator: "Tight clothes, the mirror and my dynamo wife. I stay off the scale because it causes undue angst."

My biggest roadblock to fitness: "Time, arthritis, knees and hips ... probably going to shift gears into yoga in the future, with a bit of paddling, too."

What saves my sanity: "My wife, Lydia, children, grandkids, heavy cardio workouts and long paddling sessions with the boys at Lanikai."

My next adventures: "Surfing big waves in a canoe with Pat Bowlen and John Finney, beach biking at low tide during a full-moon night and hikes in the mountains with family."

Reach Paula Rath at paularath@aol.com.