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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, May 7, 2007

Tresnak and Penny win 40.2-mile paddling race

Photo galleryStarbucks Kaiwi Channel Relay gallery

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Andrew Penny celebrates after crossing the finish line at Magic Island. Penny said he was a little anxious when Karel Tresnak Jr. asked him to be his racing partner because Tresnak is "always expected to win." But Penny said it was "fun," helping Tresnak win the Kaiwi Channel Relay for the fourth time with his fourth different partner.

Photos by ANDREW SHIMABUKU | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Andrea Moller teamed with Lauren Bartlett to set a record.

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Karel Tresnak Jr.

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Lauren Bartlett

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Andrea Moller

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New partner, same result.

Karel Tresnak Jr. and Andrew Penny took advantage of the waves off East O'ahu to win the Starbucks Kaiwi Channel Relay paddling race yesterday.

Tresnak and Penny — who both reside in Kailua — completed the 40.2-mile course from Kaluako'i, Moloka'i, to Magic Island, O'ahu, in 4 hours, 34 minutes, 39 seconds.

It was the fourth Kaiwi Channel Relay victory for Tresnak, and with four different partners. It was Penny's first victory in his first year as a paddling partner with Tresnak.

"I wasn't sure if I wanted the pressure of paddling with Karel when he first asked me," Penny said. "He's always expected to win. But he said it would be fun, and it was."

The Kaiwi Channel Relay is considered one of the most prestigious races in the sport.

The race features one-person canoes (OC-1), but each "team" is allowed to alternate two paddlers. In short, the paddlers take turns on the canoe, switching every 15 to 20 minutes.

An extended paddling session by Tresnak was the key to victory yesterday. When the waves picked up off Sandy Beach, Tresnak stayed in the canoe for 45 minutes.

"All of a sudden, the (canoe) was dropping in, screaming down wave after wave," Tresnak said. "I figured it was going good, so I stayed in there."

The surf run allowed Penny and Tresnak to open a quarter-mile gap on the rest of the field.

Prior to that stretch, three teams were inseparable for the first three hours of the race.

The teams of Kai Bartlett/Kea Pa'iaina and Maui Kjeldsen/ Manny Kulukulualani exchanged the lead with Penny/Tresnak across the Kaiwi Channel.

"It was a dogfight all the way to Sandys, then (Tresnak) took over," Bartlett said. "He's so good in the surf, and he's in such good shape. He's the top paddler out there, so when he gets in a rhythm like that, it's hard to keep up."

Bartlett and Pa'iaina placed second with a time of 4:35:17. They became partners "at the last minute" a few days before the race because Pa'iaina's original partner could not compete.

Kjeldsen and Kulukulualani were third in 4:37:40.

"It was a really fun race because we all took turns in the lead," Tresnak said. "We were just lucky enough to catch that good section of surf and it gave us a little bit of a gap to play with until the finish."

Bartlett said: "We made up a lot of ground at the end, so I was proud of that. But after (Tresnak) had that nice long run of his, we knew it was a battle for second."

Tresnak and Penny used a canoe called "Zephyr," designed by Karel Tresnak Sr.

"It was great — it worked perfect in the surf," Tresnak Jr. said. "It wasn't big (surf), but there was always sort of something to ride."

Aaron Creps and John Foti were fourth in 4:42:54, and Danny Ching and Luke Evslin were fifth in 4:45:11.

Foti holds the record of six Kaiwi Channel Relay victories.

MAUI TEAM SETS RECORD IN WOMEN'S DIVISION

New partner, same result, too.

Like Tresnak in the men's division, Lauren Bartlett won the women's division for the fourth time, with a fourth different partner.

Bartlett and Andrea Moller — who are both from Maui — set a new women's record with a time of 5:20:33. It beat the previous mark (set by Bartlett and Dane Ward last year) by nearly three minutes.

Cherisse Agorastos and Theresa Felgate were a distant second in 5:45:51.

"We were switching every 20 minutes, and we had help (from the waves) the whole way," said Bartlett, who is the wife of Kai Bartlett.

Bartlett and Moller are both 27, and both mothers of young children, so they said they "formed a bond."

"If one of us has family duties, we understand," Moller said. "But when we weren't watching the kids, we were out training together whenever we could."

Bartlett is a former Olympic kayaker, but she said her focus is back on canoe paddling.

"I retired from kayaking in February, so this is the most time I've spent on a one-man (canoe) in years," she said.

Among other divisions:

  • Kaua'i paddlers Mark Frazier and Alana Goo won the mixed division (one male, one female) with a time of 5:13:30. It was the second consecutive year that Frazier and Goo won the mixed division.

  • The team of Dave Kalama, Peter Konohia, Junior McGurn and Tyson Kubo was first to finish on a two-person canoe (OC-2) with a time of 4:39:18.

    In the OC-2 division, two paddlers are in the canoe and two others alternate.

  • Lisa Curry-Kenny, Cheryl Skribe, Jessie Eames and Sarah Van De Vanter were the first females to finish on an OC-2 in 5:24:31.

  • Sharon Balidoy, Michael De Lima, Donnie Abernathy and Joycelun Hrkach were the first mixed team to finish in an OC-2 in 5:09:36.

    A record 124 teams — more than 280 paddlers — participated in the event.

    Many of the teams are expected to travel to Kaua'i this week for the Kaua'i World Challenge Saturday. That race will also follow a relay format.

    TOP FINISHERS

    OC-1 MALES

    Open: 1, Andrew Penny/Karel Tresnak Jr., 4:34:39. 2, Kea Pa'iaina/Kai Bartlett, 4:35:17. 3, Maui Kjeldsen/Manny Kulukulualani, 4:37:40. 4, Aaron Creps/John Foti, 4:42:54. 5, Danny Ching/Luke Evslin, 4:45:11. 6, Raven Aipa/Carlton Helm, 4:50:39. 7, Kelly Foster/Steve Sinkus, 4:51:05. 8, Jimmy Austin/Mike Kane, 4:52:05. 9, Kekoa Cramer/Felipe Gomes, 4:52:48. 10, Jack Roney/Ryan Dolan, 4:53:39. 11, Alfred Van Gieson/Keola Wright, 4:53:47. 12, Matt Carter/Peter Binney, 4:55:25. 13, David Daniels/Kekoa Bruhn, 4:56:36. 14, Ikaika Hauanio/Ka'ai Bruhn, 5:06:42. 15, Daryl Smith/Ramone Mullen, 5:08:27. 16, Ian Forester/Pat Von, 5:08:33. 17, Andrew Wheatley/David Schloss, 5:10:08. 18, Evan Rhodes/Kapono Brown, 5:13:08. 19, Ivan McIvor/Charlie Becerra, 5:13:45. 20, Jed Gushman/Will Estes, 5:14:10.

    Masters 40-older: 1, Mike Muls-Thorn/Danny Sheard, 5:01:29. 2, Bruce Ayau/Rick Nu'u, 5:04:14. 3, Rob Harrison/Byron Ho, 5:12:12. 4, Tim Twigg-Smith/Jim Beaton, 5:12:18. 5, Andrew Glatzel/Billy Balding, 5:12:46.

    Senior masters 50-older: 1, Afa Tuaolo/Steve Zoll, 5:17:32. 2, Fred Delos Santos/Tomas Schlotman, 5:27:01. 3, Lex Raas/Johnny McCandless, 5:42:08. 4, Gary Samura/Jacques Blais, 5:44:48. 5, Roger Crouse/Terry Quisenberry, 5:51:12.

    Super masters 60-older: 1, Tom Conner/Jeff Metzger, 5:43:33. 2, Steve Arnett/Chris Crabb, 6:00:49. 3, Gaylord Wilcox/Nappy Napoleon, 6:00:51.

    OC-1 FEMALE

    Open: 1, Lauren Bartlett/Andrea Moller, 5:20:33. 2, Cherisse Agorastos/Theresa Felgate, 5:45:51. 3, Jill Schooler/Jeane Barrett, 5:49:11. 4, Jamie Kinard/Jane McKee, 5:52:56. 5, Amanda Ozolins/Katrina Sullivan, 5:58:01.

    Masters 40-older: 1, Donna Kahakui/Corinna Gage, 5:59:47. 2, Paula Crabb/Patty Eames, 6:10:52. 3, Sheila Cadaoas/Jennifer McDaniel, 6:36:09. 4, Catherine Bender/Catherine Weinberg, 7:09:47. 5, Alison Freitas/Sissi Snow, 7:19:43.

    OC-1 MIXED

    Open: 1, Mark Frazier/Alana Goo, 5:13:30. 2, Mike Hangai/Arlene Holzman, 5:17:20. 3, Diepo Panza/Emili Janchezis, 5:40:45. 4, Kamuela Aea/Laola Aea, 6:01:32. 5, Glen Baldado/Hollie Kaaihue, 6:05:01.

    OC-2

    Men: 1, Dave Kalama/Peter Konohia/Junior McGurn/Tyson Kubo, 4:39:18. 2, Kai Mowatt/Nalu Kukea/Geordan Purdy/Chris Ball, 4:52:23. 3, Wyatt Jones/Heath Hemmings/Danny Loui/Hunter Eggers, 4:58:55.

    Women: 1, Lisa Curry-Kenny/Cheryl Skribe/Jessie Eames/Sarah Van De Vanter, 5:24:31. 2, Linda Jolie Goelz/Jennifer Konohia/Joanna Garcia/Mary Kielty, 6:00:33. 3, Faith Mori/Jeanette Kaauamo/Trez Harrison/Beth Moyers, 6:15:36.

    Mixed: 1, Sharon Balidoy/Michael De Lima/Donnie Abernathy/Joycelun Hrkach, 5:09:36. 2, Barbara Querry/Ken Mehling/Kawika Williams/Rob Phillips, 5:10:02. 3, Lauren Foo/Ian Foo/Ken Denton/Laurie Denton, 5:22:26.

    SURFSKI

    Open: 1, Mark Towill/Wayne German, 6:46:17. 2, Johnny Payne/Troy Griffen, 7:32:58.

    Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.