Even in unfamiliar conditions, the Outrigger Canoe Club had a familiar finish last weekend.

Outrigger paddled through the fog and cold to win the open men's division of the Catalina Crossing U.S. Championships on Sunday off California.

Outrigger completed the 31-mile course from Catalina Island to Newport Beach in 3 hours, 59 minutes, 4 seconds.

"It was one of the hardest races I ever had to steer," Outrigger steersman Jimmy Austin said. "You could barely make out where you were going because of the fog."

Still, Outrigger led from start to finish.

Lanakila of California placed a close second in 3:59:44, and Team Livestrong from the Big Island was third in 4:04:42.

"Those California guys were on us the whole way," Austin said. "I was actually looking backward to go forward — just trying to stay in front of them the whole time."

Austin said Lanakila got as close as 15 seconds before Outrigger eventually stretched the gap.

Members of the Outrigger crew were Austin, Kapono Brown, Will Estes, Craig Gamble, Scott Gamble, Mike Kane, Simeon Ke-Paloma, Dean Salter and Tapa Worthington.

Outrigger has been successful throughout 2009, winning the state regatta championship, the Duke Kahanamoku long-distance race, and the Kailua Bay Iron Challenge.

Kailua Canoe Club placed 12th overall and won the masters 50-older division in 4:23:10.

Most of the state's top men's teams will race on O'ahu on Sunday in the Henry Ayau Memorial Race.

KAI SANTOS WINS BODYSURFING EVENT

Kai Santos received $500 for winning the 2009 Pure Point Panics Bodysurfing Championships last weekend at Kaka'ako Waterfront Park.

Jason Nakasone placed second and Sanja Du Plessis — the only female to make the final — placed third.

Matt Solomon won the swim race (Du Plessis placed second), and Nick Menas won the Lokahi Award.

MAEL CAREY WINS V-1 SOLO CANOE RACE

Maui's Mael Carey won the inaugural Race Around the Hat solo canoe race last weekend.

The race followed a triangle course off Kualoa Beach, around "Chinaman's Hat" island.

Carey's winning time over two heats was 55 minutes, 16 seconds. Luke Evslin was second in 56:36, and Aaron Napoleon was third in 57:40.

All competitors had to race in Tahitian one-person canoes, which are referred to as V-1. The Tahitian canoes do not have rudders.

"V-1 canoe paddling is relatively new to Hawai'i," Evslin said. "All of the single person outrigger races in Hawai'i feature canoes with rudders, where the V-1s you steer only using your paddle."

Other division winners were Emili Janchevis (women), Dayne Van Gieson (15-younger), Kalei Kahookele (18-younger) and Shawn Lepine (novice).

KU'AU ROCKIN' SURF EVENT THIS WEEKEND

The Ku'au Rockin' Surf competition will be held tomorrow and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m at Pyramid Rock Beach.

The event is sponsored by the Marine Corps Base Hawaii and Marine Corps Community Services, and is open to the public.

Participants can enter in the men's shortboard or women's shortboard divisions and/or the longboard division.

Register online at www.mccshawaii.com or at the Kane'ohe Bay Main Pool. For more information, call (808) 254-7655.