The Waiakea boys canoe paddling crew roared so loud that it woke the heavens, where the old lion, John Kekua Jr., nodded in approval.
Uncle John was the original coach at Waiakea and a beloved and respected member of the canoe paddling community, especially in his role as kupuna at the Kamehameha Canoe Club.
Kekua never guided any crews to a BIIF championship, but his proteges — Waiakea coach Mahea Stanley and assistants Kenika Kane and Jody Whitney — got the job done.
Under slightly windy conditions on Saturday at Hilo Bay, the Warriors finished the half-mile race in 3:56.24 to dethrone three-time defending champion Keaau, which clocked in at 3:57.66.
Waiakea didn’t have the best start, but it’s the finish that counts and a powerful kick in the last 100 yards was the tiebreaker.
The Cougars, in lane 1, blasted off the starting line and went into the turn with Kealakehe, in lane 3. Waiakea, in lane 2, trailed but didn’t let the inside current from Wailoa River be much of a bother.
The inside lanes can help when a steersman uses the river’s current to get a good push out of the turn. The crews in the boonies on the outside receive no such kind service.
A crew’s best two times determine lane assignments at the BIIF championships, and it’s the worst kept secret for paddling at Hilo Bay: get the golden inside lane.
Meanwhile, Waiakea had a clean turn, caught up and made everything a mad dash with the length of a football field to go.
Not everyone knew it was Waiakea’s first BIIF title. But someone up high knew. There was sunshine when the Warriors crossed the finish line.
Kekua passed away on Sept. 1, 2010. He was 62. His coaching legacy lives on.
Not all the Warriors may know who he is. But they all know what he was all about. And in a nutshell, it was always about hard work and a family atmosphere.
That’s what Stanley, Kane and Whitney preach at Waiakea and Kamehameha Canoe Club during the Moku O Hawaii season, where they’re all coaches.
“He would have been proud of the crew,” Stanley said. “He taught us, me, Kenika and Jody, to work hard and treat everybody as family. That’s how we do it.
“He would have said, ‘Good job, gang.’ He would have been happy that what he taught us we’re teaching to the kids. He would have been proud of us and proud of the kids.”
It’s not a total surprise that Waiakea won. It would be a bigger shock if Charlie Brown kicked a football Lucy was holding or if the Warriors swept all three races.
In the first all-schools regatta on Jan. 9 at Hilo Bay, the Warriors placed first in 3:54.91, Kealakehe second in 3:59.47, and Keaau third in 4:03.12.
Kenny Simons is the lone returning starter for the Cougars, who had inexperience in their five other seats.
The Warriors have only one senior in stroker Austin Takemoto. The steersman is sophomore Noah Eblacas. Kody Haleamau-Rubio and Purtin Robinson are juniors and Ka‘iolana Kon and Joe Pakani are freshmen.
“The coaches really worked us hard the past three weeks since we placed third in a race,” Takemoto said. “That showed what we could do. The key was hard work and teamwork.”
Kane was a Waiakea assistant under Kekua. For a good example of what teamwork can produce, Kane can talk about the Konawaena basketball team.
His son is Kupono Kane, a senior guard for the Wildcats. He has also paddled for the Kamehameha Canoe Club since he could swim at 5 years old.
“I think people get mistaken when they think that canoe paddling is only upper body,” Kane said. “It’s also your legs and core, but what helped him best for basketball was working as a team. There are six in a canoe and if one has an off day that could hamper the speed of the canoe.”
Waiakea isn’t the biggest crew or the most experienced. But sometimes other things are far more valuable.
“The kids all work hard as a group. Nobody sits at the beach at practice. We’ll have six or seven canoes in the water,” Kane said. “The crew blends well and it’s a very positive group. For us, it’s not a surprise because of our chemistry.”
Pakani had a good day at the beach. He’s in seat 5 while Kon and Robinson are in the power seats at 3 and 4, respectively.
“It was exciting,” Pakani said. “It was a good experience for me as a freshman.”
Darlene Iokepa, Kekua’s sister, is a timing official, and she also saw the old lion’s work lead to a historic BIIF title for Waiakea.
It’s the 16th season of BIIF canoe paddling, and no school has ever swept all three titles.
However, it was definitely a good day for the Warriors and their best reward was a nod of approval from Uncle John.
Hilo Bay
Half mile
Girls varsity
1. Kamehameha (Kaimi Kipapa, Hopoe Sipinga, Wai Wichimai, Lahela Rosario, Kaiao Shine, Leila Kaupu), 4:24.63; 2. Waiakea, 4:31.93; 3. Keaau 4:32.37; 4. Kealakehe, 4:36.61; 5. Parker, 4:44.67; 6. Pahoa, 4:48.59; 7. Hawaii Prep, 4:56.12; 8. Hilo 5:02.78
Boys varsity
1. Waiakea (Austin Takemoto, Kody Haleamau-Rubio, Ka‘iolana Kon, Purtin Robinson, Joe Pakani, Noah Eblacas), 3:56.24; 2. Keaau, 3:57.66 3. Kealakehe, 3:58.38; 4. Parker, 4:11.70; 5. Kamehameha, 4:11.98; 6. Pahoa, 4:12.86; 7. Hilo, 4:13.95
Mixed varsity
1. Keaau (Kenny Simons, Temaurai Border, Shayna Picanco, Michael Manuel, Kiana King, Mary Ann Tadeo), 4:06.71; 2. Kealakehe, 4:10.06; 3. Waiakea, 4:12.55; 4. Parker, 4:21.67; 5. HPA, 4:23.21; 6. Kamehameha, 4:26.91; 7. Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino, 4:39:44; 8. Hilo, 4:53.20
Quarter mile
JV boys
1. Konawaena, 1:48; 2. Keaau, 1:49; 3. HPA, 1:52; 4. Kamehameha, 1:54; 5. Hilo, 1:58
JV girls
1. Waiakea, 2:01.44; 2. Kamehameha, 2:08.16; 3. Keaau, 2:09.43; 4. Parker, 2:11.83; 5. Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino, 2:15.17; 6. Hilo, 2.17.08; 7. Kona, 2:20.80
JV mixed
1. Keaau, 1:53.41; 2. Waiakea, 1:53.85; 3. Kona, 1:44.24; 4. HPA, 2:01.61; 5. Parker, 2:02.96; 6. Kamehameha, 2:03.98; 7. Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino, 2:06.88; 8. Hilo, 2:14.30
