By KEVIN JAKAHI Tribune-Herald sports writer ADVERTISING Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino coach Eddie “Piki” Hayward is hoping his paddlers follow the team’s motto of “Trust and fulfill” and make a name for themselves. It’s the Hawaiian immersion school’s first season
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino coach Eddie “Piki” Hayward is hoping his paddlers follow the team’s motto of “Trust and fulfill” and make a name for themselves.
It’s the Hawaiian immersion school’s first season in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation in any sport. The school is named after a ranking chief in Kailua-Kona.
Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino has an enrollment of 166 from kindergarten through 12th grade, including just 28 students in high school. The school is located just a stone’s throw down the street from Konawaena.
The roster for Na Io or Hawaiian hawk includes eight boys and only five girls, a paddler short to compete in the girls half-mile races. They’ve participated in only boys and mixed races, finishing second in the boys race last Saturday at the Kona all-school regatta. The mixed crew was fifth.
“It’s very slim pickings. We’ve got a bunch of girls playing on the Konawaena girls soccer team,” Hayward said. “They would love to paddle. But our schedules conflict. We try to get the kids who aren’t doing anything and be pioneers for the sport. We’re a small school and it’s the most appropriate sport. Canoe paddling only requires six bodies to compete.
“It’s culturally relevant and putting it in with the Hawaiian language it goes hand and hand. We want the Hawaiian language to live outside the school grounds. Our goal is to make it to the state race. We’re 10 years behind and we’re playing catch-up right now. We want to compete and take the Ehunuikaimalino name to a competitive level.”
There’s a nice bonus at the BIIF championships, which is offering an additional fourth lane to the state regatta scheduled for Friday, Feb. 3 at Hilo Bayfront. A Maui Interscholastic League school dropped out.
For the Na Io boys, only junior steersman Kalamaku Freitas has paddling experience with Moku O Hawaii club Keauhou. The other crew members are juniors Kala Ikeda, Kaumualii Kailiwai and Makoa Chapa and seniors Kawika Hashimoto and Manao Ikeda, the brother of Kala.
The two backups, freshman Makalii Litteron and senior Kaleo Ruedy, have limited experience. Ruedy’s sisters, junior Ua and freshman Kaulana, also paddle but play on Kona’s soccer team.
Two other Ehunuikaimalino freshmen Kekau Lelewi and Mikala Fernandez are on the roster but spend the bulk of their time for the Wildcats, as does sophomore Pualani Ubando and senior Lita Taumoefolau, who is on Konawaena’s basketball team.
The five girls are juniors Hero WooChing, Kauanoe Mitchell and Napua Tacaga-Kuikahi and freshmen Manoi Manoi, all new paddlers, and Paeai Navas-Loa, the steersman and only experienced paddler.
“We’re always one girl short every Saturday,” said Hayward, a teacher at the school. “The toughest thing is trying to duplicate a race day at practice. But you can never duplicate a race day at practice. The level of competition rises. When you cross that finish line, your chest is sore and your lungs are in flames. That’s how it is on race day. You have to come to practice and get your mind right and focus and be in the right place.”
On the back of Ehunuikaimalino’s jersey is the Hawaiian phrase, “E hilina’i, eho’oko,” which translates to trust and fulfill. In Hayward’s mind, it’s learning something, whether in a class or canoe, and polishing it until completion.
He remembers the previous regatta at Hilo Bayfront when his paddlers, unbeknownst to him, brought a volleyball and expended energy under the sun. After last week’s Westside regatta, the team compared notes on having contrasting mindsets.
“We mentioned staying focused. We have a different understanding now,” Hayward said. “We’re 10 years behind the other schools. But E hilina’i, eho’oko is our driving force. Every kid has equally risen together. They’re a great support to one another.”
Clean sweep?
In canoe paddling’s 10-year history, no school has won all three races — boys, girls and mixed — at the BIIF championships.
Kealakehe won all three events at the Kailua-Kona regatta. And at the previous Hilo regatta, the Waveriders captured the boys race and placed runner-up in the girls and mixed, begging the question: Is this the year someone bats 3 for 3?
“I’d like to think it’s a possibility. If things fall into place, we’d definitely be stoked with that accomplishment,” said Kealakehe coach Mike Atwood, speaking in the manner of a poker player. “A whole bunch of people don’t want to see that happen. On race day anything can happen.”
Maybe that thinking can extend to the state regatta, too.
The Kealakehe mixed crew finished second at the state championships in 2007. The BIIF’s only state title was Konawaena’s mixed crew in 2008.
But first things first and Atwood is content with how his crews are all paddling in the same direction, pointing out with clarity what makes the Waveriders so tough.
“It’s a combination of experience. We’ve got some kids who have paddled since they were freshmen up to now that they’re seniors,” he said. “We’ve got a fair mix of new paddlers too. This year we’ve got a good bunch. They work hard and feel good about what they’ve accomplished so far.”
