Every time the Milolii Canoe Club paddles past an obstacle, a pot of good fortune always seems to be around the corner.
The West Hawaii club with 27 paddlers jumped back into the Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association after 81 years of inactivity.
However, the good times hit a midseason roadblock.
The club’s canoe, Keahonui, built by Bill Rosehill, was damaged in an auto accident last month. But Milolii has borrowed canoes and has done the unthinkable.
Milolii finished high enough at the 10th annual Aunty Maile Mauhili/Moku O Hawaii championships on Saturday at Hilo Bay to qualify two crews to the state regatta.
“I’m totally surprised. It’s our first year back in 81 years,” club president Elroy Reyes said. “We’re lucky to make the state championships. We’re a small little club, and we needed that.”
Riding on canoes from Waiakea and Kai Ehitu, Milolii placed fourth in the men’s novice B and the women’s novice B to earn lanes to the Hawaii Canoe Racing Association state championships, which will be held Aug. 1 at Hilo Bay.
Milolii entered three events, the other being the mixed novice B — races for first-year rookie paddlers. Reyes’ club batted 2 for 3 in sending crews to states.
The only bummer on the day was that the men novice B entered in first place in the Moku O Hawaii standings with four regatta wins, but fell short of an Aunty Maile championship medal.
But Milolii coach Didja Llanes’ greenhorn paddlers accomplished the next best thing — securing state lanes.
“That’s a big plus for us,” he said. “We just teach the paddlers the basics and they kind of pick up things looking at other paddlers.”
Puna took the half-mile race in 4 minutes, 9.82 seconds, and was followed by Kai Ehitu, 4:17.79; Kai Opua, 4:21.93; and Milolii, 4:28.62.
In what goes for thrill of victory into sudden agony of staying home, Milolii (35 points), Kai Ehitu (29) and Kai Opua (21) will head to states. Puna (17 points) didn’t race in two regattas and pulled zero points (scratches or disqualifications) in three others.
Milolii’s women novice B was fourth in the quarter-mile race in 2:04.60. Puna was first in 1:58.27, and was followed by Laka, 1:59.56; and Kawaihae, 2:02.15
In the agony of one-point defeat, Kawaihae scored eight points for third place and finished with 52 points. Milolii’s fourth place was worth seven points for a grand total of 53 points — a hair better and a lane to states. Puna (62 points) and Kai Opua (54) have the other two spots.
Reyes has a long history with Milolii. His great-grandfather, Ed Kekumu, was a koa canoe carver.
“The people of the village had a canoe club 81 years ago, and it disappeared,” he said. “Four years ago, we found the original koa, the Malolo, from the village. It was a racing canoe and won the Molokai Channel in 1954. We started a restoration.”
The club is also rebuilding Keahonui, named after Rosehill’s sister who passed away. And securing state lanes with borrowed canoe’s not only made Reyes overjoyed, but appreciative, too.
“All the canoe clubs we’re all brothers and sisters and malama and take care of each other,” Reyes said.
To contribute to Milolii’s restoration of its two koa canoes, visit www.paaponomilolii.org.
