Once upon a time, Lanikai ruled the water in the senior men races at the Hawaii Canoe Racing Association state championships.
Once upon a time, Lanikai ruled the water in the senior men races at the Hawaii Canoe Racing Association state championships.
The Kailua-based club, from the Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association, pocketed 10 straight senior men state crowns from 1991 to 2001.
The men and women senior races are considered the premier events of the regatta. Those are the only 1 ½-mile races; all others are a mile or shorter.
Paddling in home water in 2002, Kai Opua stopped Lanikai’s streak when the state regatta was held at Hilo Bay.
Then Lanikai captured back-to-back titles before the club decided not to compete on Maui in 2005. The Valley Isle’s Wailea won it that year, and in 2006.
From there, the senior men race has been a pick a name out a hat deal: Maui’s Hawaiian in 2007, Lanikai (2008), Oahu’s Outrigger (2009), Wailea (2010 and ’11), Lanikai (2012), Wailea (2013) and Lanikai last year.
The Waikiki Beach Boys have seized the last six senior women races. (Yes, it sounds odd that a male-club name won a female race.)
In 2008 at Keehi Lagoon on Oahu, Hui Lanakila barely edged Waikiki Beach Boys, 12:23.06 to 12:23.37, for the senior women’s state title.
The Big Island doesn’t have a lot of practice in the senior men and women races. That’s because both events are only held at the Aunty Maile Mauhili/Moku O Hawaii championships.
For what it’s worth, Kawaihae won the senior women and Puna took the senior men. Both enter states undefeated, albeit after only one race.
The other senior women’s crews that qualified for states are Kai Opua and Puna, and for the men it’s Kai Ehitu and Puna.
Defending champs
Eight Big Island crews brought home gold medals from the state regatta last year:
• Keaukaha boys 12: Keone Agpoon, Nalu Lewis Kahiau Walker, and Kaleoali’i Macanas have jumped to the boys 13 crew that finished second at the Aunty Maile championships, and in the Moku O Hawaii standings.
• Kai Ehitu boys 13: Hiram Anakalea Jr., Iokepa Aponte, Bronson Leslie, and Baba Weza have advanced to the boys 14 crew that finished the Moku O Hawaii season unbeaten.
• Kai Opua women freshmen: The crew placed third at the Aunty Maile championships and in the Moku O Hawaii standings. The crew qualified for states, but didn’t win a regatta during the season.
• Keauhou men sophomore and junior: Trey Cox, Kua Nolan, Kaeo Peterson and Kainoa Tanoai were on both gold medal crews last year. Both crews won Aunty Maile championship titles this year. Peterson is the only returnee on the sophomore crew, and Tanoai on the junior crew.
• Keauhou men 55: There have been different paddlers for the crew this season. The crew won one race, and placed second at the Aunty Maile championships and in the standings.
• Keauhou men 40: It’s new paddlers for the unbeaten crew. Last year’s paddlers (Keone Au, Bruce Ayau, Daniel Legler, Lyle Palakiko, Andy Witherspoon, Nue Youderian) blitzed Maui’s Kihei by 22 seconds for the state title in the mile race.
• Puna men open four: Jonah Kalima, Jeremy Padayao, and brothers Kekoa Sumera-Lee and Keola Sumera-Lee are all back for a crew that only lost the season-opener at Kailua Pier, and then smoked the Moku O Hawaii competition the rest of the way.
Unbeaten crews
There are seven undefeated Moku O Hawaii crews or nine if you count the one-race champion senior women Kawaihae and senior men Puna.
• Kawaihae mixed 12 (Keahiwai Lindsey, Kuhao Kane, Keenan Pahio, Julia Salvador, Laif Showalter, Kaila Sylva). Hawaiian is the defending state champion, but there are six new starters.
• Kai Ehitu boys 14 (Hiram Anakalea Jr., Iokepa Aponte, Kala’i Ballesteros, Moses Brooks, Bronson Leslie, Baba Weza). Hawaiian is the defending champ, and returns two starters, while the other four are from the boys 13 crew that finished second to Kai Ehitu’s boys 13 state champ crew from a year ago.
Next to the prestigious senior men and women races, the boys 14 is definitely the most intriguing keiki race. It’s a quarter-mile, and the next age group at 15 years old increases to a half-mile in a growing rivalry between the two clubs.
• Keauhou men 40 (Stevee B Berengue, Ian Foo, Kevin Lindsey, Ivan Mcivor, Theron Ogata, Justin Udovch). Kai Opua was the other Moku O Hawaii crew, and placed sixth last year at states.
• Kai Opua women 65 (Carol Clifford, Sue Lalanne, Gail Quitevis, Susie Shaw, Becky Walton, Bonnie Wild). Oahu’s Keahiakahoe barely beat Kai Opua last year, 4:48.97 to 4:50.79 in the half-mile race.
• Puna women 60 (Tweetie Anderson-Perreira, Betty Ben, Nerak Mickievic, Susan O’Shaughnessy, Linda Robb, Susan Skipper). Puna was fifth last year while Oahu’s Hui Nalu won the event.
• Puna men 50 (Terry Andrade, Bubba Baldado, Louie Mendonca, Forest Parker-Bailey, Brian Peterson, Afa Tuaolo). Puna was third last year while Lanikai took the race.
• Puna mixed 55 (Maud Gooch, Spencer Lavea, Brian Peterson, Miri Sumida, Willie Viveiros, Ellen Williams). Puna didn’t enter a crew at states last year while Lanikai took the crown.