It was another windy Saturday at the second-to-last Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association regatta at Hilo Bay.
It was another windy Saturday at the second-to-last Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association regatta at Hilo Bay.
How windy was it?
Well, some guy was actually flying a kite at the end of the beach near the Wailoa river mouth, where the turn flags are stationed.
Kai Opua didn’t mind the wind and choppy waters and won the John Kekua Jr. regatta by a healthy margin, 212 points to runner-up Puna’s 184 points in Division A (15-40 events).
Big Blue stretched its regatta-winning streak to two but has its eyes trained on Puna, which heads into the 11th annual Aunty Maile Mauhili/Moku O Hawaii championships as the underdog and defending champ.
Kai Opua had 40 crews and Puna filled 37 races while Kai Ehitu (33) was third with 135 points, followed by Kawaihae (40), 130; Keaukaha (36), 120; host Kamehameha (32), 95; Keauhou (26), 70; and Paddlers of Laka (18), 58.
In Division B (1-14 races), Keoua Honaunau (14 events) won with 56 points, followed by Waikoloa (11), 26; Hui Wa‘a O Waiakea (4), 18; Na Wa‘a Hanakahi (7), 16 Miloli‘i (6), 11; and Kailana (4), 3.
For those who have a betting game going about Moku O Hawaii club scratches, those who guessed a new record would be set won.
Two weeks ago at the Keaukaha regatta, there were 31 scratches and a still-standing record 17 disqualifications.
Last week at the Puna regatta, there were 34 scratches and nine DQs.
A new record was established with 38 scratches; Kawaihae led the way with 12. There were also nine DQs.
Kekua, one of the old guards of Moku O Hawaii canoe paddling, would probably shake his head about all the stretches.
He died in September 2010 and spent a lifetime connecting youngsters to the sport’s culture through his Kekua Foundation.
“John’s legacy is he emphasized the love of the sport and the family and club aspect,” Kamehameha head coach Stan Cann said.
If it were any other year, Kamehameha would be on a gravy train as far as qualifying for the Hawaii Canoe Racing Association state championships.
But Moku O Hawaii has only two lanes for each event at states, which will be held Saturday, Aug. 6 at Oahu’s Keehi Lagoon.
Kamehameha is third in the Moku O Hawaii standings for boys 12, girls 14, and men open four.
The club is fourth in points for boys 13, girls and boys 15, men junior, women 40 and women 55.
It’s more likely than not that Kamehameha will qualify just two crews: women 60 (second place in standings) and mixed 60 (first).
“That mixed 60 crew has a lot of experience. A lot of us have been sitting together for a few years,” said Cann, who’s the stroker and Gwen Kekua (John’s wife) is also part of that crew.
“It’s the same thing with the women 60. They’ve got a lot of experience, and experience helps.
Both crews finished runner-up to Puna in the late-in-the-day races, a reason Kai Opua has its eyes wide open.
Through 30 events, Kai Opua had 141 points. Kai Ehitu was second with 110 points and Puna far behind with 97.
Then Puna showed its strength with its older paddlers. From event 35, Puna won the women 50, men 50, mixed 60, mixed 55, men open four, and the mixed men and women.
Most of those races had at least 10 crews, which meant a lot of points for the taking. It’s no secret that Puna goes on a feeding frenzy late in the day.
That’s the main reason Puna is always a dangerous threat right down to the wire.
Meanwhile, Cann describes Kamehameha as a medium-sized club but one with promising youth.
There are youngsters all over the place for Kamehameha, which fills most of the youth events. However, there are no crews for girls 13, boys 16 and 18.
Boys 16 and 18 are two of the hardest events to fill because the best paddlers usually drop the sport to focus on BIIF offseason football training or some other summer sport.
Still, with Kekua’s legacy in mind, Cann likes where Kamehameha is headed, even if his club is caught in a musical chairs squeeze for states.
“This year it’s tough for states with only two lanes,” he said. “We’re consistently finishing third. We’re doing all right. We have good paddlers and talented up-and-coming paddlers. We’re enjoying it.”
Those are encouraging words that would make John Kekua Jr. nod his head in agreement.