By KEVIN JAKAHI
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Someone on the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association board of directors has the rhyming ability of Dr. Seuss.
On Thursday, the organization’s website, www.hcrapaddler.com, had an advisory about the brown water from runoff produced by Tropical Storm Darby.
The 65th annual HCRA state championships will be held at 8:15 a.m. Saturday at Oahu’s Keehi Lagoon, where the state Department of Health has not lifted a brown water advisory.
The Environmental Protection Agency will be posting signs at Keehi Lagoon advising of possible water quality issues.
Rio is not the only location with unsanitary water concerns. And that’s not the only thing Brazil and Keehi Lagoon have in common.
The HCRA board also recommended that canoe holders not be used. (Holders prevent the canoe from crossing the starting line for an automatic disqualification.)
Basically, it’s not a good thing to dunk your head under water, either in Rio or Keehi Lagoon, which already has a long-time reputation for water bugs.
Last year at the HCRA state championships at Hilo Bay over 2,700 paddlers and 559 crews participated.
A total of 570 crews and about 2,800 paddlers are signed in for Saturday at states. Although it’s quite possible a number of Oahu paddlers may pull out if they drive to Keehi Lagoon on Friday after work to check on water conditions.
The HCRA board posted on its website: “We remind everyone that participation is voluntary. As we say when there are waves or other adverse conditions, if in doubt, don’t go out!”
That rhyming verse is reminiscent of Dr. Seuss’ “From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere,” in the book One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.
If advisories are posted, it is most often because water samples for certain bacteria indicate that harmful bacteria, viruses, protozoa, or parasites are likely present in the waters, according to the EPA.
The agency’s website, www.epa.gov, also stated that the most common illness associated with swimming in water polluted by sewage is gastroenteritis. It can have one or more of the following symptoms: 3nausea, vomiting, stomachache, diarrhea, headache, or fever.
Classifications
Last year the Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association made a strong showing as the host island.
Big Island clubs Puna, Keauhou, and Kai Ehitu finished 1-2-3 in Division AAA (13-20 events), and Kawaihae was third in Division AA (7-12 races).
Like last year, Kai Opua will be the only Moku O Hawaii club in quads or Division AAAA (21-41 events) with 27 crews.
Puna (19 crews) and Kai Ehitu (13) will be in AAA while in Division A (1-6 races) there are seven clubs, Kawaihae (6), Keaukaha (6), Keauhou (6), Paddlers of Laka (5), Kamehameha (4), Keoua Honaunau (1), and Waikoloa (1).
Champs, unbeatens
Maui’s Hawaiian is the three-time defending state quad champion and has won 12 of the past 15 titles.
Waikiki Beach Boys captured Division AA at Hilo Bay last year while Maui’s Na Ka Ewalu seized gold in Division A.
Following are Moku O Hawaii crews that won a state title last year: Keauhou’s men 65, 60, men sophomore, mixed 40, and men 40; Kawaihae’s girls 12, women freshmen; Puna’s men 50, mixed men and women.
Keauhou’s men 65, 60, and sophomore men won’t defend their state titles while Kawaihae’s girls 12 also didn’t qualify for one of Moku O Hawaii’s two lanes.
Following are Moku O Hawaii crews that finished the season with perfect records: Kai Opua’s girls 12, boys 16, women 65, men 55; Kai Ehitu’s boys 12, boys 14; Laka’s girls 15; Puna’s women novice B, women 50, men 50, and mixed 55.
All of those crews with clean records are entered at states, and if EPA signs are posted anywhere it’s best for canoe holders to be here or there but nowhere the water is brown.
