Keaau’s shiny, red, new canoe named Kipuka made a smashing debut on a cold and really windy Saturday at Hilo Bay, where the conditions were better suited for wind surfing, sail boating or cruising indoors with hot chocolate.
Keaau’s shiny, red, new canoe named Kipuka made a smashing debut on a cold and really windy Saturday at Hilo Bay, where the conditions were better suited for wind surfing, sail boating or cruising indoors with hot chocolate.
The Cougars received Kipuka, which translates to a tract of land surrounded by recent lava flows, on Tuesday and raced in the 45-foot beauty for the first time on a day that the forecast called for winds of 7 to 14 mph, which felt much stronger.
Even in conditions where there’s potential to huli, it’s never a surprise when the Kamehameha girls win a BIIF canoe paddling regatta, and that’s the same feeling if Keaau cleans up with the boys and mixed half-mile races.
On Saturday, the trio all won by rather healthy margins. The better competition was in the junior varsity races. (Check out the times in the results.)
The next regatta is at Kailua Pier, and then the BIIF championships return to Hilo Bay, where Kamehameha and Keaau have established themselves as favorites, unless another school has a trick up its sleeve.
The powerful Warriors are the two-time defending BIIF champions while the Cougars, who won boys titles from 2013 to ’15, look like a super strong contender to repeat in the mixed race.
With close to 50 crews from varsity and varsity heats, JV, and non-scoring, it was something of a minor miracle that only one canoe flipped. That was the Konawaena varsity girls in their heat.
Everyone else stayed upright against a vicious on-shore, broad-side wind that hit the ama (outrigger) side of a canoe paddling toward the flag and turning around it.
The ama provides stability on the way back. That comfort blanket allowed crews to dig deep and paddle gung-ho style for the finish.
A huli, crossing the starting line or burying the flag (if it touches the water) are grounds for a disqualification.
The Wildcats flipped their canoe, bailed out water and eventually crossed the finish line to a round of applause, a small victory in itself, despite the DQ.
For the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association, if there’s a huli, a canoe can still earn a point or maybe more if someone is really slow for finishing, one difference between the state and HHSAA (the high school governing body).
With each Kamehameha annual class, some starters return, some are new but the results are pretty much the same for the girls, who have six paddlers always in synchronization, a key to their great success.
Hopoe Sipinga, Kaimi Kipapa, Kaiao Shine, Lahala Rosario, Kylee Kubojiri, and Fukui Haomea won in 5 minutes, 8.10 seconds, a lopsided margin over Keaau’s 5:16.25.
The Warriors were in lane 2, so they got a nice push from the Wailoa River current near the flags. They went into the turn with Keaau (lane 3) and Kealakehe (lane 1). But about a football field away or 100 yards, the production of Sipinga, Shine, Rosario & Co. smoked everyone.
“They work very hard,” Kamehameha coach Keahi Warfield said. “They show up for practice and have been together for a long time.
“We had a good lane. Hilo Bay is unpredictable. It was sunny this morning. It can be flat or stormy. That’s Hilo for you.”
Big Red
Kipuka is painted eye-catching, bright red like a Ferrari, and the boys (Skyden Fukunaga, Zachery Dorn, Jim Hisaiah, Joseph MacDonald, Ceres Lester, and Solan Martinez-Oda) ripped home in 4:21, ahead of defending BIIF champion Waiakea’s 4:26.
Five seconds may not seem like much, but that’s a sizable gap in any competition with a stopwatch. And the last race summed up Keaau’s day of two-third dominance.
The mixed crew of Fukunaga, Dorn, Hisaiah, Shayna Picaro, Nadine Ching, and May Ann Tadeo hit the gas hard and clocked a 4:28.44, a comfortable edge over Kamehameha’s 4:33.81.
What’s more, the Cougar boys were out in the boonies in lane 5. Parker (lane 1), Kamehameha (lane 2), Kealakehe (lane 3), and Waiakea (lane 4) had better pole positions. Keaau’s mixed crew was in lane 3 while Kamehameha had a good view of Coconut Island in lane 6.
“I’m super proud of the kids. We had a great break and really good practices. We had a lot of dedication from the kids,” Keaau coach Grant Kaaua said. “They’re buying into the philosophy and the program.
“We have this new canoe, but we told the kids that it’s because of the paddlers that came before you, the past BIIF champions and all the others.”
Kaaua pointed out that physically the Cougars were on par with their competition, but they took another step up when their mindset sharpened into focus.
“Before the race, it was sunny and we sat under a tree and had the kids close their eyes and think why they came to practice during Christmas break and what’s important as an individual and as a family,” he said. “We didn’t ask them to talk out loud, but each of them brought that into the canoe. We told the kids if you’re not ready, don’t get into the canoe and expect it to fly like a Ferrari.”
Kamehameha coach Keahi Warfield employs that same philosophy, one reason why his girls are so dominant.
“Those girls are hard to beat,” said Kaaua, who could claim the same about his boys and mixed crews.
Paddling results
Hilo Bay
Varsity girls
1. Kamehameha (Hopoe Sipinga, Kaimi Kipapa, Kaiao Shine, Lahala Rosario, Kylee Kubojiri, Fukui Haomea), 5:08.10; 2. Keaau, 5:16.25; 3. Kealakehe, 5:26.73; 4. Parker, 5:37.09; 5. Waiakea, 5:46.59; 6. Pahoa, 5:47.71; 7. Hilo, 6:13.77; 8. Hawaii Prep, 6:46.21.
Varsity boys
1. Keaau (Skyden Fukunaga, Zachery Dorn, Jim Hisaiah, Joseph MacDonald, Ceres Lester, Solan Martinez-Oda), 4:21; 2. Waiakea, 4:26; 3. Parker, 4:35; 4. Kealakehe, 4:38; 5. Kamehameha, 4:49; 6. HPA, 5:01; 7. Hilo, 5:10.
Varsity mixed
1. Keaau (Skyden Fukunaga, Zachery Dorn, Shayna Picaro, Jim Hisaiah, Nadine Ching, May Ann Tadeo), 4:28.44; 2. Kamehameha, 4:33.81; 3. Waiakea, 4:48.83; 4. Parker, 4:49.93; 5. Kamehameha, 4:52.85; 6. Hilo, 5:07. 29; 7. Konawaena, 5:14.87; 8. HPA, 5:37.77.
Varsity non-scoring
1. Keaau, 2:09.33; 2. Parker, 2:09.72; 3. Pahoa, 2:10.24; 4. Kamehameha, 2:11.24; 5. Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino, 2:14.43; 6. Kealakehe, 2:2:18.90; 7. Pahoa, 2:31.69; 8. Konawaena, 2:32.07.
JV girls
1. Waiakea, 2:09.09; 2. Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino, 2:15.03; 3. Kealakehe, 2:15.99; 4. Keaau, 2:15.89; 5. Kamehameha, 2:18.99; 6. Parker, 2:27.03.
JV boys
1. Kealakehe, 1:55.93; 2. Keaau, 1:56.19; 3. Hilo, 2:00.23; 4. Kamehameha, 2:01.08; 5. Waiakea, 2:01.56.
JV mixed
1. Kealakehe, 2:08.19; 2. Keaau, 2:09.71; 3. Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino, 2:12.01; 4. Hilo, 2:14.47; 5. Waiakea, 2:15.71; 5. Parker, 2:18.51; 6. Kamehameha, 2:34.59