KAILUA-KONA — A major aspect of canoe paddling is connecting the past and present, and there might not be an event that represents that better than Kai Ehitu’s Papa Kimitete Regatta.
The regatta is named after Kai Ehitu club founder Bernard Pierre “Papa” Kimitete, who passed away in 2002 but still had a large presence during the races.
“A lot of clubs have come and gone, but we are still here,” Bernard’s son and Kai Ehitu head coach Richard Kimitete said. “Looking down, I think my dad is proud. We always knew we would stick around, but I don’t think we realized how big our club would get.”
The 35th edition of the event kicked off the Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association regatta season Saturday, with paddlers boasting a rainbow array of shirts taking over Kailua Pier.
It signaled an end to an offseason that felt too long for some.
“The waiting game doesn’t start at the first practice. It starts after that last race from the previous season,” Kai Ehitu paddler Kahookahi Kanuha said. “I know a lot of us can’t wait for regatta season to come around.”
It’s also the first chance for the programs to get a peak at one another. A lot can change in a single offseason break, with paddlers coming and going, moving and staying put.
“The first race is always fun because you don’t know what to expect — if it will be the same as last year or not,” Kanuha said. “We live hundreds of miles from some of the other clubs so you don’t know exactly what they have been doing. You see pictures on Facebook and stuff, so you think you might know, but you really don’t until you get back out there on the water.”
There were some depleted rosters on Saturday, with a handful of graduations going on around the island. It put some extra pressure on coaches to juggle their crews, but the show still had to go on.
“Coming into a new season, you are still figuring out the game plan and getting those first-race jitters out,” Kai Ehitu coach and paddler Eddie Hayward said. “We have kind of been stuck in that third place spot for a while, behind Puna and Kai Opua. But I think we all know if we want to make a move we will have to do it together, as a club.”
Bolstered by its usual strong showing from its youth squads, Kai Ehitu had a shot through 32 of the 43 events to send an early message. The club sat just three points back of Kai Opua, and nine points ahead of defending Moku O Hawaii champs, Puna.
It became a numbers game from there, with each race growing in importance as the afternoon wore on. Puna ended up pulling away, surging down the stretch and edging Kai Opua 181-179 for top honors in Division A (15-43 events). Kai Ehitu finished third with 154 points.
Division B (1-14 events) had an equally heated battle, with Paddlers of Laka capturing the crown with 54 points, just three better than second place Keauhou Canoe Club.
Kai Ehitu did end the day with a bang, with the mixed men and women’s crew of Nicola Fernandez, Ashley Mikkola, Erika Tadio, Ina Ynigues Jr, Brawn Albino and Keola Dudoit paddling to victory in the final race of the day.
But regardless of their finishing spot, Kimitete was optimistic following his club’s 2017 debut.
“The competition is great, and my dad never minded being an underdog,” Kimitete said with a laugh. “Our goal is to keep the legacy going of family and togetherness. And for us the most important thing has always been to keep the kids busy and give them something to do.”
Hayward echoed Kimitete’s sentiments.
“Sometimes we get so caught up in the racing and medals that we forget about the bigger things,” Hayward said. “The culture, building of relationships and family.”
Part of the team and culture building process comes with hosting a regatta, which is no small task, as Kimitete noted. And the day doesn’t end simply after the last race.
“My dad always said, the job is not done until the koa is put away — washed and wiped down,” Kimitete said. “That’s when we can relax.”
The koa is a lifeblood of any club, which wasn’t lost on Kanuha, who had no problem connecting the past with the present.
“It’s a trippy feeling being in a koa canoe, knowing it has carried hundreds or possibly thousands of other paddlers through the years,” he said. “It makes you want to continue the legacy and give the canoe new stories.”
The next set of stories will be written as the season continues at the Keauhou Canoe Club regatta at Kailua Bay this Saturday.
