Paddlers take aim at state championships

Clifford Chillingworth has spent nearly his entire life in, on and around the ocean.

The 78-year-old retired as a Honolulu City & County lifeguard in 1981 following 26 years of service, and joined the Waianae-based Na Keiki O Ka Mo‘i Canoe Club in 1984 as a way to stay in touch with the beach and water he loves. After nearly three decades of paddling with the club, Chillingworth is Ka Mo’i’s elder statesman, serving as the club’s oldest active paddler.

Ka Mo‘i completed an impressive run through the Na Ohana O Na Hui Wa‘a season, winning all nine regattas despite challenges from a host of talented competitors. Chillingworth paddled with the club’s men’s 60s crew that finished second overall to Ka Mamalahoe in the age division — a task that also qualified the crew to participate in Saturday’s state championship regatta.

"Hopefully we’ll come out with a win, but it’s going to be tough. If we can just place, that would be fine with me," said Chillingworth. "At my age, this may be my last race. But, when they see me walking down the beach (to practice) with my paddle, they’ll know I’m back."

Chillingworth and his crewmates will join nearly 3,500 paddlers ranging in age from 12 and under to 65 and older representing 58 canoe clubs from six organizations and six islands. They will converge on Keehi Lagoon to compete in 41 events ranging in length from a quarter-mile to 1.5 miles at the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championship Regatta.

Up to 14 qualifying crews will participate in each race, with winning crews earning 15 points, 13 points going to second place, 12 for third and continuing in descending order with last place earning one point.

­"The state race is always a challenge for everybody because you’re racing against Hawaii’s best, but it’s still a situation where we’ll go in with the objective of winning the regatta," said Kailua Canoe Club coach and longtime paddler Kamoa Kalama.

Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association runner-up Lanikai, the state champion in 2008 and 2010, qualified a regatta-high 39 crews to lead the AAAA division. The Hawaiian Canoe Club of the Maui County Hawaiian Canoe Association — the defending state champion and winner of nine of the past 11 state titles — has 35 crews entered. Four-time defending OHCRA champion Kailua and Moku O Hawaii (Hawaii island) power Kai Opua have 33 crews apiece, while Hui Wa‘a champion Na Keiki O Ka Mo‘i looks to build on an undefeated season with 32 crews entered.

"What else is higher than this? You go undefeated, you win the championship, to me this is the sweetest," said Ka Mo‘i head coach Lisa Ka‘aekuahiwi whose father, Rona, started the club 36 years ago. "This year, our coaching staff pushed harder, and the training was tougher, but our paddlers were not afraid. Sometimes they saw that everybody else was training hard, so they pushed harder. So now, we are more competitive. It always seems like the OHCRA clubs are better, but we’re not afraid. You know what, if we can come out of this season undefeated, we go into states being confident and we are going to be competitive. That’s all you can ask for."

Keauhou of Hawaii island looks to repeat as AAA champion, while Kaneohe (Hui Wa‘a) is the lone Oahu representative in the division.

The Waikiki Beach Boys lead a logjam of talented clubs in the AA division. The perennial Hui Wa‘a power will rely on its strong women’s program that pulled off what is believed to be the first sweep of the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior races at last year’s state championships. Hui Lanakila’s women should provide Waikiki with stiff competition after dominating the OHCRA regatta season, while Manu O Ke Kai (Hui Wa‘a) and its experienced men’s program should also make a run for the division crown.

The A division is up for grabs as 33 clubs vie for the coveted hardware.