Bouvey Bradbury spends his days as a lifeguard in Makaha, putting his life on the line to keep others safe as they enjoy all the ocean has to offer.

On Sunday, Bradbury and his fellow crew mates aided Na Keiki O Ka Moi with a clutch victory late in the day in the sophomore men’s race as the westside canoe club surged to a fifth consecutive overall victory at the Na Ohana O Na Hui Wa‘a outrigger canoe paddling organization’s Alapa Hoe regatta at Keehi Lagoon.

Na Keiki O Ka Moi also captured its fifth straight AAA division (25-39 crews entered) crown with 75 points, and held off Manu O Ke Kai (70 points) and Kaneohe (66 points).

"We’re always in the water, it keeps us in shape, saving lives," Bradbury said when asked about the physical benefits of working as a lifeguard. "Practice has been paying off. We’ve been working hard, sweatin’."

The large division race remained tight through the day’s first 23 races, as Ka Moi established a slim lead with 50 points, while Kaneohe and Manu O Kei Kai remained within a win of erasing the deficit with 46 points apiece. Ka Moi won four of the day’s first 10 events, including three of the first five races. The club didn’t post another victory until the regatta’s 31st event, during which the club’s sophomore men continued their solid run with a win for the third consecutive week.

The crew from Na Keiki O Ka Moi finished the mile-long race in a blistering 7 minutes, 36.24 seconds and held off Manu O Ke Kai (7:49.12) and Waikiki (8:16.79). Joining Bradbury in the winning canoe were Brandon Ili, Al Soo, Noland Keaulana, Nathan Yadao and steersman Kawika Nunes.

"We’ve found our crew, and have started to work well together," said Ili. "Week after week, the training has gotten harder and harder."

Competitors braved strong winds and choppy water throughout the day as nearly 1,500 paddlers ranging in age from 12 and under to 65 and older represented Hui Wa‘a’s 18 member clubs in 39 races spanning a quarter mile to 1.5 miles. Winning crews earned 5 points toward the team standings, while second-, third- and fourth-place finishers earned 3, 2 and 1 point, respectively.

Ka Mamalahoe emerged victorious in the A division (6-12 crews entered) for the fifth consecutive week, amassing 31 points and fending off Kamehameha (17 points).

The club started the day off strong, securing its first of four victories in the women’s novice B event. The crew of Diana Su, Krystal Hangai, Kristin McCallister, Yuko Chiba, Christine Volkman and Mailani Kitashima finished the half-mile race in 2 minutes, 29.34 seconds — a mere four-tenths of a second ahead of Waikiki and 1 second ahead of North Shore.

"When they first started, they were all new paddlers, and I said to myself, ‘this is going to be a challenge,’ " said the crew’s coach, Randy Chun, of the victorious group that notched its first official victory Sunday. "The thing about these women, they are very committed and dedicated to practice."

Chun explained that the crew was only scheduled to practice twice a week during preseason training, but the group regularly put in extra work on Sundays.

"We did that for a couple of months prior to the season starting, and just from those extra practices, they started to jell as a crew," he explained. "They were committed to racing, and put a lot of effort into it."

Not only did the win garner the crew a gold medal, but it also resulted in a celebratory dinner courtesy of Chun — a promise made prior to the race to the crew if they could paddle to victory.

"This week, I made a bet with them: I said, ‘If you guys ever beat the (Waikiki) Beach Boys, I’ll make you a steak dinner,’ and they did it today," Chun said. "All these years, nobody could beat the Beach Boys — to beat them, that’s a feat."

Waikiki rallied from an early deficit to claim the AA division (13-24 crews entered) for the fourth time in five weeks. The Beach Boys tallied 54 points and held off Olelo O Keola (24 points) and Waikiki Yacht Club (10 points).

Lanikai triumphs

Lanikai won 15 different events to win the AAA division with 106 points at the Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association’s Waimanalo Regatta on Sunday.

Keahiakahoe won the AA division with 24 points, and Waimanalo won the A division with five points.