When Na Keiki O Ka Mo‘i won the Na Ohana O Na Hui Wa‘a championship in 2010, some wondered if the club could sustain the momentum gained from ending Kaneohe’s string of seven straight titles.

If any doubt remained, Saturday’s results proved that Ka Mo‘i is becoming quite accustomed to occupying the Hui Wa‘a throne.

Ka Mo‘i won four of the day’s first five and seven of the regatta’s initial 12 races to run away with the Hui Wa‘a Championship Regatta at Keehi Lagoon. The Waianae-based club clinched its second Hui Wa‘a title in three years, and completed the season sweep by winning all nine of the organization’s regattas.

"This is sweet. It was extra special and we hammered that into the (paddlers) before we even started, and everybody had an understanding of what this meant" said Ka Mo‘i head coach Lisa Ka‘aekuahiwi, whose father, Rona, started the club 36 years ago. "This is extra special, with everything my Dad taught me, and what else is higher than going undefeated? To me, this is the sweetest. I’m beyond words."

Ka Mo‘i, which won a regatta-high nine races overall, amassed 90 points to clinch the AAA division (25-39 crews entered) and stymie Kaneohe (63 points) and Manu O Ke Kai (57 points).

"Ka Mo‘i is a really family-oriented club, and to pull this out, it is our first time going undefeated since 1984," said Bronson Thompson, a first-year paddler with Ka Mo‘i. "It’s unreal because this goes down in club history. It’s great for everyone involved. For the paddlers, it shows that if you put in the hard work, you get good results back."

It was clear that Ka Mo‘i peaked at the right time, as even experiments with crews in new races paid off. For instance, after Ka Mo‘i claimed the half-mile men’s novice B race early in the day, the majority of the crew returned later — paddlers are allowed to race in up to two events per day — and won the novice A event. The crew completed the 1-mile course in 7 minutes, 57.38 seconds and held off Waikiki (8:00.97) and I Mua (8:01.90).

"We were doing all right in the novice B races, so our coach wanted to take advantage of the novice A race, too, to tack on some points," said Thompson, after receiving his second gold medal of the day. "He threw us in there, and we did what we trained to do all week."

Thompson was joined in the novice A crew by Bronson Lindsey, J.R. Auwae-Mehrtens, Larry Pagoyo, Jake Molina and Erick Tabucbuc. The winning novice B crew included the first four aforementioned paddlers, in addition to Bronson Taylor and Pohai Uahinui.

Besides battling for gold in individual races, crews attempted to qualify for the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association state championship regatta scheduled for Aug. 4 at Keehi Lagoon. The top three crews from each Hui Wa‘a event earned automatic berths in the state race based on cumulative point standings, and with so many crews on the bubble of qualifying, Saturday’s races proved dually important.

"It boosted our confidence for the state race, and also looking ahead to next year," Thompson said.

Paddlers braved stiff winds and occasional rain as nearly 1,500 competitors ranging in age from 12 and under to 65 and above represented Hui Wa‘a’s 18 member clubs in races spanning a quarter mile to 11⁄2 miles.

The Waikiki Beach Boys secured the AA division (13-24 crews entered) as its women’s program notched four of the club’s five victories on the day. Waikiki bested Olelo O Keola (18 points) and Alapa Hoe (15 points) in the medium division.

The Beach Boys’ freshman and sophomore women’s crews completed undefeated campaigns, while the senior women, who won their 11⁄2 -mile race by an incredible 1:17 margin, would have been perfect as well had it not been for a disqualification in the season-opening race.

Kamehameha took the A division (6-12 crews entered) title with 27 points, thanks in part to its girls 16 and 18 crews that won to complete perfect seasons.

Ka Mamalahoe was seeking its third consecutive Hui Wa‘a title in the small division, but incurred a five-point penalty to start the day due to a "non-racing violation" and ended up finishing second with 21 points. According to Hui Wa‘a President Samantha Moikeha, the team was penalized for setting up its club’s tent on the beach prior to the permitted time of 10 a.m. on Friday. As Hui Wa‘a rules state, clubs can be penalized for "any violation of state, DLNR, city or federal regulations," and in this case, setting up early violated the terms of the organization’s permit.

The club has relied on its seasoned paddlers all year, including its men’s 55 and 60 and mixed 55 crews that each capped undefeated seasons with victories Saturday. Other crews that completed unblemished seasons with victories were: Ka Mo‘i’s boys 12; Olelo O Keola’s boys 13; Kaneohe’s boys 14; and Manu O Ke Kai’s boys 18 and men’s open four.