Scenic Tour

The Ka Iwi coastline speaks to many, with the calls of Sandy Beach and its pounding body-surfing waves, of Halona Blowhole and its menehune legend-based promise of drawing whales closer, and of Hanauma Bay with its pristine, normally calm waters that belie one of the interpretations of its name, that of the Hawaiian hand-wrestling game uma.

But for the thousands who make the drive along this coastal part of Kalanianaole Highway on any given day, there seldom is a chance to actually listen to Ka Iwi other than a rare lull in traffic noise at the Lanai Lookout.

That will change Sunday when portions of the scenic roadway will be closed to vehicles for the inaugural Ka Iwi Coast Run/Walk; a four-mile stretch from Sandy Beach to Maunalua Bay seldom traveled by foot since opening to the public in 1931.

The goals of the inaugural event go beyond raising funds for Hui Nalu Canoe Club, whose history dates back to 1908 when co-founded by Duke Kahanamoku. It is more than restoring the club’s venerable koa canoe, the Uhanepanokalani, the first koa built by Sonny Bradley and the first to win consecutive Na Wahine O Ke Kai, the women’s Molokai-to-Oahu canoe race (1982-83).

"I thought we had an unreal venue that we could do something for the neighborhood, the community. It was an idea borrowed from Hanalei Canoe Club," said Kelly Fey, one of the top female paddlers in the state who first shared her vision two years ago with several club members. "I’ve grown up out here, live on Paiko (Lagoon) and am lucky to wake up to this every day. We wanted to offer this to the community as a whole, not just the paddlers but to moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas who have never had the opportunity to walk this area, learn and see some cool things."

That included how to stage a race, particularly getting the elusive road-closure permits. Serendipity rode in on a couple of random waves, one when Carol Jaxon, Great Aloha Run race director, decided to transfer clubs and paddle for Hui Nalu. The other was when Chris Gardner, race director for numerous local sporting events, was on the Ocean Playground shuttle driven by Hui Nalu head coach Denise Darval-Chang that takes paddlers with their one-man canoes from designated parking areas to drop-off points in order to paddle back close to their parked cars.

"It was serendipity," said Darval-Chang, a steersman for Hui Nalu’s 1982-83 Na Wahine O Ke Kai winning crews. "Carol came walking up with a donation for our wine-tasting and we asked what she thought of the idea. Chris was on the shuttle and I asked what he did and then what he thought.

"The two of them knew each other. We formed a committee and here we are."

It’s in a place that has exceeded expectations. Jaxon, who oversees the Great Aloha Run with more than 30,000 runners, thought Ka Iwi’s inaugural year might draw 1,000. As of Wednesday, entries were more than 1,100 with as many as 1,300 anticipated to be at the Sandy Beach starting line for the 6:22 a.m. sunrise. There will be a special oli (chant) composed for the event and performed by kumu hula Hiwa Vaughn-Darval — daughter of the legendary Palani Vaughn and Darval-Chang’s sister-in-law — prior to the 6:30 a.m. start.

It’s all part of the desire to connect the spirituality of culture and coastline.

"I’ve probably been on the water along this coast more than I’ve driven it," said Darval-Chang, who competed in her 33rd Na Wahine O Ke Kai last month. "It will be interesting for us to relive some of our past races from a different perspective. You won’t be stressed out about competing or focused on paddling.

"I’m encouraging people who say they aren’t runners to walk this course. Why would you rush this journey?"