After six decades of waiting, the youth movement is getting an official shot at vying for the world championship of outrigger canoe paddling.

As nearly 100 crews from around the world make the 41-mile trek from Molokai’s Hale O Lono Harbor to Waikiki’s Duke Kahanamoku Beach in the 61st edition of the prestigious Molokai Hoe on Sunday, the event features a junior division for the first time in the race’s rich history. Paddlers ages 16 through 18, and three crews representing Keola O Ke Kai, Lanikai and Outrigger Canoe Clubs, make up the youth division. Previously, paddlers needed to be at least 18 years old to participate.

The addition of a junior division marks the first step in a collective effort to match the Tahitians, who have dominated the sport thanks in large part to a youth program that serves as a feeder system for the adult crews. Case in point, Shell Va‘a has won seven consecutive Molokai Hoe races. Last year, the team finished more than 20 minutes ahead of the closest Hawaii competitor. Following the 2012 race, veteran paddler and Team Primo member Kai Bartlett expressed his thoughts about the need for a youth division within the Hawaii long-distance paddling ranks if local clubs hope to one day catch Tahiti.

"If Hawaii really wanted to compete with them, then we need to go back to the drawing board and re-create what we’re doing training-wise," said Bartlett. "It really works from the youth level up. A lot of us are getting too old for this, at least in terms of keeping up the level of intensity (needed to contend for the title). Hawaii’s got to figure out how to make it more attractive for the kids. It’s hard to grow a tree when you keep chopping it down."

Keola O Ke Kai’s crew includes another historical footnote as it features what will be the youngest paddler ever to compete in the Molokai Hoe. Justice Kinimaka turned 16 on Oct. 1. The Radford High junior is excited to make the historic run through the treacherous Kaiwi Channel.

"It’s pretty cool to help make history as juniors participating in this race," Kinimaka said. "We hope to earn respect from the elders."

The crew, which practices in Keehi Lagoon, is buoyed by a core group of paddlers who have been together since taking up the sport as preteens. One of the team leaders is Jamiel Ishaque, an 18-year-old freshman engineering student at the University of Hawaii who started paddling with the club five years ago during the summer regatta season.

"It’s great to have this experience as a keiki still growing up, and all our regatta experience has set us up for this moment. It’s not just about experience, but also the hard work you put into paddling and blending as a crew," Ishaque said.

Keola O Ke Kai is guided by coach Robert Kapuni Patcho, who originally paddled with the club in its inaugural season as a 14 year old. The crew also includes Tim Kekoa, Kalani Moniz, Michael Whitworth, Mason Gervacio, Ben Chintam, Bubba Plunkett and Mana Garcia.

"It’s remarkable because I can say I was a part of this steppingstone for future generations of kids, not just for myself, but for the club in general," Patcho said. "Our biggest goal is for the kids to get to the starting line and paddle as legitimate contenders against the adults out there."

Team Primo, which represents Maui’s Wailea Canoe Club and set the record for the fastest time by a Hawaii competitor in 2011 (4 hours, 42 minutes and 59 seconds), is again expected to lead the pack of competitors from the 50th state. Outrigger is another crew to watch as it kept up with Team Primo throughout the two-plus month long distance season. Kailua, Lanikai and Hui Lanakila are also expected to fare well among Oahu representatives.

"The Tahitian paddlers are professional athletes for their teams, and we’re living our daily lives—paying bills and working our jobs," Bartlett said. "The reality is we can try to get close, but we’ll never match them at that level. We’re going back to how we started, getting into our old stroke and having more fun with it."

Live television for the first time too

For the first time in race history, the Molokai Hoe will be broadcast on live television as paddlers cross the Kaiwi Channel.

Oceanic Time Warner will carry the event on OC16 (Ch. 12 and 1012) as well as online at www.New.Livestream.com/OceanPaddlerLive. The broadcast will feature six hours of coverage from cameras mounted on boats and helicopters and offer insight from Guy Hagi, championship paddler Lauren Spalding and "Ocean Paddler" host Kala’i Miller.

The broadcast is scheduled to begin at 7:50 a.m.

REC CENTER

Ironman features "Peak to Heat" athlete

Seeking to epitomize the Ironman World Championship’s mantra — "Anything Is Possible" — Denise Fejtek will attempt to become the first female to complete the "Peak to Heat Double" when lining up for the start of Saturday’s 35th Ironman in Kailua-Kona.

The double is the combination of reaching the highest peak on Earth — Mt. Everest — and finishing the grueling Ironman, with its 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race and 26.2-mile run. Only three men are known to have reached the top of Mt. Everest (29,035 feet) and crossed the Ironman finish line: Gary Johnson, Sean Swarner and Paul Fejtek, the latter being Denise Fejtek’s husband.

Saturday’s 35th annual triathlon begins at 6:30 a.m. off Kailua-Kona Pier. Of the 2,167 registered, 74 percent are men (1,597), including defending champion Pete Jacobs of Australia.

Australian men have won the past six races. Craig Alexander set the record in 2011 (8:03:56) when also becoming the oldest to win at age 38.

The defending women’s champion is England’s Leanda Cave. Four-time winner Chrissie Wellington, also of England, set the women’s record (8:54:02) in 2009.

Also entered is Gordon Haller, the winner of the inaugural Ironman in 1978.

ironman.com.

World SUP title showdown at Turtle Bay

Maui’s Connor Baxter and defending world champion Kai Lenny, ranked 1-2 in the Stand Up World Series standings, headline the field for this week’s World Championship at Turtle Bay.

Hawaii SUP pros hold five of the top seven spots in the men’s world rankings with Zan Schweitzer No. 4, Mo Freitas No. 5 and Kody Kerbox No. 7.

On the women’s side, part-time Hawaii resident Candice Appleby ranks third with Oahu’s Vanina Walsh and Halie Harrison fourth and seventh, respectively.

Today’s schedule includes a meet-and-greet with the top competitors at 6:30 p.m. and a "Talk Story" session with watermen Brian Keaulana and Archie Kalepa. Both events are open to the public.

Saturday’s long-distance race begins at 1 p.m. with a 13-mile course along some of the world’s most famous surf breaks, including Sunset and Pipeline. The course begins at Turtle Bay and finishes at Haleiwa Harbor.

Sunday’s events begin at 9 a.m. with the Na Kama Kai Youth Challenge, a one-design format open to 16-and-under.

The World Series Sprint Racing follows with heats starting at noon off Turtle Bay.

The elite SUP athletes will compete in the 12-foot-6-inch board class but both races also include open, 14-foot and prone divisions. Interested athletes should email entry to race@watermanleague.com.

watermanleague.com

Celebration of Life for Ramos Saturday

The late George Ramos Jr., an avid extreme distance runner and waterman, will be remembered Saturday in a "Celebration of Life" memorial service starting at 8 a.m. at Sunset Beach.

Ramos was a member of the Hawaii Ultra Running Team (H.U.R.T), longtime canoe paddler and accomplished paddleboarder who completed numerous Molokai-to-Oahu races. The 61-year-old died Sept. 12 after a long battle with cancer.

The service will conclude with a paddle-out and scattering of ashes prior to the start of the Stand Up World Series Tour long-distance race.

Boxing gold for Naone

Charles Naone of Pearlside Boxing won a gold medal and two other Hawaii boxers earned silvers at last weekend’s National PAL Tournament in Oxnard, Calif.

Naone defeated Joshua De Paz of Los Angeles Sands Boxing in the 145-pound final of the 15-16 age group. Taking silver were Vincent Siordia of Kawano B.C. (80 pounds, 13-14 year-olds), who lost to California’s Ellan Lua, and Pearlside’s Zachary Jones (176, 15-16), who lost to Taifer Rigaud of South Carolina.

XTERRA Trail Run Series starts Oct. 19

The XTERRA Hawaii Trail Run Series, featuring three events at three locations, kicks off its inaugural season with the XTERRA Gunstock Ranch Trail Run on Oct. 19 in Laie. The event offers two courses on the privately owned working ranch, a 21K (half marathon) and 5K.

The series includes the Oct. 26 XTERRA Kapalua Trail Runs at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, Maui, and the XTERRA Freedom Fest July 5 at Kualoa Ranch. The Kapalua event features the 10K course that has the same trails used the next day by the triathletes in the XTERRA World Championship. The Kualoa event includes the 5K and 10K trails used by the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship.

All three events in the Hawaii Series are open to runners of all ages and skill levels, from all states. Runners who enter the Gunstock Ranch 21K, Duke’s Beach House 10K and Freedom Fest 10K can earn points toward the overall standings of the Hawaii Series with the top age-group runners from the series receiving a free entry into the XTERRA Trail Run National Championship held annually in Utah.

xterratrailrun.com.

Aikau special airing on ESPN Classic

ESPN’s 30 for 30 special on the late Eddie Aikau will continue to be broadcast this month on ESPN Classic.

The channel is offered as part of Oceanic’s Sports Pass and available at Ch, 239. The scheduled dates and times for the 90-minute "Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau" are Oct. 18, 19 and 20 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

It also will be shown on ESPN2 on Nov. 2 at 8 p.m.

oceanic.com

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