Teihotaata wins OC-1 race

The swells across the Kaiwi Channel were modest, but one wave was exceptionally huge. That being the wave of elite Tahitians competing in Sunday’s seventh Maui Jim Kaiwi Solo OC-1 Molokai World Championship.

Led by 2012 national champion Steeve Teihotaata, four of the top five finishers in the 32.9-mile race from Molokai to Oahu were from Tahiti. Teihotaata pulled away from defending champion Danny Ching of California, flying his ‘ama while crossing the finish line off the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center in 4 hours, 33 minutes and 13 seconds.

Ching was timed in 4:33:33, some 25 minutes faster than last year. Current Tahiti national champ Rete Ebb, leading until he wiped out on a wave off Portlock, was third in 4:34:35.

The first Hawaii finisher was race director Manny Kulukulualani, sixth in 4:38:43 after holding off Hawaii’s Kai Bartlett (4:38:46). Maitai Danielson, whose previous best finish was 14th, was eighth (4:38:56), giving the Tahitians five of the top eight places.

"There were so many good paddlers this year," Ching said. "Last year, we had a lot of good people but not the overall caliber of today. It made it a lot harder but definitely faster."

"This is probably the most competitive the race has ever been," added Makana Denton, 11th in 4:42:40. "You had the top five, six Tahitians, almost all of the top paddlers from Hawaii. You had the Australians … It was really competitive."

The calmer channel conditions favored the Tahitians. With not much to surf, it also created an easier transition for them when using a ruddered OC-1 as compared to the rudderless Va‘a-1 normally raced in French Polynesia.

"It was Tahitian water today," Danielson said. "We weren’t used to the rudder, but rudders are good if you have surf. With no surf, it wasn’t that hard. It was a pretty tight race, highly competitive. This was my third time. I was 14th seven years ago, 18th two years ago. So now eight is great."

There had been discussion as to whether to allow the rudderless V-1, but "this leveled the playing field, so I’m glad they went rudderless," Kulukulualani said. "It kind of shows where everybody stands. The Tahitians were phenomenal."

One phenomenal streak ended Sunday. For the first time since 2002, Lauren Spalding Bartlett did not win the solo channel crossing.

The women’s division title went to Coral Darbishire, an Australian now living in Hawaii. She finished in 4:58:01, with Bartlett second (5:08:57) and Claire Townsend third (5:10:04) in the largest women’s field (19) in the race’s history.

"This was the toughest field ever for both the men and the women," said Darbishire, who did the same course last Sunday as part of a three-woman relay team. "The competition was amazing and I’m happy with today."

Conditions were a bit funky, with a slight south swell, a rising tide and a rare headwind.

"The wind never turned east; it was always in your face from the left," Ching said. "You had the wind pushing you up and the current pushing you down."

The competition made it even trickier. The lead packs took various lines across the channel — some going straight, some going north (including Ching and Ebb) and others way north (led by Teihotaata).

The top dozen converged off of Portlock to cut into Maunalua Bay. Ebb, Teihotaata and Ching all caught waves, with Ebb wiping out as Teihotaata and Ching passed him. The two leaders continued to battle nose to tail, with Teihotaata finally opening up a slight lead. The Tahitian started to fly his ‘ama (leaning to the right so the outrigger comes out of the water) and teased the finish-line crowd when it appeared that he might go over before crossing the line with Ching closing; Teihotaata rocked the OC-1 to the left, bringing the ‘ama down, and winning by 20 seconds.

"The hardest part about today wasn’t the conditions. It was the people here, the international guys and the top Hawaii guys," said Hawaii’s Will Reichenstein, ninth in 4:40:11. "Compared to previous years, this was another level."