From the moment he was presented with his first paddle by grandfather Dick Porter as a youngster, Talus Carpenter began navigating a course toward success on the water.

Carpenter took up outrigger canoe paddling at 8 and joined the prestigious Lanikai Canoe Club — the organization with which he still races during the summer regatta season.

The waterman honed his skills as a keiki before eventually joining the Kalaheo boys paddling team as a sophomore. In his first two seasons with the Mustangs, Carpenter and his teammates were golden, netting Oahu Interscholastic Association championships.

Last year, the Mustangs set the Keehi Lagoon course record with a 3 minute, 34.47 second mark in the half-mile race. The accomplishments brought acclaim to the Kalaheo athletic department, which for so many years was recognized primarily for its stellar basketball programs.

"The boys come to school and see all the (paddling) championship banners hanging in the gym," says Kalaheo coach Chelsea Bizik, a lifeguard by day and an experienced paddler who won the Na Wahine O Ke Kai Molokai-to-Oahu title with the Waikiki Beach Boys last summer.

"Once they realize that paddling gives them an opportunity to win a championship, many of them think, ‘Shoot, I should do that.’ I can guide you to be a champion, but it’s up to paddlers like Talus to want it and push each other to do well."

Bizik explained that Kalaheo’s successful 2014-15 campaign actually began with a preseason defeat. The Mustangs practice at Kailua Beach Park along with Kailua High School, and during the holiday break, Kalaheo ran a practice race with the Surfriders and finished second. The coach credits the loss with motivating Carpenter, who occupies the first seat in the canoe known as stroker.

"We’ve really bonded as a crew and have gotten closer as the season has gone on," said Carpenter, who takes responsibility as stroker for maintaining and adjusting the canoe’s pace and stroke rate throughout each race and practice. "We’ve got each other’s backs, and that’s good to know as we go into the championship race."

Kalaheo continues to bolster its dynastic run on the water and is undefeated in OIA competition this season, with wins in five consecutive regattas encapsulating both long-distance and sprint races.

The Mustangs will make a run at a fifth consecutive OIA championship on Saturday at Keehi Lagoon. Another victory by the blue-and-orange-clad boys led by Carpenter, in his last hurrah as a senior, would result in the program’s sixth crown in seven years.

"We’re facing some good competition, but as long as we stick together, I think we can win this one," said Carpenter, who mentioned Kaiser, Kailua and Radford as competitors to watch out for. "We set the course record last year, so I’d really like to beat that mark."

When he’s not paddling, Carpenter satiates his passion for the ocean by surfing and free diving. Carpenter also excels in the classroom, where he maintains a 3.5 grade-point average. He plans to continue his education at Windward Community College upon graduating from Kalaheo.

"I’m just a waterman. I enjoy being in the water, above and below it," Carpenter said. "Paddling really ties it all together and it completes that circle. Also, I like the camaraderie of being part of the team, it’s like a brotherhood."

Bizik explained that Carpenter has developed into the glue that keeps the crew clicking together at a high level and motivates the team to continue its stellar run of success.

"Talus is a really inspiring person," the skipper said. "Everyone looks up to him, he’s all positive and that makes for the perfect stroker. There’s no attitude and no questioning my coaching. It’s a blessing to have him on the team."

The Mustangs are gearing up for the HHSAA state paddling championships slated for Feb. 7 at Maui’s Kahului Harbor with an expected crew of Carpenter, Nai‘a Singlehurst, Luke Ott, Alfred Catimon, Lucas Wolf and Spencer Vanderkamp.

Kalaheo has performed well in recent years at the state level, giving perennial champions Kamehameha and Punahou stiff competition as evidence by the windward-side school claiming the state boys crown in 2008 — the only OIA squad ever to win a boys state paddling championship — and notching third place in 2012 and 2014.

"We’re in good shape as a crew, we just need to fine-tune every aspect of the race," Carpenter said. "On that day, we need to perform to our maximum potential. Once the flag drops, it’s craziness until you cross the finish line."

With the boys basketball team currently occupying the top spot in the Star-Advertiser’s Top 10 poll of media and coaches, the paddlers carry some extra motivation to match — or surpass — the success of their hardcourt cohorts in pursuit of state championship medals.

"There’s a lot of drive at Kalaheo with both the male and female athletes," said Bizik, who herself paddled for the school. "The boys are really competitive and can use paddling to take their aggression out and relieve stress. These guys want to win."

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THE TOP 10

Voted on by coaches and media from around the state. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, etc.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Boys

Chance Kalaugher
Kaiser basketball
Scored half of his team’s points with 26 in a 52-41 win over host McKinley. The 6-foot-5 junior bounced back from scoring only 10 points against Moanalua earlier in the week. He is averaging 21.5 points in his past five games.

Girls

Shay Nakahira
Punahou soccer
Scored one goal in a win over St. Francis and two more in a title-clinching win over Pac-Five. The Buffanblu (10-0-1) won their league for the first time since 2012 and return to the state tournament after missing it last year.