State championship participation in flux as OHCRA clubs compete

With six weeks to go before the summer outrigger canoe paddling regatta season culminates with a full day of state championship races slated for Aug. 3 on Kauai, paddlers and coaches are splitting time between competing to qualify for state berths and handling logistics involved with getting people and equipment to a neighbor island and back.

And, in some cases, canoe clubs are deciding whether to participate in the sprint season’s culminating event.

A sense of uncertainty around which canoe clubs will participate in the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championship Regatta at Hanalei Bay on the Garden Isle’s North Shore was evident on Sunday as Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association clubs raced in the annual Waimanalo Regatta at an unseasonably calm Waimanalo Beach.

On Saturday, the Star-Advertiser reported that OHCRA mainstays Hui Nalu and Outrigger Canoe Club will not be participating in the state championships out of respect and concern for the Kauai communities recovering from the historic floods that devastated the area last year, and a landslide earlier this year that delayed efforts to reopen Kuhio Highway. The highway is the thoroughfare that connects North Shore communities on the island.

“Being a Kauai boy from Hanalei, the mana‘o (thought) that I shared with our club is the easiest thing to do is race,” said Billy Pratt, a veteran paddler and coach with Outrigger. “But, our community went through a lot, including 50 inches of rain in 24 hours … there was a lot of damage, and there’s a lot of sensitivity around holding a race of this magnitude there in such a small community that is still recovering.

“Our decision not to participate was made out of aloha for them, and the sensitivity our club and others, including Hui Nalu, have for the people there. It may sound biased, but Hanalei is the best place to host a race. However, with the current situation from the perspective as a Kauaian, it would be ideal if we could hold the race on Oahu and return next year to really celebrate Kauai.”

Race organizer HCRA and host organization Kauai Outrigger Association have expressed confidence in the decision to run the state regatta as planned, while some individual clubs and residents are concerned that the North Shore communities and infrastructure are not yet ready to handle the influx of approximately 3,000 paddlers and thousands more supporters leading up to the first Saturday in August.

OHCRA officials on Sunday made it clear that the decision to race at the state championships will be left up to its member clubs. Multiple sources from clubs other than Hui Nalu and Outrigger confirmed that their squads would also not be participating in states, but did not yet want to make their statuses public.

Coaches from two-time defending OHCRA champion and reigning state champ Lanikai confirmed that the green-and-white-clad club will participate in the HCRA competition.

Kailua, another large OHCRA squad, also will attend the state championships after being reassured that the KOA was still on board with hosting the race. Club officials from Kailua said its leaders will be sending out a series of emails leading up to the state competition encouraging paddlers to carpool on Kauai and be mindful of the environment by picking up trash on the beach and in the park, and sensitive to the community by not venturing past Hanalei and into remote areas like Haena, which are still adjusting to infrastructural hurdles.

According to the HCRA, it has already taken steps in accord with Kauai County officials to help the state regatta run as smoothly as possible, including setting up shuttles to and from the race site and establishing canoe caravan windows so clubs can trailer their vessels to the beach and back without causing additional traffic on the main highway, which narrows at multiple points.

While the state competition is expected to be compelling regardless of which qualifying clubs and crews choose to participate, the hurdles associated with transporting and lodging paddlers and their supporters, canoes and equipment have created a unique set of challenges before competitors even get to Kauai.

In 2013, the demand for interisland flights caused the price of a round-trip fare to Kauai to skyrocket higher than some there-and-back jaunts to the West Coast. Demand for lodging and transportation will continue to increase the cost of hotels and rental vehicles, and some clubs may end up forfeiting lanes within certain state races due to the high costs.

Paddlers on Sunday enjoyed calm conditions amid steady breezes and cooling cloud cover that gave way to brief mid-afternoon showers. In recent years, choppy surf and unrelenting wind and rain squalls slowed crews and caused delays that led to the regatta ending as the sun began to set.

Lanikai won the AAA division (31-45 crews entered) and overall titles as the club tallied a regatta-high 14 race wins and posted 197 points to hold off Outrigger (177 points) as well as Kailua (147) and Hui Nalu (142) in the large division.

Outrigger jumped out to a 155-141 advantage over Lanikai with 12 races to go, but the defending champions relied on their depth and won four of the next seven events to secure the trophy.

“I’ve been doing a lot of coaching lately with our kids programs, and it’s been a real treat to give back to the club because I’ve been fortunate to paddle for so many years with Outrigger,” said Pratt, who paddled to victory along with David Beattie, Heinere Itchner, Kaihe Chong, Travis Grant and Bronson Napoleon by a 9.5-second margin over Hui Nalu in the men’s junior race. “I still have the itch to compete, and it was a treat for me to get in the canoe and to see the sport of canoe paddling in such a good place.”

Keahiakahoe (66 points) claimed the AA division (16-30 crews entered), which also included Healani (44) and New Hope (24).

Hui Lanakila (42 points) fended off host Waimanalo (37), Leeward Kai (25) and Waikiki Surf Club (22) for the A division title.

OHCRA competitors have a week off and return to action July 4 at Waikiki Beach for the annual Walter J. Macfarlane Regatta. Na Ohana O Na Hui Wa‘a will hold its fifth event of the season Saturday with the Lokahi Regatta at Keehi Lagoon.