Moments after the Walter J. Macfarlane Memorial Canoe Regatta got underway in the calm waters lapping the iconic white sand of Waikiki Beach, seasoned paddler and coach Kamoa Kalama felt butterflies in his stomach the way he did as a keiki.
Even though he was getting ready to participate in the Macfarlane competition 55 years after first racing in it as a 12-year-old, Kalama explained that the butterflies “have turned to eagles knowing the excitement and history of being here at Duke’s beach — it’s a special time.”
Kalama represented Kailua Canoe Club in steering the Navy SEALs squad to a runner-up finish in the Macfarlane Invitational Military Race featuring members of the Armed Forces. The U.S. Air Force soared to victory, catching a few clutch waves along the way to sneak past the SEALs by 0.26 seconds at the Macfarlane Regatta held every Independence Day.
The tradition of what was originally known as the “Water Carnival” starting in the early 1940s continued as outrigger canoe paddlers from the Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association participated in the 79th edition of the Macfarlane Regatta.
The quarter-mile military race featured seven canoes, led by the victorious Air Force crew of Neal Robinson, Elke AhLeong, Chalice Pagulayan, Peter AhLeong and Liz Sabog, with help from Honolulu Pearl Canoe Club’s veteran steersman Alfred Van Gieson.
Every participant received a gold medal in appreciation of their service to the country regardless of their standing in the race.
“This is a huge privilege to be a part of such an esteemed group protecting our country, so it’s always exciting to get these young guys out on the water,” Kalama said after steering in the military race. “You hear (the different military branches) talking back and forth and their competitive banter, so it’s great to see them get to relax a bit knowing all the kuleana they carry for our country.”
The winning squad was presented with the perpetual USS Arizona Award, which is built with a steel beam from the midsection of the historic battleship that rests in Pearl Harbor. The hefty trophy was presented at the ceremony for competitors and their families at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, which is built on the spot where Outrigger Canoe Club was founded in 1908.
Lanikai netted a regatta- high 12 wins and 13 runner-up finishes to claim the overall Macfarlane Regatta victory. OHCRA’s traditional Fourth of July event was held in the waters fronting the iconic Moana Surfrider, Outrigger Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian resorts as thousands of participants and spectators looked on from the beach and surrounding hotel balconies.
The regatta is the longest continually run outrigger canoe paddling event in the world since it was first held in 1943, and according to Outrigger Canoe Club records, this year’s edition was the 111th Fourth of July regatta run in Waikiki. Outrigger and Lanikai have combined to win the past 28 Macfarlane Regattas, with Lanikai maintaining the edge with 17 victories in that span. The 2020 and 2021 editions of the race were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The perpetual Walter Macfarlane Memorial Trophy and Senior Women’s Bowl were awarded to the victorious crews from Lanikai and Hui Nalu in the men’s and women’s 11⁄2-mile senior races. Both winning crews were presented with the trophies in a post-race ceremony fronting Duke’s, which now stands in the area formerly occupied by the Outrigger Canoe Club’s original headquarters. Following tradition, winning crew members swigged champagne from the cups topping both trophies.
“After a really good start, we got lucky and caught a bump back in after every turn,” Savannah Wright, who served as stroker in Hui Nalu’s victorious senior women’s crew, said after emerging from the club’s human victory tunnel. “The waves are the biggest factor in a race like this, as well as having a great (open) steersman in Gavin Hanoa. It’s awesome to win this race. It’s my first time, so it’s very special for our crew.”
Hui Nalu’s crew, which traversed the five ¼-mile segments in 12 minutes, 19.14 seconds and held off Outrigger (12:36.45), Waikiki Surf Club (12:53.64) and Lanikai (12:55.61), also included Tia Brown, Claire Ing, Diana Kim and Maggie Twigg-Smith.
Lanikai claimed the AAA Division (31-45 crews entered) with 196 points and topped Outrigger (186 points and 12 race wins), Hui Nalu (156 points) and Kailua (97 points) in the large division.
Leeward Kai (77 points) held off Keahiakahoe (75 points) and Waikiki Surf Club (45 points) to claim the AA Division (14-26 crews entered). Healani (42 points) dominated the A Division (1-13 crews entered) ahead of Hui Lanakila (20 points) and Koa Kai (17 points).
The Macfarlane Regatta had no bearing on the organization’s cumulative point standings that determine state championship berths. However, it remains a favorite for paddlers as the course is set up perpendicular to the shore, allowing crews to catch ocean bumps as they race toward the finish line. Races were often won and lost based on catching the right wave at the right time, and many crews used the open-steersman exemption, which allows an experienced steersperson to paddle in as many races as necessary to help keep paddlers and canoes safe.
“Outrigger has done a really good job of maintaining this tradition in a very special way,” Kalama said.
The 1- to 2-foot surf and predominantly low tide made for a relatively even race course as teams attempted to navigate the waves and finish races while avoiding the dreaded huli — the flipping of a canoe, which drew a few “oohs” and “ahhs” throughout the day from onlookers watching vessels veer off course.
OHCRA clubs return to action on the windward side on July 16 at Marine Corps Base Hawaii for the annual John D. Kaupiko Regatta.
The Na ‘Ohana O Na Hui Wa‘a organization will hold its Na Keiki O Ka Mo‘i Regatta on Saturday at Ma‘ili Beach.
