On a sports-filled Sunday that started with Spain’s extra-time win to dethrone Argentina in the World Cup title, Lanikai Canoe Club closed out the day with another dominant championship effort on the water to add to its dynastic outrigger canoe paddling streak.
Six-time defending Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association state champion Lanikai continued its undefeated run through the summer regatta season and notched its eighth consecutive AAA division (31-plus crews entered) title at the Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association Championship regatta at Keehi Lagoon.
The eight-peat effort matches Outrigger Canoe Club’s run of eight straight titles from 1985-1992 as OHCRA’s longest championship win streak. Lanikai completed the sweep of all six official OHCRA regattas this summer and has now won 48 straight OHCRA competitions dating back to 2017.
The green-and-white clad club tallied 226 points on a regatta-best 15 victories and 18 runner-up finishes in the large-club division to top Outrigger (141 points), Keahiakahoe (111 points), Hui Nalu (104 points), Kailua (87 points) and Healani (81 points).
“We’ve been trying to keep that consistency, stay positive and focus on our mission that is qualifying as many No. 1 crews as possible for states to get as many quality points as we can to win the state regatta,” Lanikai coach and veteran paddler Scott Freitas. “I tell the club that you can’t win this individually. The men, the women, the kids and the adults, you win together as a club. The unity needs to be strong, keep your head high and realize that every single race and every single place makes a difference. That’s how you win championships.”
Lanikai rallied behind its keiki paddlers to start the day, winning five of the first seven and nine of the first 15 races to build a commanding lead. Through 26 events, Lanikai had established a comfortable 144-90-80 margin over Outrigger and Keahiakahoe.
The adult paddlers carried that momentum and continued to add points to Lanikai’s total. The women’s masters 65 crew from Lanikai picked up a big win, finishing the half-mile race in 4 minutes, 35.63 seconds to best runner-up Kailua (4:40.29); Hui Nalu had originally finished a close second, but was disqualified for crossing the line prior to the start.
“Our crew did really well, didn’t get distracted, and just focused on staying together,” said victorious Lanikai paddler Sharon Esser, who was joined in the winning crew by Lisa Barney, Susan Butterbaugh, Cindi Chess, Kelly Smith and Les Murakami.
Smith added: “Not only was this a great win that improved our chances of getting a better lane at states, but we also picked up important points for our club. We’re going to fine-tune things to hopefully be smoother going through the water. It’s exciting!”
Leeward Kai (88 points) dominated the AA division (16-30 crews entered) ahead of Waikiki Surf Club (38 points), Kai Oni (26 points), Waimanalo (17 points) and Honolulu Pearl (16 points).
Koa Kai (8 points) claimed the A division (1-15 crews entered), which also included Hui Lanakila (7 points), Keola O Ke Kai (4 points), Anuenue (4 points) and New Hope (4 points).
In one of the day’s most anticipated events, Outrigger blazed through the senior men’s race, completing the 1½-mile, five-turn competition in 11 minutes, 14.27 seconds to top Keahiakahoe (11:19.06) and Lanikai (11:48.37). The winning crew of Kai Wilding, Jack Seymour, Matthew Mench, Nathan Loyola, Ahola Hussey-Townsend and Ryland Hart not only defended its title in the race, but improved its winning time by nearly four seconds.
“In the regatta season, the focus is getting in and out of the turns, and getting back up to your top speed as fast as possible,” Mench said. “There’s a lot of talent between the three clubs (that finished in the top three), and we’re all trying to spread talent around and pick off as many wins as you can, so it’s great to finish as OHCRA champs in the senior race.”
Lanikai saw five of its crews finish undefeated seasons on Sunday: boys 12, mixed boys and girls 12, boys 14, mixed novice B, boys 15. Also notching undefeated seasons were Leeward Kai’s girls 12; Honolulu Pearl’s girls 18; Hui Nalu’s women’s masters 70; and Healani’s men’s masters 60 and women’s masters 55, 50 and 40 crews.
Nearly 4,000 competitors ranging in age from 5 to 87 represented OHCRA’s 18 member clubs in 44 races spanning a 1/4 mile to 1 1/2 mile. Paddlers braved the summer heat and welcomed steady trade-wind breezes that picked up in the early afternoon.
Winning crews earned 7 points toward the team standings, while second-, third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place finishers were awarded 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 points, respectively. The top four crews from each OHCRA event based on cumulative point standings earned automatic berths in the HCRA State Championship Regatta slated for Saturday, Aug. 1 at Keehi Lagoon.
“Throughout the day, we tried to qualify as many crews as possible for states,” Mench said. “Scotty at Lanikai, it’s a science with him, but we’re set up to do well at states and are looking forward to it.”
Lanikai and Hawaiian Canoe Club of Maui have dominated the state competition over the past quarter century, combining to win 25 straight HCRA state championships.
Freitas again called for his team to focus on a consistent approach going into the state regatta: “A few years ago, we got a lane for our girls 12 crew, they finished in 12th place, got us three points, and we won the regatta by two. We just need to stay focused and win that chess match.”
