Checkmate.
After a rigorous season that Lanikai Canoe Club head coach Scott Freitas compared to a chess match, the club made all the right moves in the season’s biggest test of wills.
Lanikai amassed 330 points and edged four-time defending Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association champion and neighboring rival Kailua, which finished with 329 points, and claimed its third Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championship regatta in the last five years Saturday in the calm waters of Keehi Lagoon.
Finishing third at the regatta in the AAAA division (21-40 crews entered) was Hawaiian Canoe Club of the Maui County Hawaiian Canoe Association, the defending state champion and winner of nine of the last 12 state titles. Moku O Hawaii (Big Island) power Kai Opua was in the running all day and finished fourth with 301 points.
"It’s been a chess match all season long, and in the beginning I knew we were down — I just kept counting points as the day went along," said Freitas of his club, which used a seventh-place finish in the day’s final race to secure the points necessary for the win. "Then, when I started looking at (the points standings), I thought ‘we have a chance.’ The whole coaching staff and the club has come together this year like never before. We just hung in there, head high and just stayed focused on the mission.
"I made some moves to give us strength in the end, because I’d rather give up a couple of points early on, where at the end, I knew we could make a big swing."
Nearly 3,500 paddlers ranging in age from 12 and under to 65 and above and representing 58 canoe clubs from six organizations and six islands competed in 41 events ranging in length from a quarter-mile to 1.5 miles.
Up to 14 qualifying crews participated in each race, with winning crews earning 15 points, 13 points going to second place, 12 for third and continuing in descending order with last place earning one point.
"We figured they have 39 crews, but we thought we could still finish very close, even with 34," said Kailua co-head coach Hank Leandro. "Our hat’s off to them, the main thing is an OHCRA club won, and second place to them is great considering all the depth they have."
Lanikai got a boost from its men’s program as it notched victories in the freshman, sophomore and senior races, as well as later in the day in the men’s masters 50 race. Its senior men’s crew capped an undefeated season by fending off Wailea Canoe Club of Maui in the 1.5-mile event that provided an early look at the local contenders in the upcoming Molokai Hoe long-distance race.
"We have a lot of respect for the Wailea guys. They’ve been the top dog for the past couple of years now," said Aaron Creps of Lanikai’s victorious crew following the marquee men’s event. "It’s a good way to cap the regatta season, and we couldn’t be happier with the way the race turned out."
Creps was joined by Patrick Dolan, Ryan Dolan, John Foti, Jack Roney and Manny Kulukulualani as Lanikai finished the race in 11 minutes, 7.85 seconds — nearly 3 seconds ahead of Wailea, which races under the Team Primo moniker during the distance season.
Keauhou (Big Island) defended its title in the AAA division (13-20 crews entered) after winning a regatta-high five races and racking up 193 points. Kihei (Maui) and Puna (Big Island) finished close behind with 160 and 151 points. The AA division (7-12 crews entered) came down to the wire, with OHCRA member Keahiakahoe coming from behind to win the crown with 110 points. The Waikiki Beach Boys (108 points) and Hui Lanakila (107 points) finished excruciatingly close.
Despite the disappointment, the Waikiki Beach Boys and their stellar women’s program stole the show as the perennial Hui Wa‘a power attempted to duplicate what is believed to be the first sweep of the women’s freshman, sophomore, junior and senior races — a feat accomplished by Waikiki at last year’s state championships. The Hui Wa‘a AA division champions notched victories in the women’s sophomore, junior and senior events, just missing out on a second consecutive sweep of the women’s open divisions.
"It was tight in every single race, and it was exciting to come out with three of the four races," said Dana Gorecki, the Waikiki Beach Boys president and an established paddler within the club. "It’s definitely something to be proud of. It’s hard to come back after a sweep last year with expectations of other clubs looking at you. There’s definitely a target on your back, so I’m proud of what we were able to do."
Kawaihae Canoe Club claimed the A division (1-6 crews entered) with 53 points, edging fellow Big Island clubs Keaukaha (51 points) and Kamehameha (47 points).
