FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Lauren Spalding and Noe Sawyer won the women's OC-2 division of yesterday's Starbucks Kaiwi Channel Relay.
Old guard holds off
youngsters for titleThe Relay World Championship
takes a lot out of paddlers
The paddling gods were kind yesterday, seeing to it that the surf dropped at the mouth of the Ala Wai Harbor just in time to welcome the finishers of the 14th Starbucks Kaiwi Channel Relay World Championship.
The gods also didn't discriminate against gender or age.
The OC-1 race had one of the "old guys" -- 35-year-old Aaron Napoleon -- teaming with 27-year-old Kai Bartlett to beat out two of the twentysomething young guns -- Maui Kjeldsen and Karel Tresnak Jr. -- by more than three minutes.
The nine-year age gap didn't mean much for the winning women's OC-1 team. Lauren Spalding, 23, who won this event last year with Megan Harrington, partnered with 32-year-old Noe Sawyer to finish in 6 hours, 17 minutes and 13 seconds. They were nearly 40 minutes ahead of the second-place team of Loretta Toth-Jane McKee (6:57:12).
And for the first time in the five-year history of the OC-2 division, a coed team beat all the men's teams. Thanks to a staggered start that gave them a 30-minute lead off of Kaluakoi, the first to finish was the OC-2 paddled by Bruce Ayau and Paula Crabbe, who were cheered on from their escort boat by teammates Cherisse Kelii and Scott Jones.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Bruce Ayau and Paula Crabbe (pictured) teamed with Cherisse Kelii and Scott Jones to win the Mixed Open OC2 race.
"The conditions were great and we surfed the whole way," said Ayau after finishing the 40.2-mile race in 5 hours, 30 minutes and 17 seconds. "We could have used more winds. It feels great to come across the finish line first. I'm not used to it.
"And I'm happy to finish ahead of the one-man teams. They're incredible athletes."
Ayau had pretty impressive athletes in his canoe as well. Crabbe has been on several Na Wahine O Ke Kai winning crews for Outrigger Canoe Club, while Kelii and Jones were part of the winning mixed crew in this event last year.
It was Crabbe's first race in an OC-2. She finished third with Kisi Haine last year in the women's OC-1 division.
"This race is so much fun. Each year it's so different because of the conditions," said the 50-year-old Crabbe, who was Ayau's home-room teacher at Punahou School. "We had a few sticky parts around Portlock that we needed to push through. I was happy that the one-mans didn't pass us."
Had all of the 120 registered canoes started at the same time, Napoleon and Bartlett would have finished first. Although they were 32 minutes slower than last year's record time, the two took overall honors when finishing in 5:02:56. Kjeldsen and Tresnak were second in 5:06:20 with Mike Judd and Mark Rigg third in 5:12:39.
"I'm actually surprised we won," said Bartlett, who teamed with Napoleon to win last week's Steinlager Kauai World Challenge relay race. "Aaron and I didn't put in as much work as we did last year. I'm very stoked.
"We stayed our line, played with the south swell and currents. The philosophy was to go with the flow, go where the ocean was taking us. You always think that you win it at a certain point. I guess for us today it was right at Waikiki, where not too many things can go wrong.
"All I can say is Aaron isn't that old. He's about 18 at heart."
Napoleon credits Bartlett and coach Kalani Young for yesterday's win.
"I was sore today and my partner probably pulled me around for most of the day," said Napoleon. "The thing was, it was more like three people out there. Kalani made the calls as to when to make the changes. Sometimes we were in for 10 minutes, sometimes 25. You just have to trust the coach and worry about paddling."
The two OC-1 leaders stayed with each other for most of the race. Around Sandy Beach, Napoleon and Bartlett came inside, while Kjeldsen and Tresnak stayed out.
"They pulled out about 200 yards," said Kjeldsen, who finished second with Tresnak in last year's race by 19 seconds. "We split up, they held the gap. We tried to catch them and we couldn't.
"I'm happy with our race. I thought this year would be our year, but they were too good for us."
Spalding and Sawyer have been good friends since both were paddling for Hawaiian Canoe Club on Maui a decade ago. Both were pleased with yesterday's finish.
"Lauren is amazing and I'm just fortunate to go with her," said Sawyer, who has teamed with Spalding to win several races the past two years.
Sawyer finished second in this event last year with partner Dane Ward. Ward didn't complete the race yesterday, taking ill just after the event started.
Two other women's OC-1 teams also didn't finish the race. Kanesa Duncan separated her right shoulder during a water change, forcing her and partner Zoe Norcross out of the event.
And veteran paddler Donna Kahakui lost consciousness, possibly due to dehydration, and had to be brought into the Hawaii Kai fire station, according to race officials. She was teaming with Lesline Conner.
Of the 120 registered canoes, 104 finished.
Other division winners were: Sam Alama-Eric Lavora, Masters Men 40, 5:33:20; Jeff Metzger-Steve Baker, Masters Men 50, 6:12:36; Debra Cheever-Follett/ Bev Tuaolo, Masters Women 40, 7:20:29; Tina Millward-David Napoleon, Open Mixed, 6:39:42; and Hank Leandro-Donovan Leandro-Kawai Mahoe-Kealii Martin, OC-2 men, 5:30:58.
The final event of the solo paddling season is the 'Oiwi World Championships on May 18. The 32-mile race for OC-1s and surfskis is from Kaluakoi, Molokai, to Hawaii Kai.
