PADDLING
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Arlene Holzman has won every paddling event this year, including yesterday's Kanaka Ikaika.
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Tresnak and Holzman win convincingly
By Brandon Lee
Special to the Star-Bulletin
Karel Tresnak Jr. definitely seems ready again. The only question is whether he's willing.
The 26-year-old paddling superstar from Kailua picked up yet another title yesterday, winning the open men's solo-canoe (OC-1) long-course division at the Kanaka Ikaika State Championships in 2 hours, 41 minutes and 25 seconds.
He's now won four of the five races in the Kanaka Ikaika series this season, but is still officially undecided as to whether he'll enter the Molokai-to-Oahu race on May 20 that marks the end of the solo-paddling season and is considered the world championship of the sport.
Among his hoard of career victories, Tresnak is the defending and record six-time winner of the Molokai World Championship.
"It's going really well right now, but we'll see," Tresnak said. "Most likely I'll be there."
There were 164 total entries in yesterday's race, with the majority on OC-1s. It also included surfski competitions among its divisions and a 10.5-mile short course from Maunalua Bay in Hawaii Kai to Kaimana Beach in Waikiki.
The 22-mile stretch completed by Tresnak and other long-course competitors started at Waimanalo Beach and ended at the same finish line.
Manny Kulukulualani -- the only other open men's long-course paddler to win a series event this year -- finished second to Tresnak at 2:46:57, followed by Kelly Foster (2:49:03).
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM
Karel Tresnak Jr. won the long-course division yesterday at the Kanaka Ikaika State Championships, his fourth win this season.
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Tresnak initially trailed at the outset of the race, but stayed close to the lead pack in what he said were tough, mostly flat conditions on Oahu's east side. Once he hit around Makapuu Beach and started around the island's southeastern tip, however, the waves picked up and Tresnak was able to use his canoe-surfing expertise to overtake the leader at the time, Andrew Penny, and never lost his advantage from that point.
"The beginning part was really hard," Tresnak said. "But after that I got a really good run, from about Makapuu to Portlock. I started to be able to connect a few of the bumps -- there were actually some bombing waves that you could ride (seemingly) forever. Just keep your paddle in your lap and let the ocean do the work."
In the open women's OC-1 long-course division, Kailua's Arlene Holzman remained undefeated on the Kanaka Ikaika season, winning convincingly for a fifth straight time and picking up her first state long-course title.
Though she had a run of bad luck with her equipment and strategy in this race the previous few years, Holzman avoided trouble this time and finished at 3:23:08, almost 8 minutes ahead of runner-up Kelsa Teeters (3:31:02). Mary Smolenski (3:33:24) finished third.
"I kind of go into each race with no expectations, and whatever happens, happens," Holzman, 40, said. "But I actually thought about it as I crossed the finish line, 'OK, there's no bad karma with this race anymore.' "
Holzman has won this year by as many as nearly 10 minutes, and by no less than 4. Still, she admits that the competition will get tougher when some of the other elite competitors like last year's women's world champ, Dane Ward, and three-time former winner Lauren Bartlett likely join the field on May 20.
"I'm being realistic" about that race, Holzman said. "Those women have a lot more experience than me, but I just want to hold my own and I'll give it my best shot."
Other division winners yesterday included: Stu Gaessner (2:37:19, men's long-course surfski); Sue Brown (1:48:43, women's short-course surfski); Bob Rocheleau (1:37:10, men's short-course OC-1) and Chrystal Haia (1:55:01, women's short-course OC-1).