Monday, July 30, 2001
Aussies sweep A strong Australian contingent averted being swept into the current and almost swept the top three spots of yesterday's 5th Annual Quiksilver Silver Edition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard race.
across channel
Paddleboarders from
Down Under go 1-2-4 in 5th
Quiksilver Molokai to Oahu raceBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comAustralians Aaron Bitmead, Chad Griffith and Mick Dibetta finished one, two and four in the 32-mile race from Papohaku to Maunalua Bay.
"I'm stoked," Bitmead said. "It's unreal to finish first."
In only his second year of racing, Bitmead improved on his fourth-place showing in 2000 and outpaced the pack with a time of 5 hours, 29 minutes and one second.
Defending champion Sean Monahan finished third overall and was the first local paddleboarder to cross the finish line, in 5:56:27.
Bitmead's time was seven minutes more than Dibetta's record of 5:22:48 set in the inaugural year of the race. Though proud of his win, Bitmead did concede being a little disappointed that he didn't break Dibetta's mark.
"At the halfway mark, knowing that you're ahead of the record time ... I think I just went too wide and came in a little bit too late."
A six-foot trailing swell and a torrid 10 mph pace had Bitmead and Aaron Napoleon far ahead of the pack and on pace to set a course record. Much of the race was a contest between Bitmead and Napoleon, but with eight miles to go, Napoleon pulled out due to cramps and fatigue.
"It was harder than I thought, but I knew I was out of shape," Napoleon said. "I wanted to be competitive. I told Dawson (Jones) that I was hoping to be top five. I'm so disappointed."
Napoleon wasn't the only top competitor to drop out. Dawson Jones, a second-place finisher in 1997, 1998 and 2000 withdrew with 312 miles left in the race.
Considered the world championship of long distance paddleboarding, the 32-mile crossing of the Kaiwi Channel forced seven paddleboarders to quit and challenged the mental endurance of the 70 participants who began the race at 7:30 a.m.
Monahan, a first-year firefighter, almost didn't compete but had understanding captains who allowed him to change shifts at the last minute.
During the race, Monahan battled other obstacles, including a rudder problem and physical problems.
"I felt strong most of the way through," Monahan said. "It's a bit frustrating when you have something break on your board, but it wouldn't have changed anything."
Dibetta claimed fourth place in 5:58:22. Despite battling a sore throat and congested sinuses, Dibetta never doubted that he would complete the race.
Jimmy Austin, the youngest competitor for the second year in a row, finished in the same fifth-place spot as last year. But the elated 21-year-old said that this year's competition was better because he didn't spend half the race vomiting as he did last year.
Kanesa Duncan, the only female solo paddler, didn't meet the personal goal she set for herself but did eclipse Helene Philipp's previous record of 7:56:55 with a time of 7:36:06.
Duncan hoped to finish before the seven-hour mark but found herself caught in a current and choppy waves that proved to be the most mentally challenging part of the race.
"If I questioned whether or not I'd finish, it was the time when I didn't seem to be moving at all by Koko Head," Duncan said. "I knew it was going to be like that but I wasn't prepared for how intense that was.
"The finish is definitely the hardest part and not just because of the time but because the conditions change."
In the team competition, brothers Brian and Marc Rocheleau of Hawaii were the first team to cross the line on a 12-foot stock board in 5:56:49.
A total of 33 soloists and 20 2-person teams started the race.