By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.com
"My dad was famous for saying, 'Brother, breathe and relax, just be calm," said Ayau, whose father Henry died May 8 at age 60. "We had a good relationship and he had a good relationship with all the other paddlers. No matter who won the race, he was stoked.
"It's been hard. We were all so used to seeing him in all the races. When he's not there ... it's been a big, empty feeling."
Some 450 paddlers will help fill the void tomorrow when they compete in the inaugural Henry Ayau International Outrigger Canoe Race to honor the late waterman. Formerly known as the Skippy Kamakawiwo'ole Race, the 32-mile event begins at 9 a.m. at Maunalua Bay and finishes at Ko Olina Marina.
The race is for nine-man crews with open-water changes being made. Ayau, who paddles for Kai Opua from Kailua-Kona, said he expects to be steering most of the run, but will get relief from Nate Hendricks and Lyle Palakiko.
Ayau and Hendricks were in the Kai Opua crew that won both the men's sophomore and senior races at last month's championship on Hilo Bay. The two also were in the crew that won Sunday's Catalina Channel Race in California.
"We've had a really good season," said Ayau, whose crew won this event last year. "If we don't win Sunday, we'll still know we gave it our best effort.
"This is a pretty easy run with not a whole bunch of variables. It's pretty much downhill with quarter-swells. It's not like the Molokai Channel where you've got to be on it."
This is the last sanctioned men's race prior to the men's Molokai Hoe on Oct. 13. Ayau considers tomorrow's race a tune-up for Molokai.
"It's an important race, but if we don't make a good showing, we know what we have to work on the next few weeks," he said. "But we want to do well and have it carry over to the Molokai race. We want to be up there with our women."
Kai Opua has won the past two Na Wahine O Ke Kai women's Molokai races.
Ayau, 38, has been paddling competitively since he was 11. His father taught him how to steer.
"He gave me tidbits about how to approach the turning flags (in regattas), how to hold your line (in distance races)," Ayau said. "It wasn't that he sat behind me but he told me how he did things and then showed me.
"Even after four months, his death is still a shock. I spoke with him three times the day he drowned. Not only was he in great shape, he was real mellow. They said it was stress-related. I can't figure it out."
Henry Ayau was snorkeling off Waikiki on May 2 when he had an apparent heart attack. He died on May 8.
Among the crews entered is Team Aloha Ayau Molokai Masters, made up of friends of the Ayau family on Molokai, where Henry Ayau was born. Also entered are crews from Hui Lanakila, a canoe club the late Ayau helped found, and Outrigger, of which he was a longtime member.
"I'm looking forward to the race," said Bruce Ayau. "It's a big one and I know that my dad always loved it."