[ PADDLING ]
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Aaron Napoleon won the OC-1 division of the Kanaka I Kai Ka Oahu Championships yesterday.
It was a grueling 18 miles. "Brutal" by most accounts. This time, Napoleon rules
By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.comLittle wind, little surf and very, very hot conditions from Makai Pier to Magic Island.
Still, Aaron Napoleon had plenty of adrenaline left over after winning the OC-1 division of yesterday's Kanaka I Kai Ka Oahu Championships.
Perhaps it was because he had finally won this event after coming so close the past few years. Perhaps it was because he ended Karel Tresnak Jr.'s undefeated run after eight races this season. Or maybe it was because Napoleon took the lead and held it instead of fading, as he had in so many previous races.
Whatever the reason, after 2 hours, 24 minutes and 22 seconds, Napoleon had enough left to come into shore, pick up his 5-year-old son Riggs, and paddle back out to the finish line to cheer on his 60-year-old father, Nappy.
"Shoots, maybe they felt bad for me and just said, 'Let the guy win one,' " Aaron Napoleon said jokingly. "I just stayed steady, hoped and prayed they wouldn't catch me."
Tresnak tried but was done in by what his father called a "disaster" a little more than halfway through the race. Tresnak flipped while trying to catch a wave just past Maunalua Bay and, after nearly catching Napoleon off Niu Valley, didn't have enough to win this event for the third time in four years.
Tresnak finished second in 2:26:02, followed by Mike Judd in 2:26:25.
The women's OC-1 race had a surprise winner, with Dane Ward beating out Jane McKee by 41 seconds with a 2:57:45 time. McKee (2:58:26) had several solid victories coming into yesterday's race.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Chris Ball beat Geordan Purdy by 28 seconds to win the men's single surfski competition yesterday.
The men's single surfski race was very tight, with former Olympian Chris Ball edging out Geordan Purdy by 28 seconds. Ball, who had a string of runner-up finishes this season, was timed in 2:24:30; Purdy was second in 2:24:58.
Lauren Spalding, who had dominated this season in women's single surfski, won her division in 2:39:05. Mary Smolenski was second 45 seconds later.
In the 11-mile short-course race from Maunalua Bay to Magic Island, Allan Dowsett continued his domination in the surfski, winning in 1:38:50, more than three minutes ahead of Kealii Paiaina (1:42:08). Jennifer Thompson won the women's surfski in 1:44:58, with novice Mark Riegel (1:35:53) winning the men's OC-1 title and Arlene Holzman (1:48:12) the women's OC-1 title.
But the day belonged to Napoleon.
"We're all pretty stoked for him," said Judd, who has been unable to train more than once a week because he's starting up a new business. "It was so much fun, watching him lead the pack and take it. It was long overdue.
"Today was his race. He owned it. He took it and he wasn't going to give it back to anyone."
"Aaron commanded the lead from the beginning," said Tresnak, who overtook Napoleon in last week's race to win by five seconds. "He always leads from the start and we're usually able to reel him in. But not today.
"It was hot and flat and we didn't get too much help from the surf. It was strictly a paddling race. It was brutal. You can't win them all."
Tresnak will try to get back on a winning wave on April 20 in the state championships. The 23-mile long course is from Makai Pier to Sand Island, and he's hoping for windy conditions.
"What would be perfect would be 15-25 (mph) trades. Not like this," he said.
The conditions forced some paddlers to switch from the long course to the short course. Others simply decided not to race at all.
Purdy had thoughts of quitting midway during his race.
"It was all work and no fun out there," he said. "I thought about stopping right around Outrigger (Canoe Club). If it's like this in two weeks, I'm not racing. But if there's good conditions, I'll be looking forward to racing."
Purdy and Ball train together while coaching the Hawaii Canoe/Kayak Team mornings on the Ala Wai Canal. Ball took the lead for good yesterday after Portlock.
"I couldn't let my assistant beat me," said Ball. "Geordan was right behind me and pushing me the whole way. It was a battle to stay hydrated, a battle to stay in front."
That was Napoleon's thought as well.
"I expected them to catch me," said Napoleon. "I'm 36, the kid (Tresnak) is 21. The best paddlers are the kids, Junior (Tresnak) and Mike Judd. I'm just happy to be up there with those guys. It won't last much longer."
One of the few who didn't complain about the conditions was Tony Cambra, who won the inaugural paddleboard division. He finished the short course in 1:53:45, well ahead of Richard Davidson (2:35:18).
"It was ideal for me, I do better in flat water," he said. "We've never had a long season for paddleboards before, so this series is really helping me. And being up with the one-man canoes enhances my performance. They pushed me."
