DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
George Dagan ran through a tunnel made by members of Maui's Hawaiian Canoe Club after he and the other paddlers won the men's freshman race at the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championships yesterday.
Hawaiian
pulls off
a 3-peatThe canoe club from Maui
wins the state regatta
by 40 points
It is hard to argue with the strength of Hawaiian Canoe Club's numbers. And with the Maui club winning yet another state championship -- for the third straight year it's still impossible to beat them.
The Kahului-based club entered a record 36 crews in the 37 races of the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championship Regatta yesterday at Keehi Lagoon -- and left with its third state title in a row.
Hawaiian managed to win three races, but their sheer number of entries helped them to a total of 331, 40 better than second-place Kailua (291).
"I'm ecstatic," said Hawaiian youth coach Paul Luuwai, who was also keeping score for the club and was the first to know of the victory. "I don't want to cry or anything, but it's real emotional."
The club's numbers advantage, "it's true," he added. "But we still had to go out there and perform. For us to win it three years in a row ... we worked really hard for this. To stay on top is the hardest thing to do."
More than 3,000 paddlers representing 52 clubs participated yesterday. At the HCRA event, clubs receive points for every crew that competes (except disqualifications), with a high of 15 points for first place and a low of one for last.
Kailua had 31 crews qualify for the regatta -- most of any club from Oahu. Big Island champion Kai Opua had 34 -- most besides Hawaiian -- and finished in third place in the AAA division (18-plus crews) with 290 points.
In fourth through sixth place were Oahu clubs Lanikai (246), Hui Lanakila (234) and Outrigger (233). Lanikai and Outrigger tied for most race wins with five each.
"(Hawaiian's) numbers are a real advantage; we were chasing all day," Kailua head coach Jimmy Bruhn said. "But I make no excuses; they still had to go out there and perform on the water."
"I give (Hawaiian) a lot of credit," Kai Opua head coach Mike Atwood added. "For their coaching, their attitude, the general feeling with that club. ... They're good."
As proof, Hawaiian ran away with the title despite suffering two disqualifications that nullified what would have otherwise been another win and then a fourth-place finish -- or 26 additional points.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Members of Maui's Hawaiian Canoe Club -- Terry Davis, Iokepa Naeole and Scotty Miller -- celebrated after they won the men's freshman race at the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championships yesterday.The second came in the 20th event -- the women's sophomore -- the very next event after the club picked up what would prove to be its final race victory of the day -- men's freshmen. But Hawaiian rallied, and among its better results down the stretch picked up one runner-up finish and two thirds -- the last of which came in the 35th event (mix open 6) and mathematically sealed the championship.
In 2001, the first year that Hawaiian brought the highest number of crews to the state regatta, it became the first club from Maui to win it. It had the largest number of crews again last year, and became the first neighbor-island club to win two in a row. And now, the three-peat.
"We came here with a game plan," Luuwai said, "to put the fastest crews we could out there in each category and race with pride. We don't only represent our island and our club, but our ancestors who paddled before us."
Na Ohana O Na Hui Waa champion Kaneohe won three races and convincingly took the AA division (9-17 crews) with 176 points. Kawaihae (136) of the Big Island took second, while the Ala Wai-based Lokahi (122) took third.
As Kaneohe did during its association season, it raced out to a tremendous lead behind the strength of its youth paddlers, who race before most of the adults. The club scored all three of its wins and 154 of its points by the 16th event.
"We're happy because we trained super hard these last two weeks," said Seth Ramolete, a member of Kaneohe's winning boys 16-and-under crew that also went undefeated during the Hui Waa season. "We're proud of the accomplishment."
Maui's Wailea scored one win (women's freshmen) and 105 total points to win the A division (eight or fewer crews). Oahu club's Keahiakahoe (80) and Healani (74) finished in second and third, respectively.
Wailea challenged for another win in the prestigious 1 1/2-mile men's senior race, but ended up surrendering a boat length over each half-mile stretch and finished in second place to Lanikai.
After barely losing to Kai Opua last year in trying to extend a streak of 10 wins in the event, Lanikai returned to the winner's circle with a time of 11 minutes, 9.11 seconds.
"This was a redemption win for us -- not only because of last year, but because we've been having an up-and-down year," said crew member John Foti, who paddled with brother Jim steering, and also Kai Bartlett, Peter Binney, Kekoa Bruhn and Mike Judd.
In the women's senior competition, Outrigger convincingly won over second place Hui Nalu, 12:56.66 to 13:15.90. The victorious crew members were: Paula Crabb, Jennifer Horner, Donna Kahakui, Traci Phillips, Mary Smolenski and Kisi Haine.
