[ PADDLING ]
The Lanikai Canoe Club won the senior men's division title at the OHCRA Oahu AA Division championship yesterday.
Kailua, Lanikai tie
for OHCRA titleThe men 40 crew makes up a
3-point deficit in the final race
When the pressure was on, Kailua's men 40 crew came through.
Facing a three-point deficit in the final race of the day, Kailua Canoe Club pulled out a second-place finish, filling the gap to finish in a tie with Lanikai for the Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association AA Division championship yesterday at Keehi Lagoon.
Kailua and Lanikai finished with 81 points apiece to cap a series of momentum swings. Hui Lanakila was a formidable part of the mix, finishing with 77 points.
Kailua's men 40, a crew of veteran paddlers, had been one of several top-quality groups in its division all summer. In the 37th and final event of a sunny day, Hui Nalu, Hui Lanakila and Outrigger were also in position to win the race.
"They told us we had to win. Second would tie," steersman Kamoa Kalama said. "We've been in this situation before. So have the other crews. This race is full of experienced paddlers, and there's a great deal of respect."
Coming out of the turn, the leading canoes were even. Hui Nalu (7 minutes, 9.15 seconds) eventually pulled away, and Kailua (7:14.52) outlasted Hui Lanakila (7:17.46) down the stretch.
Keahiakahoe won the A Division (1-12 commercials) with 26 points. Healani placed second with 18 points.
Kailua was content with its co-championship.
"The coaches and paddlers put in a great effort," head coach Jimmy Bruhn said. "If you're gonna share something, it might as well be (with) your neighbor around the corner. I'm satisfied."
Bobby Puakea, head coach of Lanikai, wasn't about to complain, either.
"Somehow, Friday, I felt really good about how today's race would go. I'm happy. I'm stoked," said Puakea, who returned to coaching last year after a seven-year hiatus.
Lanikai won four of the first nine races, all in the youth divisions. By the end of event 21 -- the sophomore women race -- Lanikai had the lead over Kailua, 49-42.
Hui Lanakila was 12 points behind, but as usual, rallied late. With wins in the girls 18, men's novice A, men's sophomore, men's junior, women's junior and women's senior races, Hui Lanakila was back in the hunt. After 30 events, they were eight points behind Lanikai (68). Kailua, scoring across the board, was within one point of Lanikai.
"I saw the numbers and I thought, 'Holy mackerel. This could be a three-way tie,'" Puakea said.
Kailua took the lead when its women's open 4 crew placed third to claim two points and vault ahead of Lanikai. A few minutes later, Hui Lanakila won the men's open 4 race. Suddenly, Hui Lanakila led with 70 points, with Kailua and Lanikai one and two points behind, respectively.
On cue, Lanikai's mixed crews came to the rescue. The 55 mixed crew won event 33 with a time of 4:31.17 over a half-mile course. Kailua placed fourth in the race, but Lanikai had 73 points to 70 apiece for Hui Lanakila and Kailua.
Hui Lanakila did not enter two crews in the final five races, leaving Kailua and Lanikai to battle it out.
Lanikai won the 40 mixed race in a time of 4:02.66, scoring five more points to take the lead. Hui Lanakila moved up in the point total with a third-place finish, but Kailua came in sixth and did not score.
Trailing by nine points, Kailua's title hopes were in dire straits. The turnaround began with the men and women mixed race, where Kailua finished in 3:48.46, more than six seconds ahead of Hui Lanakila. Lanikai finished a distant eighth and did not score.
Kailua closed the gap in the women 40 race, finishing second to Hui Nalu. Lanikai placed third, setting up the final event.
With no Lanikai crew entered in the men's 40, Kailua controlled its destiny. Hui Nalu, however, won handily with a time of 7:09.15, more than five seconds ahead of Kailua.
"I saw them making the turn just a little bit ahead of Hui Lanakila," Bruhn said. "I thought we'd have a chance to win it, but Hui Nalu was just too strong."
