COURTESY OF LES LOOK

Fund-raiser planned
for paralyzed paddler

The friends and family of a well-known and respected canoe paddler who suffered the bends while scuba diving off Hawaii Kai will be holding a fund-raiser to help him with medical bills.

Upcoming Fund-raisers Upcoming fund-raiser events to be held for Leighton Look: » Saturday: A donation booth sponsored by the Island Paddler Shop will be set up at Kailua Beach Park during the Kanaka Ikaika Racing Association's one-man race. » Jan. 16: The Hui Lanakila Canoe Club will hold a silent and live auction at Don Ho's Island Grill at Aloha Tower Marketplace from 4 to 8 p.m. Items such as one-man canoes, koa ukuleles, paddles and surfboards will be auctioned. There will be food and entertainment. For those who are unable to attend the events, a donation can be made at any First Hawaiian Bank branch. Checks can be made out to Friends of Leighton Look.

"It's quite a shock to all of us," said Les Look about his younger brother, Leighton, who became paralyzed from the neck down after the Oct. 14 diving accident.

He remains in serious condition at Kuakini Medical Center.

"It's going to be a long battle, but we're all hoping and praying for his recovery," his brother said.

Two fund-raising events will be held for Leighton Look later this week.

Les Look describes his brother as an elite paddler who has been involved in the sport for the last 35 years. He is well known outside Hawaii as well, and many of the people he has met around the world have shown concern, he said.

Look has been a member of the Hui Lanakila Canoe Club since its inception in 1977. He has held various club positions, including president and head coach.

"He's a driving force in the canoe paddling community to where it is now, especially for Hui Lanakila," said his brother. "He transformed a grass-roots club into a state powerhouse."

This past summer, Look and his teammates won the 1-mile senior men's race in the 62nd annual Walter J. Macfarlane Memorial Regatta at Waikiki Beach.

Kahu Billy Mitchell, one of the founders of Hui Lanakila, who has known Look since he was a teenager, said, "He's a great waterman."

Look is an excellent steersman who has a passion for canoe racing and helping others learn the sport and respect the ocean, said Mitchell.

"We hope for a 100 percent recovery for him," said Kalama Heine, head coach of Hui Lanakila, which comprises more than 200 members.

Heine, who has known Look since the 1980s, said he has been flooded with calls from many concerned club members.

"Leighton, he sleeps and does everything in the ocean, whether it be diving, paddling or one-manning," said Heine.

Look, who is a carpenter by trade, built a koa canoe from scratch about four years ago and named it after his daughter, Tarita. The canoe continues to be used in racing events.

"He embodies the paddling spirit," said friend Billy Pratt.