FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM David Daniels, Mike Judd, Kaai Bruhn, Aaron Creps, John Foti and George Leslie are among the nine Lanikai paddlers who will compete in Australia.

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Lanikai takes race
Down Under

The tiny paddling club
is sending a team to the
world's richest canoe race

Nine years ago, they were the best on both sides of the equator. The Lanikai Canoe Club men sandwiched a record-setting performance in Australia's Hamilton Island Cup 42-kilometer marathon race in between repeat victories in the Molokai Hoe.

HAMILTON ISLAND CUP Where: Hamilton Island, Australia Who: Crews from Australia, Hawaii, California, Guam, Hong Kong and New Zealand. Friday: OC-1, 500 meters; 8 kilometers and 16 kilometers, OC-2, 8 kilometers and 16 kilometers. Saturday: OC-6, 500 meters and 16 kilometers. Sunday: OC-6, 1,000 meters Monday: OC-6, 42 kilometers Web site: www.HamiltonCup.com

Since 1996, the windward Oahu paddlers have consistently dominated the upper-division men's regatta races. They have also added two more Molokai Hoe trophies to their cache, including last year when they finished the 41-mile event with the third-fastest time in history.

All but two of those nine paddlers from last year's Molokai crew will be making the trek to Hamilton Island this coming week in search of continuing a Hawaii tradition in the world's richest canoe race. The 22nd Powerade Hamilton Island Cup offers $100,000 in prize money in men's and women's events that range from 500-meter OC-1 sprints to the prestigious 26-mile marathon around Hamilton Island from June 24-27.

The four days of competition are billed as "Outpaddle, Outparty, Outrigger" but "we're not there for a vacation," George Leslie said. "Our expectations are high. Our intentions are to win it all, win every event we enter."

Leslie and Aaron Creps are the only two not to have paddled for the 2004 Molokai champs, replacing newlywed Peter Binney and Kai Bartlett, whose wife is expecting a baby. The pair were in Lanikai's second crew last October and "every time I'm in the boat with these guys, it's so special," Leslie said. "It's such a great opportunity to be paddling with the best paddlers in the world.

"I'm looking forward to this. I've heard a lot of good stories from the other guys. We've got a good balance of older and younger guys. It should be fun."

To determine the crew, Lanikai held an OC-1 trial that transversed most of Kailua Bay, a 10-mile course that went out to the Mokulua Islands to Mokolea Rock and back to Kailua. Some 25 hopefuls entered, looking to grab one of 18 seats, as Lanikai had hoped to send two crews to Australia.

There ended up being only enough funds from sponsoring Ocean Club and Hinano Tahiti to send the top nine paddlers. Three remain from the crew that set the course record of 3 hours, 2 minutes, 8.17 seconds that has stood since 1996: brothers Jim and John Foti, and Mike Pedersen.

"Excited is not the word to describe how I'm feeling," said Kekoa Bruhn, whose younger brother Ka'ai also made the crew. "The main reason to do this is to experience this as a crew with this club. It's going to be my first time in Australia and the best part is going with a bunch of friends who have a chance to do really well. There are so many good guys in this crew, some who are the top paddlers in the world, and it's amazing to say they belong to a little club that is Lanikai."

There will be at least two other crews from Hawaii competing, including Anuenue and another with Karel Tresnak. Tresnak was part of the Team New Zealand/Hawaii crew that won the marathon in 2002 and 2003.

Lanikai has won all three Oahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association regattas this season The loss of nine top men's paddlers could affect the winning streak at Sunday's regatta at Waimanalo.

"But that's OK," said Lanikai head coach Kalani Irvine, who paddled on the 1996 Hamilton crew. "I'm hoping it won't hurt us. This is a great opportunity for our younger paddlers. It is sort of like passing the paddle, taking the knowledge and passing it on.

"This is basically a reward for winning Molokai. Beau Mohr (Ocean Club owner) said if we won, he'd send us. We're fortunate to be able to integrate the young guys with the older ones and that we have young guys who have bought into our program. The formula is pretty simple. It's all about who works the hardest."

"It's good international experience for us," said Creps, who at age 26, is one of the youngest. "I don't know what to expect other than the other guys have said it's a great experience and four days of tough competition."

The other members are Mike Judd and David Daniels. The crew leaves today.

Note: Hawaii crews have won the open men's marathon race five times beginning with Outrigger Canoe Club in 1989. Besides Lanikai (1996) and Team New Zealand/Hawaii (2002-03), Team Simple Green won in 2000.

Team Hawaii won the open women's marathon race in 1999.