Wa'akapaemua is from Molokai, which was a few seconds behind Pu'uwai. Tough bunch of guys who knows the Kamalo surf leg pretty damn well! Great job Molokai boys!
Spec boat almost beat an open boat. Pretty awesome job to the Molokai gang. Especially having to bail the whole way while the open boat just got to battle. These Molokai boys are gonna be tough in the channel!
Team Cascadia, made up of Canadian and PNW paddlers, won the iron men division. Jim Foti steered them to victory. They originally were going to use an unlimited canoe but those plans fell through. They used Ho'okele instead.
Molokai should have won. Caught the Puuwai iron unlimited crew about a mile before the turn bouy entering the harbor, then passed them and with a couple hundred yards to the bouy, they took a wave that almost totally swamped them. Luke and his team went right around them and beat them in. Fun to watch them battling down the home stretch. Props to both teams.
Agree with Jimmy Man about Molokai, but I no like bachi the boys so going keep my fat mouth shut.
I give those guys a huge amount of credit. Didn't they also get 3rd in Kona? Pretty versatile crew. It really shows what a club that works hard can do. Definitely an inspiration to every canoe club out there. And they come from an island with 1/125th the population of O'ahu!
We would catch like 5 minutes worth of screamers, and I would be positive that we just outran them. Then I'd look to the side and they would be right there.... in a spec canoe!. Every time they did a change and would come charging up on us I was sure we were about to get passed. It was an epic race and it came down to the last 2 minutes.
A huge Mahalo to Kaimana Brummel and the rest of the race organizers. They put on such an unreal event and I hope that we can do it every year.
On a side note... did you guys know that, unlike in the past, if your canoe is already on Moloka'i for the Na Wahine, there is no discount on the Na Wahine entry fee? So, every crew that does Pailolo is still paying to ship their canoe from O'ahu to Moloka'i for Na Wahine. Anyone know why that is? It really ends up dis-incentivizing the Pailolo race, as you basically pay double shipping.
I give accolades to the sponsors of this event...mahalo nui for making it possible. My third one and I hope to do it every year until I can't do it anymore ! From start to finish....well run and a great ending. Free beer ! and ono food ! Of all the races I know about ...this should be a world event and maybe it will be someday....seems like there are more canoes every year and from all over. Its just too much fun to feel the inertia of a 400 pound canoe with 1200 pounds of live weight surfing swellls. Can not ask for anything more.
Thanks for the kind words Luke and poidog. As you can imagine, it takes many people and any hours to put a race together. We are lucky to have generous sponsors, a wonderful course, support from the Moloka'i community, and hard working Hawaiian Canoe Club members who come together to make the Pailolo Challenge happen. The paddlers all get it too: we're here for FUN!
If you participated in the PC please complete the post-race survey---we strive to make a better race every year: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8CLQCT6
I spoke at length with several NW officials about the bundling of entry fee and shipping fee. They are getting hit hard with questions about entry and shipping fee and it is due in part to PC growing. There were 26 canoes that did PC this year that will do NW. Four PC canoes will do MH. MH was so fed up with the questions about entry and shipping fees the past few years that they separated them this year. I applaud this move: it shows me MH listened to paddlers (and that they were tired of getting slammed with questions.) I hope this system works well for MH. If it does, I can see NW following suit. I know NW doesn't like all the controversy---who would? They would rather focus on putting on a successful and safe race.
We the Molo guys with you the entire way or did they catch up to you on the Kamalo portion?
What was your avg speed once you hit the drag strip (Kamalo buoy)?
If Molo guys had GPS maybe they could tell avg speed or some detail of the race from pre-Kamolo or post-Kamalo buoy.
We probably had a 300 yard lead at the first hour. Then they slowly reeled us in. We hit Kamalo buoy and they were about 75 yards behind. I saw them make a hard right turn towards shore and, not having any idea where we were going, we followed them in. We then turned down with them and they caught us up probably three times, and we gapped them by probably 75 yards all three times. They made a final change and made a hard push and passed us with about two minutes to go before the channel buoy that we turned right on. It was one of those moments where you're getting passed with authority and you know it's probably all over. They got right ahead of us and we both got slammed by two breaking waves. Unfortunately (or, fortunately for us) they took on a fair amount of water and we stayed pretty dry. So, we were able to re-pass them. Pretty epic. My last sight of them was their number three (Carlos Kuhn I believe) hanging from the 'iako as they got hit by the wave.
No GPS, so I have no idea on average speed. Felt pretty fast though...
While I'm extremely proud of my guys, I am really amped at the success of Kukui O Moloka'i this season. As a coach for a small club, they are incredible inspiration to me.
So relatively speaking Kamanu performed better in the channel than it did in the dragstrip compared to the 400lb canoes. Or possibly fatigue on your guys finally sunk in?
Exciting description btw.
We had a gps and our highest speed was 14.5 mph, on avg we had 8.4 mph. At one point in the Kamolo run we had a 6 minute mile, I think it was around mile 20 I'm thinking.
What Nappy is to Molokai Hoe, Kapa'a will be to Pailolo.
Kits Surf Club GPS'd our run and averaged at 7.9mph with a top speed of 17mph (great ride that one) finished 42nd in 3:39... we cut over early and were by ourselves for a long time, met up with the pack at the buoy... great race, well organized. put it on your calendar for next year.
Healthyearth-- I don't think I'd say that the canoe performed better in the channel than Kamalo. Two factors led to Moloka'i catching us:
1) I'm not the greatest steersmen. If you were to have watched me in that Kamalo run... I was anything but comfortable. It's like doing a Hawai'i Kai run when you're not used to it. Because you're surfing literally 90% of the time, every bump is critical. It becomes not about what you can catch, but about what you don't lose. Miss one bump or one connection and you lose 25 yeards. I think the Moloka'i guys were just a lot more comfortable in that stuff than we were.
2) We were tired. It's the longest iron race we've ever done as a crew. Two more miles and Moloka'i would have beaten us with authority.
That's all. For those of you who don't really care about our race, I apologize for going into so much detail. Just answering Healthy's questions as best I can.
http://pailolo.com/uploads/2012-pailolo-results-overall-1.pdf
#1 Sun, 09/16/2012 - 4:51am
Kaua'i club first overall. Mean.
First place spec a mixed crew from the mainland. Wow.
#2 Sun, 09/16/2012 - 8:03am
Wa'akapaemua is from Molokai, which was a few seconds behind Pu'uwai. Tough bunch of guys who knows the Kamalo surf leg pretty damn well! Great job Molokai boys!
Carlton Helm
#3 Sun, 09/16/2012 - 5:04pm
right on Molokai! I saw medals from the PNW guys that were first place open. Must be different divsions or something.
#4 Sun, 09/16/2012 - 5:23pm
Pu'uwai was unlimited
#5 Sun, 09/16/2012 - 5:42pm
yeah congrats to the Molokai Boys!!!
#6 Sun, 09/16/2012 - 10:27pm
Spec boat almost beat an open boat. Pretty awesome job to the Molokai gang. Especially having to bail the whole way while the open boat just got to battle. These Molokai boys are gonna be tough in the channel!
#7 Mon, 09/17/2012 - 6:42am
Team Cascadia, made up of Canadian and PNW paddlers, won the iron men division. Jim Foti steered them to victory. They originally were going to use an unlimited canoe but those plans fell through. They used Ho'okele instead.
#8 Mon, 09/17/2012 - 8:04am
Molokai should have won. Caught the Puuwai iron unlimited crew about a mile before the turn bouy entering the harbor, then passed them and with a couple hundred yards to the bouy, they took a wave that almost totally swamped them. Luke and his team went right around them and beat them in. Fun to watch them battling down the home stretch. Props to both teams.
Agree with Jimmy Man about Molokai, but I no like bachi the boys so going keep my fat mouth shut.
#9 Mon, 09/17/2012 - 9:11am
I give those guys a huge amount of credit. Didn't they also get 3rd in Kona? Pretty versatile crew. It really shows what a club that works hard can do. Definitely an inspiration to every canoe club out there. And they come from an island with 1/125th the population of O'ahu!
We would catch like 5 minutes worth of screamers, and I would be positive that we just outran them. Then I'd look to the side and they would be right there.... in a spec canoe!. Every time they did a change and would come charging up on us I was sure we were about to get passed. It was an epic race and it came down to the last 2 minutes.
A huge Mahalo to Kaimana Brummel and the rest of the race organizers. They put on such an unreal event and I hope that we can do it every year.
On a side note... did you guys know that, unlike in the past, if your canoe is already on Moloka'i for the Na Wahine, there is no discount on the Na Wahine entry fee? So, every crew that does Pailolo is still paying to ship their canoe from O'ahu to Moloka'i for Na Wahine. Anyone know why that is? It really ends up dis-incentivizing the Pailolo race, as you basically pay double shipping.
#10 Mon, 09/17/2012 - 10:44am
I give accolades to the sponsors of this event...mahalo nui for making it possible. My third one and I hope to do it every year until I can't do it anymore ! From start to finish....well run and a great ending. Free beer ! and ono food ! Of all the races I know about ...this should be a world event and maybe it will be someday....seems like there are more canoes every year and from all over. Its just too much fun to feel the inertia of a 400 pound canoe with 1200 pounds of live weight surfing swellls. Can not ask for anything more.
#11 Mon, 09/17/2012 - 4:36pm
Thanks for the kind words Luke and poidog. As you can imagine, it takes many people and any hours to put a race together. We are lucky to have generous sponsors, a wonderful course, support from the Moloka'i community, and hard working Hawaiian Canoe Club members who come together to make the Pailolo Challenge happen. The paddlers all get it too: we're here for FUN!
If you participated in the PC please complete the post-race survey---we strive to make a better race every year: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8CLQCT6
I spoke at length with several NW officials about the bundling of entry fee and shipping fee. They are getting hit hard with questions about entry and shipping fee and it is due in part to PC growing. There were 26 canoes that did PC this year that will do NW. Four PC canoes will do MH. MH was so fed up with the questions about entry and shipping fees the past few years that they separated them this year. I applaud this move: it shows me MH listened to paddlers (and that they were tired of getting slammed with questions.) I hope this system works well for MH. If it does, I can see NW following suit. I know NW doesn't like all the controversy---who would? They would rather focus on putting on a successful and safe race.
#12 Tue, 09/18/2012 - 9:03am
Luke,
We the Molo guys with you the entire way or did they catch up to you on the Kamalo portion?
What was your avg speed once you hit the drag strip (Kamalo buoy)?
If Molo guys had GPS maybe they could tell avg speed or some detail of the race from pre-Kamolo or post-Kamalo buoy.
#13 Tue, 09/18/2012 - 10:00am
anyone have footage from the channel? listening to Luke's description of the race it must have been fun to watch...
#14 Tue, 09/18/2012 - 7:59pm
We probably had a 300 yard lead at the first hour. Then they slowly reeled us in. We hit Kamalo buoy and they were about 75 yards behind. I saw them make a hard right turn towards shore and, not having any idea where we were going, we followed them in. We then turned down with them and they caught us up probably three times, and we gapped them by probably 75 yards all three times. They made a final change and made a hard push and passed us with about two minutes to go before the channel buoy that we turned right on. It was one of those moments where you're getting passed with authority and you know it's probably all over. They got right ahead of us and we both got slammed by two breaking waves. Unfortunately (or, fortunately for us) they took on a fair amount of water and we stayed pretty dry. So, we were able to re-pass them. Pretty epic. My last sight of them was their number three (Carlos Kuhn I believe) hanging from the 'iako as they got hit by the wave.
No GPS, so I have no idea on average speed. Felt pretty fast though...
While I'm extremely proud of my guys, I am really amped at the success of Kukui O Moloka'i this season. As a coach for a small club, they are incredible inspiration to me.
#15 Wed, 09/19/2012 - 11:15am
So relatively speaking Kamanu performed better in the channel than it did in the dragstrip compared to the 400lb canoes. Or possibly fatigue on your guys finally sunk in?
Exciting description btw.
We had a gps and our highest speed was 14.5 mph, on avg we had 8.4 mph. At one point in the Kamolo run we had a 6 minute mile, I think it was around mile 20 I'm thinking.
What Nappy is to Molokai Hoe, Kapa'a will be to Pailolo.
#16 Wed, 09/19/2012 - 11:59am
Kits Surf Club GPS'd our run and averaged at 7.9mph with a top speed of 17mph (great ride that one) finished 42nd in 3:39... we cut over early and were by ourselves for a long time, met up with the pack at the buoy... great race, well organized. put it on your calendar for next year.
#17 Wed, 09/19/2012 - 1:26pm
wow, 17mph. Pretty raging fast.
Healthyearth-- I don't think I'd say that the canoe performed better in the channel than Kamalo. Two factors led to Moloka'i catching us:
1) I'm not the greatest steersmen. If you were to have watched me in that Kamalo run... I was anything but comfortable. It's like doing a Hawai'i Kai run when you're not used to it. Because you're surfing literally 90% of the time, every bump is critical. It becomes not about what you can catch, but about what you don't lose. Miss one bump or one connection and you lose 25 yeards. I think the Moloka'i guys were just a lot more comfortable in that stuff than we were.
2) We were tired. It's the longest iron race we've ever done as a crew. Two more miles and Moloka'i would have beaten us with authority.
That's all. For those of you who don't really care about our race, I apologize for going into so much detail. Just answering Healthy's questions as best I can.
#18 Thu, 09/20/2012 - 10:20am
btw Luke, the Molokai guys paddle for Wa'akapaemua, not Kukui O Molokai, but you are right, we are a relatively small club compared to most :)
#19 Thu, 09/20/2012 - 7:56pm
Oops! I knew I should've double checked on the name. Regardless of the name, they're still my heroes.
#20 Fri, 09/21/2012 - 10:41am