The Kam’aili Nursery Pohoiki Challenge
The Kam’aili Nursery Pohoiki Challenge was held Saturday February 17th in lower Puna. This may very well be the most remote canoe race in Hawaii. It’s a long drive, but well worth the effort when you get down to Isaac Hale Park for registration and the race start. Over 90 paddlers made the trek and were rewarded with excellent canoe surfing conditions due to brisk NNE trade-winds and a (just below advisory level) NNE Swell.
The first challenge of the day was the monster rain squall that dumped on everyone during registration, though this did little to dampen spirits, with the exception of those that were extra nervous (and rightly so) about getting out through the break, one canoe did end up in pieces on the rocks. Registration went extra smooth with the implementation of a new simplified registration process. We’ll see if it works with the always large turn out of the Kohala Coast Challenge in 2 weeks.
The starts were a challenge with the strong winds and swells, but with some coaxing, we did finally get everyone off from a reasonably straight line. The long course went North 2 miles before turning back South towards Kehena for a total of 11 miles (actually only 10 miles due to the rolling start), the short course went straight south to Kehena for a total of 7 miles. Those paddlers with the skills for such, surfed the miles away.
The finish was at a boat in the bay off of Kehena, a few paddlers cut into the bay and didn’t go to the boat, so the officials couldn’t make out their numbers, and a couple paddlers didn’t make the morning registrations and did come to the boat. causing the race day results to be a little scrambled, but, the officials stayed up late and finally sorted it out (we hope), the official results are below.
The post-race party thrown by Afa and Be Tualolo and the Puna Canoe Club gang is always a classic; the Jello shooters are memorable (if I remember correctly). The awards are enhanced by the orchids all of the winners get to take home from Afa and Bev’s Kama`ili nursery.
Mahalo to Afa and Bev for being great hosts during presidents day weekend every year and to race officials for your immeasurable patience.
This event was the 100th race for Hawai`i Island Paddlesports Association since H.I.P.A. was founded in 1998, its the race sponsors and the officials that make race day happen, but it’s the paddlers who make it possible. Mahalo to all
Next event, the 12th annual Kohala Coast Challenge, March 3rd.
Kama`ili Nursery Pohoiki Challenge - Short Course
PlaceTime Name Sex craft Div Div / PL 1 0:52:04 Puni Freitas M OC-1 15-20 1 2 0:53:04 Dallas O`Shuaghnessy - unofficial M OC-1 - - 3 0:53:49 Steve Backman M OC-1 Nov B 1 4 0:54:40 Beanie Heen M OC-1 50-54 1 5 0:54:42 Charlie Becerra M OC-1 Nov B 2 6 0:55:01 Jonathon Grayson M OC-1 Cruiser 1 burn a couple 7 0:55:46 Bob Bruce & Richard Everett M OC-2 50 + 1 8 0:56:11 Bruce Clifford M OC-1 60-69 1 9 0:56:24 Mel Pauole M OC-1 60-69 2 10 0:59:09 Chase Von Nordheim M OC-1 15-20 2 11 0:59:09 Leo Santimer M OC-1 55-59 1 12 0:59:09 Gaylord Wilcox M OC-1 60-69 3 13 0:59:09 Steve Arnett M OC-1 60-69 4 14 0:59:09 Chandler Palakiko M OC-1 15-20 3 15 1:00:09 Jason Napihaa M OC-1 Cruiser 2 16 1:00:26 Chris Grogan M OC-1 55-59 2 17 1:00:28 Rise Ramos F OC-1 Nov A 1 18 1:00:42 Mike Divinski M OC-1 50-54 2 19 1:01:08 Terrance Andrade M OC-1 Cruiser 3 20 1:01:54 Grant Kauahi M OC-1 Cruiser 4 21 1:01:57 Greg Knapp M OC-1 55-59 3 22 1:02:04 Dave and Ilona Higgins Mix OC-2 50 + 1 23 1:02:16 Jan War M OC-1 55-59 4 24 1:03:15 Patty Eames M OC-1 55-59 1 25 1:04:39 Nolan Chock M OC-1 50-54 3 26 1:06:17 Sue O`Shaughnessy F OC-1 50-54 1 27 1:06:47 Leslie Crawford F OC-1 Nov A 2 28 1:06:50 Danny Bassett M OC-1 55-59 2 29 1:07:14 Gina Torres F OC-1 Nov A 3 30 1:08:02 Kim Rowe F OC-1 40-49 1 31 1:08:07 Pua Kaaihue F OC-1 20-29 1 32 1:09:32 Kati Eckert F OC-1 55-59 1 33 1:10:04 Erik Keith M OC-1 Cruiser 5 34 1:10:06 Leila Duim F OC-1 50-54 2 35 1:10:48 Heather Cromwell F OC-1 20-29 2 36 1:11:34 Rick Sowers M P/B Open 1 37 1:12:11 Kari Russel & Courtney Sevey F OC-2 20-49 1 38 1:13:10 Carol Farkas F OC-1 50-54 3 39 1:13:59 Debra Trinidad F OC-1 Nov B 1 40 1:14:47 Dee Torres F OC-1 40-49 2 41 1:15:24 Anuhea Ku F OC-1 Nov B 2 42 1:16:22 Caroline Parnell F OC-1 60 + 1 43 1:16:27 Ron Reilly M OC-1 60-69 5 44 1:17:21 Kauila Ho M OC-1 50-55 3 45 1:18:37 Delbert Freitas & Carriel Lyman Mix OC-2 20-49 1 46 1:20:17 Tita Segohia F OC-1 Nov B 3 47 1:21:04 Stan Dzura M OC-1 70+ 1 48 1:33:07 Kathleen Leahy F P/B Open 1
Kama`ili Nursery Pohoiki Challenge - Long Course
PlaceTime Name Sex craft Div Div / PL 1 1:01:04 Thibert Lusiaa - unofficial M OC-1 - - 2 1:03:04 Manny Kuluklualani M OC-1 Open 1 3 1:05:04 Nick Agorastos M OC-1 Open 2 4 1:06:51 Ikaika Hauanio M OC-1 Open 3 5 1:07:43 Nappy & Joey Napolean M OC-2 20-39 1 6 1:08:08 Steve Blyth M OC-1 40-49 1 7 1:08:08 Chuck Santiago M SS Open 1 8 1:09:03 Lyle Palakiko M OC-1 40-49 2 9 1:09:25 Keola Lindsey M OC-1 20-39 1 10 1:09:33 Hayden Ramley M OC-1 20-39 2 11 1:09:46 Cameron Leao M OC-1 20-39 3 12 1:10:20 Eddie Hayward M OC-1 20-39 4 13 1:10:36 Ramon Muller M OC-1 20-39 5 14 1:10:41 Justin Udich M OC-1 20-39 6 15 1:10:45 Carlos Kuhn M OC-1 Nov A 1 16 1:11:34 Kafoa Hala Latu M OC-1 20-39 7 17 1:11:46 Alan Lipp M OC-1 40-49 3 18 1:11:49 Afa Tuaolo M OC-1 50-54 1 19 1:11:52 Steve Zoll M OC-1 50-54 2 20 1:12:11 Ronona Della Cioppa & Freddie B. Mix OC-2 20-49 1 21 1:13:06 Ivan McIvor M OC-1 20-39 8 22 1:13:51 Jan Tillman M OC-1 20-39 9 23 1:14:01 Cherisse Kelii F OC-1 Open 1 24 1:14:23 Jacques Blais M OC-1 55-59 1 25 1:15:50 Baba Baldado M OC-1 40-49 4 26 1:16:17 Yasu Tanaka M OC-1 40-49 5 27 1:17:14 Danny Leyva M OC-1 40-49 6 28 1:17:40 Eddie Nabaro M OC-1 20-29 10 29 1:17:40 Barry Francis M OC-1 55-59 2 30 1:18:01 Theron Ogata M OC-1 Nov A 3 31 1:18:22 Michelle Bono & Lauren Turnbaugh F OC-2 20-49 1 32 1:18:57 Bud Carlson M OC-1 55-59 3 33 1:29:07 Sheila Cadaos F OC-1 Open 2 34 1:30:00 Dani Ho F OC-1 Open 3 35 1:30:19 Jennifer McDaniel F OC-1 Open 4 36 1:30:34 John Cano M OC-1 40-49 7 37 1:31:25 Miri Sumida F OC-1 Open 5
Posted by keizo on Sun, 02/18/2007 - 6:59pm