top rated and underated one man and six man paddler

All my answers are for male paddlers. The top rated one man paddler in my eyes is a tie between Mike Judd and John Foti. But my favorite one man paddler is David Daniels because not only can he beat both these guys on certain days but he has a huge hammer. I think the top six man paddler in the whole world (including Tahiti) is John Foti because he is the definition of balance. For how good he is he still trains harder than anybody I know and yet still finds time to make a living, be a good father and husband, coach, work on canoes, and be the leader of the Bradahood. Plus he can do his age in pull ups. I think the most underated one man paddlers are Mike Kane from Outrigger and Harold Akeo of Waimanalo. Mike paddles like a bull but he is humble. Harold paddles in all black on a hot dead wind day, with pomade in his hair and just walks away from choke fast guys. Unbelievable! The most underated six man paddler(s) right now are hawaii paddlers. I love and respect the Tahitians but I am a proud Hawaiian and I will never think we are second tier to anybody...
Except the Fillipinos. Now those bradas are fast.

#1 Wed, 11/14/2007 - 1:23pm

I think the Bruhn Brothers are the most underrated paddlers in the six-man-- plus their hammer is bigger than DD's and they are much better looking than the Foti Brothers.

#3 Wed, 11/14/2007 - 2:57pm

There's so many awesome paddlers, but it's hard to beat Kai Bartlett. He's won all the big races, solo or team, and he's one of the few ex- Lanikai guys to beat Lanikai in the channel. I guess Karel did it a couple times, too. As far as underrated, Ikaika Harbottle is one of the strongest guys you'll find in the six. He's like a diesel engine, but somehow he's not that great on oc1, maybe because he doesn't really care for it. And you can't really have this conversation w/out mentioning Lewis Laughlin, Molo ski winner, Super Aito winner, U.S. surfski champ, not to mention multiple victories in Molokai, Havaiki Nui and World sprint w/ Fa'a'a. The man's got a resume which is unsurpassed in the paddling world.

#5 Wed, 11/14/2007 - 4:32pm

I'll second the Harold Akeo vote. He's 50 something and still fast as hell on a one man. Plus, he and his wife Nani are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He's old school Hui Nalu.

#7 Wed, 11/14/2007 - 7:29pm

Eckhart, I was going to mention George also. Did you know he came in fourth in the solo in '96? What lungs doth he posess.

#9 Thu, 11/15/2007 - 3:44pm

Hi Jim,
what happened since 96 then ?

#11 Thu, 11/15/2007 - 10:49pm

the saddest part about who the top rated paddler is, it's just like real life, as time goes on no one cares. I have come to realize that it dosen't matter what you do today, if you don't maintain, someone else takes your place. that's how fickle sports and life is. This year one person or crew is the hot topic, tomorrow someone else is. But for me, i say you savor the experience till you die. Here's a little bit of my journey to reach the apex. Please indulge me as I start to just type away about things that probably dont make sense. Ever since I realized I could type on this thing Im stoked cuz I can express how I feel to other paddlers who can relate with me. Anyway, back to to my story: when it comes to memories, It's all you got' I can rememer being seventeen years old and me and my cousin Dusitn and my good friend Donovan used to talk for hours about how one day we would win the Moloaki channel. We believed that us guys from Kailua would win it. Nobody else did but we did. Well, unfortunately we all went our seperate ways. As for me, my cousin Vince Olds convinced me to paddle with Lanikai Canoe Club. I didn't want to cuz they were the best and what could a beer belly brada like me contribute. Plus too they were the enemy. But I came into the brotherhood and in 2000 my dream came true. I was part of a crew that won the Molokai channel. My hero, my dad came close but never won. So when I won, he won.When I won, Dus won, Don won, Uncle Beanie won, Vince won. I won with my crew and everyone who I had on my back. My family. My friends. My town. So you see when you talk about the "top rated paddler" it don't mean shit who it is. Cause tomorrow it will be someone different. But what will always remain is the memories that each one of those paddlers carries with them. And that's what makes them the top rated paddlers. Most of their stories end with them in first place. Now that's a story.

Sorry for rambling but thats what happens when you wifes grandmother leaves her Whiskey at your house and you have nothing else to drink so you decide to drink whiskey and muscle milk. Whiskey+Muscle Milk=going online and typing a bunch of bull_ _ _ _!

Aloha Everyone. I gotta sleep. HARDKOA IN DA HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!

#13 Sat, 11/17/2007 - 3:29am

Kekoa Bruhn=best stroker in the world. Maybe we can sing "badfish" again someday, all bus', of course.

#15 Sat, 11/17/2007 - 6:53am

Underrated Paddlers: All the Maui boys which includes Jacob Abeytia, Peter Konohia, Felipe Gomes, Mael Carey, Kekoa Cramer, Tyson Kubo, Rick Nuu.

Top Rated: All around OC-1 is Kai and Karel. V-1 is Lewis, Taaroa, Georges and Manutea.

save la'au point.

#17 Sun, 11/18/2007 - 7:54pm

whoa, i just caught up reading this thread. gotta go get me some muscle milk and whiskey. was that chocolate flavor?

#19 Sun, 11/18/2007 - 10:00pm