Here's another argumentative topic. What is an "all star" crew. Here's my 99 cents.
In the past I have believed that if you have a bunch of guys who are good friends and you form a crew (even though the talent level of that crew deems you an "all star" crew), that you are the same as a club. For what is a club more than a brotherhood of friends coming together to acheive the ultimate goal: winning the Molokai Hoe. I have always backed up crews like Team Hawaii/New Zealand cause I viewed them as a club. My friends and family tried to convince me otherwise but I always backed up teams like that. But I finally came around. What's the difference? Let's dicuss. In a club, you represent more than youself or even your crew. You represent a group of paddlers who put in just as much time as you, and push you to get better who will perhaps never have the thrill of coming in first other than your success. The schedule is more difficult, the crew calling is definitely more difficult, and the whole dymanics of a club presents more problems than that of an "all star" team. So why paddle for a club? It's harder, more expensive, and causes more problems with you family due to training schedules. I ask myself that same question and the most definitive answer I can give is what my brother John said at an annual club function. "I BLEED GREEN" (Lanikai). That was my definition (perhaps unknown to him) of what a club is. Here you have one of the greatest paddlers of all time who could paddle for any ALL STAR CREW, declaring his love for his club. Not to put down "all star" crews but I have seen the light (thanks Dave) so take your all star crew, I'll hang with the brotherhood and spend choke money, take time away from my family, get in trouble at work, fly down the Pali going 75mph just to get to practice in the dark with 5 novice b's telling me how to paddle, and I'll be just fine (I think?)
Correct me if i'm wrong
Submitted by kekoa on Sat, 12/22/2007 - 12:38am
On the button. my crew has been here since forever and some of my fist memories were of my dad and the men packing the canoe to the water and I wanted to be one of them. In 43 years the feeling has not changed. and my kids are paddlers now. I remember a few years back I would wonder the same question. but your home team . will always be there every minute of every day. and belonging to a all-star team, not as much. I’m not even sure if its a faster way to go. And home team is not just the guys on the canoe its the whole town. something like this takes time and hard work but is well worth it ,at the end of the day
Thank you for your time.
#1 Sat, 12/22/2007 - 5:28am
I loved being part of a club, but I don't hold anything against "all-star" teams. For some, it's the only way they are able to participate. That being said, there's nothing like30-40 guys putting their hands together at the end of a grueling practice and letting out a big ol' you-know-what cheer that can be heard on top the Pill box! Oh yeah, that and I was never good enough for an "all-star" team invitation.
#2 Sat, 12/22/2007 - 6:32am
It's a free country and all that so people are free to form their all star crews if they want to but I think that it detracts from
the paddling community. That being-part-of-a-family thing that you develop over time in a club to me is worth more than the possibility of winning you get by being a free agent. That and I can only think of two all star teams that have really succeeded; NZ/Hawaii and Team Bradley.
I was part of a club (Hui Lanakila) that went from obscurity to winning regattas in a period of about 5 years. It meant so much to me to be part of that and to contribute and watch my paddling family become a succesful and respected club.I doubt I'll ever find myself in a similar situation again in my life.
Clubs are essential to the long term survival of canoe paddling. Paddling is so much more than just winning the big race. Clubs are a big family and the members support each other in their paddling and personal life.
I always had a huge amount of respect for Lanikai because they won as a club. As far as I could tell, as a non-member, they never recruited. Their awesomeness just attracted people. And, from what I could tell they made you pay your dues if you wanted to paddle there. I remember when Mike Judd went over there and they put him in the second crew for the Henry/Skippy. The look he had on his face at the end of the race was priceless. :) Of course, they put him in the first crew for Molokai and he's been there ever since.
In addition, I hope they never offer prize money for Molokai because I think it will encourage all star teams. Also, I'd like to add that I mean no disrepect to my friends on Team NZ/Hawaii. Although Raven paddled with them he made a wide variety of contributions to our club. We would never have gone as far as we did without him. It was just always a bummer when distance season came and he wasn't racing with us. But we were stoked when he won.
Jim Hewitt
#3 Wed, 12/26/2007 - 4:11pm
I think Goto was captain of the Mickey Mouse Club, back in the Britney Spears/Justin Timberlake days. He said he will always cherish the esprit de corps he felt when when him and JT would do a song and dance number together. I think the word he used was "priceless"....
#4 Wed, 12/26/2007 - 6:33pm
I think next to your club team you could have a team that officially represents an island/Hawaii on special occasions; with paddlers that qualified for that by performance. They should be named team Oahu/Hawaii etc.
Specially for the senior plus groups, I like the idea of putting teams together with different people from different clubs, simply because not that many people paddle competitively in the higher age groups.
Isn't anybody that is ambitious going to go to one of the famous clubs like Lanikai, Outrigger anyway ? Is that really different from 'all star team ' behavior?
On the club level you have the great advantage to know each other real well, paddle together over years - very nice. On the other hand, there are only 6/ 9 seats - so how many paddlers do you allow to become your brothers ? What about the others ?
If you focus on the first team only, a lot of people are left out of the ohana.
I agree with you, Kekoa, a club team has more identity; but all paddlers that come and all teams that paddle should be taken serious and be part of the group. The established paddlers are responsible to ensure that. There is no 'club' if that does not happen.
#5 Thu, 12/27/2007 - 2:40pm
I paddled five long distance seasons consecutively for Lanikai, always on the second or third crew in Molokai, but never felt left out of the Ohana.In fact, I will always feel like I'm part of it. Sure, the first crew received the lion's share of coaching attention and other resources, but the goal of the program, from top to bottom, is always to win the Molokai Channel, not to make sure masters are top notch. Dave Daniels, the consumate team paddler, paddled seven or eight seasons before getting his chance at first crew, with a big smile and positiveness for everyone the whole time. This is the behavior all team-mates must strive for.
#6 Thu, 12/27/2007 - 3:17pm
Sure Jim, the first crew will get special attention.
The goal of a program can be to win all races, also the Molokai Hoe; but this logic includes that the second, third crew will also be the best it can be and not receive less coaching attendance, rather more as they have more to learn.
I am critical about this because it is important, a thin layer at the top can not survive all that well.
The regatta season seems more club oriented; the long distance season appears first crew and Molokai Hoe oriented. What's wrong with Duke's, Henry Ayau ? - nothing, they are great races. Why are they considered 'warm-ups' ?
Last season Outriggers second crew was very impressive, also their first crew; I think that combination was great.
I think that masters should be a top priority, look at Mololooba ( spelling?), that 's just neat what they do. Why would you discredit that, it's beautiful.
Isn't it a pity that Lanikai masters have not picked up that gauntlet ? Or Outrigger for that matter ?
The goal of a program should be to have everybody at his/her best, including the youth 12 -14 in regatta season for example, the first crew indeed leading the way.
The 'first crew/Molokai thing' is not ok and quite certainly not desired by the first crew paddlers either.
#7 Thu, 12/27/2007 - 10:10pm
That would be nice, but it just doesn't work out that way, at least when I was there. Maybe a larger coaching staff is needed to carry out the plan you describe. I think Mooloolaba is pretty much masters only, or at least that seems to be their main focus. Perhaps Rambo can clarify. Eckhart, you seem to be knowledgable and energetic, maybe you should talk to the leadership about running a masters/b team program. It seems that most years Lanikai's second crew is mostly masters anyway.
#8 Fri, 12/28/2007 - 6:03am
Its good to hear from Jim for he knows what it means to be in a club. Its very true about Dave Daniels and how he paid his dues. He truly wants the best for the club whether hes there or not. I still get chicken skin to watch the finish of the 2004 race and see Dave in the stroker seat being the first to cross the line in first place. Had me, my brother, mike judd, Mike Pedersen, and Jim Foti raising those paddles. But for me, it was my brothers Kaai and Dave that I felt the best for. When guys like us can win the channel it shows all the Hawaii guys who smoke us in the one man that all that matters is winning the molokai hoe as a team. As a brotherhood. Ask most NFL players what they remember most and it's usually not the individual accomplishments they acheive but the times they spent with their teammates. Big props for the guys like Mike Willett, Kamu Lau, Keola Wright, Uncle Nappy Napolean and others who stick with their clubs no matter what. E ho'o hui pu kakou! I going paddle in the all alcoholic team. Who like join me? give me a ring
#9 Sat, 12/29/2007 - 1:18am
Jim, I agree. It's not that the masters paddlers could not do it if they wanted to. They were actually specifically invited to do so this year.
There are quite a few good paddlers in the masters range, for one reason or the other, they did not want to team up with each other.
It also has to do with infrastructure. If there is no good youth program, you will not have a good youth team; if there is no structure for a masters team, there will be no masters team. Quite logical, but I think it is worth talking about it.
In a club you have may 50 - 70 people every year, talking about senior male here for that matter. Coming and going, and of course the level of intimacy differs.
For the sport overall, these are at least equally important.
I am glad to hear they are part of the ohana, maybe we can get a coach for them too :). I guess it all depends on what you want.
Another thought: in a successsful group of people all have to be motivated, but there will always be one single person only that drives and carries the others to success.
#10 Mon, 12/31/2007 - 12:17am