Conquering the Ka'iwi Channel - Moloka'i Solo 2005

You sit on the starting line off of Kaluakoi trying to calm your mind down and prepare for the start. You have prepared all year for this day and as you sit on the line trying to make out the faint outline of Koko Head in the distance, you attempt to imagine what the next five hours has in store for you.

Paddlers heading into the channel in 2004.

After checking the weather report all week you know it by heart but you still look around at the speed of the clouds and look in the distance for any semblance of a wind line. All of the carbo-loading and hydrating combined with tapering down your intense training has made your body taught with energy and nervous excitement. After you check your waterpack for the dozenth time and pee in your seat for what must be the fifth time, the line finally begins to creep forward. Every paddler is desperately trying to stay at the front of the line as the seconds tick down to the scheduled start time. The pack begins to paddle at a light sprint, and then you hear the horn and the race is off. You put everything you have into these first couple minutes, desperate to stay with the fast moving pack. Fifteen minutes goes by in an instant as the first of the escort boats flies past you looking for its paddler. Before you know it, as the race begins to settle down and paddlers begin to find their grooves, you hit the wind line and the surf begins to pick up. You drop into your first swell and while you relax with your ama up and as you turn slightly to the left and drop into a second swell you remember why you do this. You ski across the channel, carving left with the wind waves and then back right with the ground swell. The island gradually becomes more clear, first it develops a color, then you can distinguish houses, and finally, after four hours of great surf and epicly long rides, you begin to approach the Wall. It’s almost over but the hardest part awaits you. You’re fatigued, your fingers are cramping, your butt is sore and covered in rashes, and then you turn the corner to go into Hawaii Kai and you feel the headwind. For what seems like the length of the entire race you sprint straight upwind, either passing your competitors or getting passed. This part of the race can make or break you— if you haven’t saved something for the end, you wont make it up the channel. Once you think you cannot paddle another stroke, you make it underneath the bridge and you can finally see the finish line. For a moment your strength comes back and you finish the race on pure adrenaline. Crossing that line is one of the best feelings of your life whether you’re 1st or 50th. Even though everyone thought you were crazy for devoting so much of every day to training, it all finally is worth it. You bask in your personal glory, too tired to paddle the last couple of strokes to the dock. This feeling is what it is all about, this is why you are going to spend the next 12 months training for this day all over again.

Karel Tresnak Jr. in 2004 Kaua'i World Challenge

The Molokai Solo is the premier outrigger canoeing event for most of the paddling world. The race, from Molokai to Oahu, crosses 33 miles of one of the roughest navigable channels in the world. The top paddlers from around the globe train year round just to be able to compete in this amazing race. If the wind is right, at least 15-20 mph trades, the Kaiwi channel is the most incredible downwind run with seemingly never ending rides. On a good day the crossing can feel like a roller coaster, dropping into one 16 foot swell (face) after another. If, however, the wind is not ideal, the race can turn into the most grueling six or more hours of a paddlers life. Every year about sixty of some of the worlds top paddlers compete in the solo— about five of those will be in contention to win, another fifteen or so will be battling to be among the prestigious top ten, and the rest will race it just for the thrill of competing in the most challenging race of the year.

Karel Jr. (L), Danny Ching (R) chatting it up.

The winner will have to combine endurance, strength, technique, and, most importantly, surfing ability to walk away with the title. Mostly every other race of the year tests only some of these abilities; shorter races require more strength with less endurance and technique involved, while long flat races require little surfing ability and strength with more pure endurance and technique. The solo is unique in that it consistently tests everything—the most all around paddler in the world will win.

In 1999 Karel Tresnak Jr. shocked the paddling world when, at the age of seventeen, he came from having never won a major one man race, to winning the Solo. Seventeen is considered too young to legally race in the Molokai Hoe, yet he won the premier event in paddling and has gone on to win four more times in the last five years (he didn’t race in 2002). Karel has pretty much dominated in this year’s Kanaka Ikaika season, handily winning every surfing race. If there is surf Karel will probably be untouchable, if however, the conditions are not perfect—the race could be an entirely different story. Danny Ching, California’s top paddler, has led the pack in the few flat races he has competed in on Oahu.

Danny Ching, on way to 3rd in Moloka'i Solo 2004.

Last year (in what turned out to be a very technical crossing with funky North winds and sloppy conditions) Danny did the race for his first time and finished a strong third place. This year could be entirely different though, Danny has a lot more surfing experience going into this year’s race and he is in top shape. A flat race will definitely tip the scales in his direction. Manny Kulukulualani has finished in a pretty consistent 2nd place all year behind Karel— but can not be ruled out . Surf or flat water he will almost definitely be among the top three. Patrick Dolan, the teenage paddler prodigy, has the chance to make history on May 15th. Though odds are that he will not be in contention for the win, nobody thought that Karel would win in 1999 either. At 16 he might be the youngest person to ever race in the Solo and if he wins, will have been the youngest to win . Kai Bartlett is the wildcard of the race. He remains virtually untested this year, in one race he was within seconds of Karel, while in the Oahu Championships he was six minutes behind. Kai is the only person to win besides Karel in the last six years, and he must be gunning to be the first to defeat Karel in the solo. Supposedly he has been sick for much of the season, but if anyone can bounce back quickly and win, it is him.

Kai Bartlett doing recovery training in 2004 Kaua'i World Challenge. Photo courtesy Makana Denton.

There could be a few Tahitians and there will be a number of Australians in the race— but it is nearly impossible to compare them to Hawaii’s paddlers because they so rarely compete against each other. Travis Grant of Australia came in seconds behind Karel in a flat Hawaii Kai race this year, and nobody can forget the Australian Leigh Wilson handily winning the first leg of last years Kauai World Challenge; their impressive showings might be foreshadowing great things to come from this year’s international competitors, but it is impossible to predict. Then there are a few of the aging (but not old) Hawaiian legends of the sport who are likely to compete and do extremely well, including: Walter Guild, Mark Rigg, Steve Cole, John and James Foti, Sam Alama, and possibly David Beck. A few of the slightly younger top competitors from Hawaii are: Aaron Napoleon, Jimmy Austin, Kealii Paiaina, Mike Judd, Tapa Worthington, George Leslie, Thibert Luisiaa, Butch Keahiolalo, Mike Hangai, Mark Frazier, and the Bruhns. Though many of them have competed relatively inconsistently this season, and many probably will not race—those who do compete will compose much of the top 15.

Thibert Lussiaa, Photo courtesy Marjie Santos.

This years Solo will definitely be interesting as the five top paddlers battle each other in the hopes of defeating the reigning champion and becoming the 2005 Molokai Solo World Champion. The two relays leading up to the race, the Kauai World Challenge and the Molokai Relay, will give some more hints as to who will be on top this year at the Solo, but with most of the season done and only four weeks left, time is running out. Goodluck to every competitor, have fun—let’s hope for a safe race and we should all start praying for surf.

-Luke Evslin

Posted by keizo on Fri, 04/22/2005 - 5:16pm