[Photos] by Marjie Santos
The 5th points race in the 2005 HIPA season, the 11th Annual Kohala Coast Challenge was held today, Saturday, March 5 on calm waters out of Kawaihae Harbor.

Great turnout, especially in the paddleboard division! Wonderful food, super awards and beautiful T-shirts designed by Frank Snow always make this one of HIPA's most popular events each season.

The 2005 Kama`ili Nursery Pohoiki Challenge was run in classics trade-wind swell conditions, There was also the tail end of an advisory level east swell to boost the size a bit. This event starts off of the Pohoiki Boat ramp in Lower Puna and runs south to Kehena (nude) Beach. The canoes are passed up a rather lengthy, steep and long trail to the road after the race.

[Photos] by Marjie Santos
Cheryl's Valentines Relay was held on Saturday January 12th in Kona. This unique event is an OC-1 and OC-2 couples relay, though there is division for those lonely hearts without a partner. This event was a fund raiser for the extension if H.I.P.A.'s Honokohau Canoe halau, that will include racks specifically for the youth program, (kid's can't really take their OC-1 to school so they can paddle after school can they?).

[Photos] by Marjie Santos
Results of Mike O'Shaughnessy's East Hawaii Challenge, the third race of the 2005 Hawaii Island Paddlesports Association (HIPA) Series.

[Photos] by Marjie Santos
Results of today's OC-1, OC-2 and Paddleboard Races, the second in the 2005 Hawaii Island Paddlesport Association series.

[Photos] by Marjie Santos
Saturday January 8, 2005 - The 18th Annual Stan Classic was held in Hilo today under light rainy skies with generally calm conditions, though; there was a slight swell at the mouth of the Wailuku River. The turn out was excellent, with 108 paddler taking part in the first race of the 2005 Steinlager Race Series. Ikaika Hauanio staked his claim on the men’s open division with Cherisse Kelii picking up where she left off last year, taking the women’s open division. It was great to see many new faces in the first race of the year.

[Photos] by Marjie Santos
Today's Tui Tonga Challenge and Outrigger Clinic was one of the best attended events of the year, with over 100 paddlers taking part on OC-1, OC-2 and Surfskis.

Hawaii's top paddling competitors, Karel Tresnak, Jr., Mike Judd, Thibert Lussiaa, Kai Bartlett, Lauren Spalding, Andrew Penny, Kea Paaina, Rick Nuu, Bruce Ayau and Nate Hendricks shared with the Hawaii Island Paddlesports Association members some of the secrets of their training and technique, then the paddlers put their advice to good use on the Kailua to Keauhou Bay 6 mile course.

[Photos] by Virginia Isbell
Results of today's Abbott Galaher SeaMan Race. Started by the late Abbott Galaher in 1998 as an unofficial pre-season event, with the entry fee being canned goods for the Hawaii Island Food Bank, today's event, hosted by Keauhou Canoe Club, attracted 70 paddlers, including many first time racers.

[Photos] by Marjie Santos
Results of the 6th Annual Starbucks JJ's Big Island Challenge.
The canoes/surfskis launched at the Puako Boat Ramp and finished the 31 mile course at Honokohau Harbor.

The first canoe to cross the line in 3:32:00 was the OC-2 with the four man crew of Nue Youderian, Lyle Palakiko, Leo Santimer and Steve Arnett. These men broke the record of 3:37:36 which was set last year on an OC-1 by the two man team of Bruce Ayau and Ikaika Hauanio.

[Photos] by Marjie Santos