[Photos] courtesy Peter Konohia
Preparing for this race was everything as usual, canoe, iakos, ama, paddle, hammer gel. sun screen… until we thought about what this race is really about: Remembering and honoring those of our paddling buddies who are no longer here with us enjoying the ocean and beautiful day. This shifted our focus to flowers, leis, and thoughts of love and friendship and family. We truly have a close Maui Canoe & Kayak family here on Maui. It is common to hear paddlers expressing how much they enjoy the series and the friendships. We have our foundation of experienced paddlers who really do help and kokua the newer paddlers with training tips, Maliko runs, etc. It is always fun to hear the stories of the 1st Maliko run and how scary it can be just getting out of the mouth. Congratulations to all who raced and especially to those who did it for the first time.