Molokai Solo OC1: Results and Penalty
Yep, I'm wondering how blatant was it? Because it's virtually impossible to cross the channel with hundreds of escort boats and not catch a wake here and there....where do you draw the line?
Was he full on wake riding, camped on the okole of his escort? (Not OK)
Catching an occasional stray boat wake? (totally OK, and very much the norm)
Somewhere in between?
#2 Sun, 05/15/2016 - 2:57pm
I think the penalty was BS, who ever watched the live feed knows who was riding wake. On top of that kevin and damas escort boats didn't know what they was doing, they hardly was around to give water and support.
#3 Sun, 05/15/2016 - 6:45pm
I agree with Alipp- it was livestreaming and Kingi or KB was saying that Kainoa Tanoai was riding wake of his Cadillac from Big Island too. Escort boat wake was all over the place, if it come in your path or one rolling close to you it would be hard to ignore. I like to see footage of kevin Riding his escort boat wake- right in the boat tale. To Drop Water you would go behind too or beside, you really cant avoid the wake. And for miles Kevin and Ami's escort boat was no where to be found. Did someone clock him on how long was he in the tale of his escort boat? To get 2 minutes that's a long ways?? To come all the way from Tahiti in the condition it was this weekend trying to win and get bounce out like that! Tough to swallow- make you don't want to come!
#4 Mon, 05/16/2016 - 8:12am
Maybe it is a way to discourage the Tahitians from sending paddlers for this race in the future. The few that have come have won or done very well. Can you imagine if they sent a lot of paddlers?
#5 Mon, 05/16/2016 - 6:52am
I also was curious about the penalty. I assumed it happened in the first half of the race because I was on a non-escorting boat and followed the action between Kevin, Damas, and Travis for the last two hours, from mid-channel all the way into Maunalua Bay. The two Tahitians were on the exact same line, one 50 yards in front of the other. Travis appeared to be a distant third and was quite a bit south of the Tahitians.
I'll also agree that the Tahitian escort boat(s?) didn't seem very attentive. It looked like there was only one Tahitian escort boat and it was at times more than 50 yards behind the second place paddler. At the time I honestly thought the leader (in hindsight I think it was Damas) wasn't in the race and was just paddling as a rabbit for the second canoe (Kevin) to chase because there was absolutely no boat remotely close to the first canoe.
There was a surfski that paddled alongside and in front of Kevin for close to an hour, all the way to the end, including navigating the reef and surf in the bay. Could that be how the penalty was incurred?
#6 Mon, 05/16/2016 - 8:52am
At first wind of the penalty, I was floored. I thought how could we do this....again.
Then I learned that in Kevins own words, said it was an accident that the escort boat did not know of the rule. (not sure where this escort driver was from)
They did not know how to make a water drop, so they drove up next to Kevin to throw water bottles... (thats what I heard)
We on the Media boat had to support Damas twice, becuase his escort was not paying attention to their paddler. As you could see on the Live feed we gave Damas a bottle of water.
After learning the situation, I was relieved that it was not an invalidated penalty, and that Kevin said he would return next year.
They (kevin and Damas) were so humble and graceful at the end of the race, I felt for them as they had almost no positive support from their escort drivers. Damas also filled his foot with Wana (sea urchin) at the china walls mishap.
Tahiti will undoubtedly return to reclaim the throne, but until then Mr. Travis Grant is the World Champion of OC-1.
#7 Mon, 05/16/2016 - 9:05am
If you watched the live feed you would have seen that Kevin was way South and Damas North with Travis in-between . Then all of a sudden Kevin was right next to Damas. I was out there escorting near the front and saw him way South. Apparently his escort boat waked Kevin for the ride North and a couple of the other leader escort boats witnessed it and reported it to officials who also saw it. Probably not Kevin's fault but it was the reason he made such a fast move back to the rum line. There are too many escorts with no paddling experience, we need to weed them out. Kevin, call me for next year!
#9 Tue, 05/17/2016 - 7:10am
Talking about the escort boat(s) not being attentive, I heard that there was only like one escort for a couple of paddlers in a certain 'team'. I think Manny guys need to pay more attention to paddlers without escorts. Is it going to take someone having a serious problem for them to take notice? Something like a death would spell the end of the race, ruining it for everyone else.
As for riding wakes, once the race gets going, the boats and canoes are pretty much stretched out so the argument that there are wakes all over is not true. In fact I think if a boat ahead of another team noticed that someone behind was riding their wake, they would move. Why would they give an advantage to another paddler? In essence the escort boat should not be in front of the paddler other than to drop water, etc.
Just my thoughts on the subject.
#10 Wed, 06/15/2016 - 9:32am
I am interested to hear about the details and discussion in regards to the escort boat wake riding penalty given to Tahitian Champion Kevin J. causing him to drop from 1st to 2nd.
Submitted by Kona J on