Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 9, 1 May 2009 — One paddle, two paddle... hoe, hoe! [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

One paddle, two paddle... hoe, hoe!

Long-distance preseason launches at Magic Island By Lisa Asato Public lnfurmatiun Specialist With the wave of the starting flag, 74 canoes from more than 30 clubs across O'ahu plied the waters off Magic Island on a recent Saturday morning in a 7-mile race that kicked off Hui Wa'a's long-distance preseason - and whetted the paddlers' appetites for the fast-paced regatta, states and Moloka'i-to-0'ahu races

to eome. The preseason long-distance races are "a good indicator of how well the crews are going to do this season," said Frank Deniz, a 38-year-old steersman with Ka Māmalahoe Canoe Club based at Ke'ehi Lagoon. "If they do well here, it bodes well for the coming season, and if they don't, it shows us where they need to work at." Standing nearby atop the manmade breakers at Magic Island, Koa Kai Canoe Club members Brian Arzadon, Bill King, Kip Mizushima and loe Kanana were waiting to see who the early leaders were in the

first race that comprised women's and mixed, or co-ed, divisions. "We cheer for everybody," said Arzadon, who is taking a break from paddling after 15 years. "We want to make sure that they eome back safely. It's all about competition, but safety is the main thing. Plus, we're out here watching the (current) to see how we're going to outdo any other crew." The open mixed, or experienced co-ed, crew from Hawaiian Kanaktion led the paek as it crossed Magic Island about 42 minutes into the race. "They only do the preseason long distance race; they don't do the regatta, but they do very, very well," said Kanana, who coaches Koa Kai's men's team. After winning the open mixed division, Hawaiian Kanakhon paeesetter Nālei Mendonca credited the win to "a lot of training and just timing and rhythm." "We kind of like it with a httle more wave aehon, but it wasn't too bad," said Mendonca, who at 20 was the youngest in the eanoe. "It was flat, so thatmeans we just gotta push harder." Coach Raymond Lii said the crew

pulled ahead at the first turn at Diamond Head and "started running away." The long-distance races are their strength, he said, but it doesn't always mean they win. The April 1 1 Honolulu race coincided with a oneman race on Kaua'i, whieh drew a lot of the solo paddlers away. "If they didn't have the one-man race, they ' 11 all get together and stack their crews - then you got real competition," he said. "That's why we train hard and wait for those days." Susannah Iohnson of Waikīkī Beachboys, whieh won the women's division, said the Nā Wahine o ke Kai race from Moloka'i to O'ahu is the pinnaele of the season, but her favorite is the long-distance preseason races. "Winning is always a good time," she said. "We're training hard all the time, so even for preseason races, we're going to give it everything we've got." In all, some 36 clubs participated in the day's races that ran from Magic Island to Diamond Head, then back to Kewalos and back to Magic Island. Other divisions ranged from novice to men's grand master's for

those 60 and older. The day also marked the first race as husband and wife for Carolyn and Blaize Seto-Mook, whose teamplacing fifth overall and second in the open mixed division. They started dating six months ago after meeting at a regatta at Ke'ehi Lagoon, when they paddled for opposing clubs. Now they both paddle for her club, Ka Māmalahoe, and there's a friendly competition between them - because she has a history of beating him in races, like when her women's crew finished 20 minutes faster than his men's crew on the Moloka'i to O'ahu mn. But the rivalry is friendly, and they compete together in two-man races, with him in seat two and her up front in the pacesetter's seat. "I like being in control," she said with a laugh. "I like paddling two-man with her," said Blaize, 27. "When I hear her getting tired, I'm like, 'Come on, babe. Let's go.' " "He's my cheerleader," she added. "Whoo!" ■ For resuīts and race schedules, visit huiwaa.com.

[■Bjltow.oha.org/kawaioLL,

— PĀ'ANI ■ SPŪRT

| Hawaiian Kanakhon sixpersoncrewwonthe | open mixed division |with ū time of 1 hour and 6 minutes, beating their closest eom- - petitor by aboutfive . minutes. From left are īeienee "Q" Quong, Kaleponi Spencer, Loum Birse, Nōlei Mendoncū, Phil Gumbertond eooeh Raymond \ii-Photo: , LisaAsato