Ocean conditions make for tight race
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
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The wide-open Kaiwi Channel will be a fitting scene for Sunday's 55th annual Moloka'i Hoe.
The race from Moloka'i to O'ahu is wide open, with at least 10 teams considered legitimate contenders to win it.
"I think this is one of the most competitive years, ever," Outrigger men's coach John Puakea said. "There are so many good teams here this year. This is one of those years that, truly, anything can happen."
The 41-mile race from Hale O Lono Harbor, Moloka'i, to Duke Kahanamoku Beach, Waikiki, is considered the world championship of long-distance canoe paddling for men's teams.
Lanikai Canoe Club is the two-time defending champion of the Moloka'i Hoe. Only two teams in the history of the Moloka'i Hoe have been able to win three in a row — Waikiki Surf Club won six straight from 1958-63, and Outrigger Canoe Club won three straight from 1986-88.
"Based on what they've done the past couple years, I think you have to look at Lanikai first," Tui Tonga coach Beanie Heen said. "But so many things come into play in this race. The conditions can be a big factor."
Lanikai, led by elite steersman Jim Foti, is adept at riding waves. However, the Kaiwi Channel is expected to be relatively calm on Sunday, and an unfavorable tide will probably push against the paddlers.
"That opens up the door for a lot of other teams," Puakea said of the conditions. "I think most of the (Hawai'i) guys would rather have it rough."
In any case, several other Hawai'i clubs are capable of winning Sunday's race. Among them:
"We spent the last three weeks in the rough (ocean), trying to be aggressive in the surf," Puakea said.
Outrigger steersman Karel Tresnak Jr. is considered one of the best in the world in rough conditions.
"We considered coming over (to O'ahu) for the Henry Ayau race, but we thought it would be more advantageous to work on our own here," Hawaiian men's coach Rick Nu'u said. "The win in Kona was a big boost for us, but we still have to be considered an underdog."
Kai Bartlett, a stroker on Lanikai's championship crews the last two years, moved to Maui and now paddles with Hawaiian.
And then there are the international entries. In particular, three teams from Tahiti and two from Australia could be in the lead pack.
Shell Va'a, the top-ranked team in Tahiti, is back in the Moloka'i Hoe after a one-year hiatus. Shell Va'a placed second to Lanikai in 2004, but did not enter last year due to a conflicting race in Tahiti.
Hiti Toa Erai is the No. 3 team in Tahiti and entering the Moloka'i Hoe for the first time. The third strong team from Tahiti is Raro Maitai.
"When it's flat, everybody automatically thinks of the Tahitians," Puakea said. "It could be their kind of conditions."
Ra'i, the 2002 Moloka'i Hoe champion from Tahiti, is not entered this year.
Mooloolaba and Team Paddler are the top entries from Australia.
Mooloolaba placed second to an all-star "Team Hawai'i" crew in the Hamilton Island Cup in Australia in July.
Team Paddler is a mix of elite solo paddlers from various parts of Australia. They placed third in the Hamilton Island Cup.
"We don't train together as a team," team captain Michael Venis said. "But we're all fit and ready. We're aiming for top 10."
According to Venis, it will cost around $20,000 for Team Paddler to travel from Australia to Moloka'i for Sunday's race.
"We got a sponsorship from Fan Tech, and we won some money at the Hamilton Cup that we're using," he said. "But we're still sleeping on the floors of our friend's place just to help make it work."
Team New Zealand/Hawai'i — which was a contender every year from 1998 to 2005, including victories in 2001 and 2003 — is no longer together.
A separate Mooloolaba crew is entered in the masters 40-and-older division. Mooloolaba is the three-time defending champion of that division.
Each team can have nine paddlers, but only six can paddle in the canoe at any given time. While six paddle in the canoe, three relief paddlers follow in an escort boat. Relief changes are made throughout the course.
Around 100 teams from around the world are expected to enter Sunday's race. Other entries flying in to compete include teams from California, Washington, Florida, Canada, Japan, Fiji and Italy.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.
