Success comes early in the women's program of the Waikiki Beachboys Canoe Club.

The proof is in the women's novice B division.

The women's novice B paddlers for Waikiki Beachboys are undefeated this season, and will attempt to keep two more impressive streaks going in the coming weeks.

Tomorrow at Ke'ehi Lagoon, they will attempt to win their fifth consecutive Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a championship.

On Aug. 4 at Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i, they will attempt to win their fifth consecutive state championship.

"We try to make the 'Bs' feel like they are part of something bigger, and that's the open women's program," said Sue Brown, who is both coach of the novice B women and a paddler on the Waikiki Beachboys open women's program. "We integrate them with all the other women, and that raises their level dramatically."

To fully appreciate the winning run of the Beachboys 'Bs' is to understand the rules of the novice B division.

Foremost, the novice B division is for first-year paddlers age 18 and older. In essence, it is the division that introduces adults to the sport of paddling. Paddlers who come up through the youth divisions are not eligible.

What's more, paddlers have only one year to compete in the novice B division.

In other words, the Beachboys are on a five-year run of success with brand new paddlers in the crew each year.

"When I think about that, I'm still in awe because it really is difficult to do," said Sean Monahan, head coach of the Waikiki Beachboys.

This year, the Beachboys have 12 females in the novice B division: Ellen Argo, Carrie Brugger, Barb Bruno, Rachel Bruntsch, Kathy Chaston, Jennifer Fukino, Candace Kelly, Leah Lawyer, Anna Rockenschaub, Sandra Vacjs, Erika Wasner and Christy Wood.

They have alternated in the starting lineup during the regular-season regattas (only six can paddle on race day), so they all contributed to the undefeated season.

"I think it was right before the first race this year that someone mentioned to us about the tradition," Bruntsch said. "But nobody puts pressure on us. This is a really positive club, and all the other girls are supportive."

Brown said the club has a "strict no-recruiting policy," so many of the paddlers have joined Waikiki Beachboys through word of mouth.

"Some of the other clubs that don't have novice (divisions) send them our way, so that helps," Brown said. "But the rest is just luck. We've been fortunate for the last five years to come up with all these paddlers."

Lawyer, for example, was living in Nashville, Tenn., at this time last year. She moved to Hawai'i 10 months ago, and signed up for the Beachboys prior to this season.

"I was just looking to get involved with a sport here in Hawai'i," she said. "I started paddling (one-person canoes) with some friends and loved it, and so I started asking around about a club and got steered this way."

Kelly — who at 37 is the oldest "newcomer" in the crew — has a similar story. She was living in San Francisco a year ago.

"I'm actually a long-distance swimmer," she said. "But being new to Hawai'i, this seemed like a good Hawaiian sport to do. I actually tried practicing with a couple of other clubs, but nothing compared to this one, so here I am."

In regattas, the women's novice B race is only a quarter-mile, and lasts about two minutes. In effect, there is no margin for error.

"Every stroke counts ... you have to keep your focus — if you look around, you'll lose," Brown said. "So it is a difficult race to win. You have to be at your best every week."

The Waikiki Beachboys also have one of the strongest open women's programs in the state, and Brown said the success of the novice crews has played a significant role.

"The novices are the future of the club," Brown said. "The 'Bs' are as important a crew as any in the entire club because that's really the start of the pipeline. Almost every girl in our open crews started as a novice in this club."

Brown said she often makes the novice B paddlers sprint against the open paddlers in practices to gauge their progress during the season.

"At the start of the year, of course, it's not close," Brown said. "But the goal is to beat the seniors in a quarter-mile sprint. We're almost there this year, and the girls see that improvement and it gets them motivated."

At tomorrow's Hui Wa'a championship regatta and the Aug. 4 state championship regatta, the entire women's program for the Beachboys will be motivated. In addition to the novice B title, they will try to defend two other divisions: novice A and seniors.

The senior division is considered the top race for females, and the Beachboys won it at the state regatta for the first time last year.

OHCRA REGATTA WILL BE DEDICATED TO TONGG

The O'ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association Championship Regatta will be held Sunday at Ke'ehi Lagoon

Lanikai is the defending champion and favorite again this year. Lanikai won all six OHCRA regattas during the regular season.

Kailua, Outrigger and Hui Lanakila are expected to challenge for the title.

The regatta will be dedicated to Michael Tongg, a former OHCRA paddler and official who died last Friday. The state regatta on Aug. 4 will also be dedicated to Tongg.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.