Kea Pa'iaina has a secret to success when it comes to the Outrigger Zone Coastal Relay race.

"Get a good partner," he said with a laugh.

Pa'iaina and partner Manny Kulukulualani won the men's division of the Coastal Relay for the second consecutive year yesterday.

They completed the 31-mile race from Kailua Beach to Magic Island in 4 hours, 29 minutes, 47 seconds.

"My body is hurting as it is," Pa'iaina said. "I couldn't do this by myself."

The race featured one-person canoes, but each "team" had two paddlers. The course was divided into four separate legs. One partner had to do the first and third legs, while the other did the second and fourth legs.

Kulukulualani opened a lead in the third leg, then Pa'iaina maintained it in the final leg.

"I got some (wave) runs around Sandy Beach, and I think that's where I put a gap on the other guys," Kulukulualani said.

The team of Thibert Lussiaa and Aaron Napoleon placed second with a time of 4:33:33.

"When the third leg started, I was maybe 30 seconds behind Manny," Lussiaa said. "But then he started surfing like crazy and I couldn't catch up. It was a great race for us. Kea and Manny were just too good in the surf."

Karel Tresnak Jr. and Alfred Van Gieson placed third in 4:36:24, and Ryan Dolan and Jack Roney were fourth in 4:36:46. Dolan and Roney, who are both 18, were the youngest team in the field.

The women's division featured a case of good karma for winners Paula Crabb and Jaimie Kinard.

They finished in 4:52:49, to beat the team of Andrea Messer and Kelsa Teeters by two minutes.

During the second leg of the race, Kinard saw Messer fall off her canoe after she wiped out on a wave. Rather than proceed with the lead, Kinard paddled to retrieve Messer's canoe.

"It's just a race; you have to help each other out when somebody is in trouble," Kinard said.

During the third leg, Crabb took the lead, and then Kinard kept it in the final leg.

FINAL RESULTS

LONG COURSE (31 MILES)

Open men: 1, Manny Kulukulualani/Kea Pa'iaina, 4:29:47. 2, Thibert Lussiaa/Aaron Napoleon, 4:33:33. 3, Karel Tresnak Jr./Alfred Van Gieson, 4:36:24. 39-younger men: 1, Ryan Dolan/Jack Roney, 4:36:46. 2, Aaron Creps/Jim Foti, 4:43:22. 3, Ka'ai Bruhn/Kekoa Bruhn, 4:45:14. 40-49 men: 1, Mike Pedersen/Wyatt Jones, 4:51:07. 2, Raven Aipa/Larry Cain, 4:51:46. 3, Eckhart Diestel/Mark Miller, 5:11:31. Mixed: 1, Jessie Eames/Sean Kaawa, 5:15:39. Open women: 1, Paula Crabb/Jaimie Kinard, 4:52:49. 2, Andrea Messer/Kesla Teeters, 4:54:50. 3, Nicole Pedersen/Megan Jones, 4:57:38. 39-younger women: 1, Tayte Brock/Sarah Gilman, 5:13:00. 2, Janelle Jinbo/Cathy Bender, 5:24:14. Surfski: 1, Bill Meheula/Cameron Middleton, 5:07:19. OC-2 men: 1, Wally Hamasaki/Paul Hewlett/Steve Holbrook/Lance Anderson, 5:03:16. OC-2 mixed: 1, Richline Fong/Darren Orr/Keau Meyer/Lois Wise, 5:22:11.

SHORT COURSE (19 1/2 MILES)

Open men: 1, Kekoa Kau/Keola Wright, 2:36:34. 2, Brian Amantiad/Charlie Tantog, 2:39:07. 3, Julian Wicker/Jordan Wong, 2:44:01. 39-younger men: 1, Chuck Fan/Mike Nakano, 2:44:36. 2, Blaze Kamakele/Travis Kamakele, 2:47:06. 3, Bill Gassett/Keizo Gates, 2:57:34. 40-49 men: 1, Walter Van Horn/Neumann Shim, 2:59:25. 50-59 men: 1, George Haberman/Kern Rogerson, 2:56:57. Mixed: 1, Ethan Creps/Norma Bustos, 2:54:34. 2, Chris Caldeira/Tomoe Yasu, 3:07:14. 3, George Kane/Kris Krengel, 3:23:02. Female: 1, Julia Anderson/Laura Lapa, 3:10:49. 2, Keani Rawlins/Traci Yamada, 3:32:06. Stand-up paddle: 1, Herbie Titcomb, 2:07:04. 2, Jeff Chang, 2:07:05.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.