HANAMAULU — A team that got together for the first time ended taking the top slot of the Annual Kaua‘i Business Canoe Race hosted by the Kaiola Canoe Club at the Hanamaulu Beach Park recently. “This is only the fourth
HANAMAULU — A team that got together for the first time ended taking the top slot of the Annual Kaua‘i Business Canoe Race hosted by the Kaiola Canoe Club at the Hanamaulu Beach Park recently.
“This is only the fourth time we’ve paddled together,” Max Obela said, trying to catch his breath after his crew had eked out a first finish in one of the heats of the popular event. “Only one more race to go.”
Obela, Hoku Achi, Gary Oshita, Randie Peters, and Enoka Baclayon made up the Home Depot Tool Rental (and Night Crew) team that topped the Novice B Men division with a 2:28:35 finish in the finals over A Pacifc Café that crossed the line at 2:30:23. The No Ka Oi Plants team garbed in smart black tees took third place in that division at 2:31:45.
“This is our first time,” said Holly Acoba of Da Booze Shop wahine team that waited on the waterline in preparation for their race in the Novice B Women’s division. “We’re going for it all!”
Business organizations were invited to field teams in the annual fun event with Kaiola supplying the canoes, paddles, and a steersperson for organizations fielding teams in the event, but Acoba served as the steersperson for their team that could not be mistaken because of the bright orange tee-shirt uniforms they wore.
When the finals in that division finished, just :23 second separated the first and third place finishers, the top finisher being the Hyatt Regency team at 2:73:60 followed by another southside team, Pizzetta who crossed on the heels of the Po‘ipu team at 2:73:74. Da Booze shop crossed the line third at 2:73:83.
Michelle Campbell, Romney McCurtcheon, Jolene Scheirer, Melanie Rosa, MariAnn James, and Shaye Austin made up the winning Hyatt team.
As children played at the waterline between heats, Jan Tanbruggencate, a longtime paddler and one of the race volunteers stopped briefly to show off his good deed — a gecko that was riding his ankle to the safety of the vegetation above the high water mark.
“He just popped out of one of the canoes,” Tanbruggencate said. “If he stayed where he was, he’d be fish food.”
A Pacific Café took the top slot of the Novice B Mixed competition with a 2:34:06 finish over runner-up Akiamai Tents who crossed at 2:43:12 with the Kauai Marriott team filling in third place on a 2:52:19 finish.
Billy Quereto, Nephi Quereto, Jay Armstrong, Alan Zebe, Mark McDaniels, Francis Lopez made up the winning team in that division.
Although teams raced in near-ideal conditions of sunny skies, gentle breezes, and calm waters, they prayed for the outside lane where they were less likely to be at the mercy of the bay’s currents, one coach tipping his crew to work towards the flagline of their lane after drawing the lane closest to the shore.
Spectators were also treated to the occasional ‘huli’ or spill as the novice crews suffered an occasional, but rare, overturning of their craft trying to make the start line.
The William & Zimmer Koa Woodworking team was :12 second faster than Pacific Tile Imports in the Open Mixed competition, the first finisher crossing the finals finish line at 1:16:22 over the runner-up canoe that crossed at 1:16:22. Mark Baird, DDS’s team took third place on a 1:22:17 run.
Tom Perry, Jerrad Perry, Doneen Stokes, Manaia Tuliau, Carolyn Asing, and Lori Parraga made up the crew of the William & Zimmer Koa Woodworking team.
