The thrill of slicing through the water like a hot knife through butter is an experience Brian Curll believes should be extended to people of all ages and abilities. With that in mind, Curll, paddling president of Hui O Mana
The thrill of slicing through the water like a hot knife through butter is an experience Brian Curll believes should be extended to people of all ages and abilities.
With that in mind, Curll, paddling president of Hui O Mana Ka Pu’uwai Outrigger Canoe Club, began the Bright Stars event four years ago, which affords those with disabilities the opportunity to race in a canoe.
Curll hopes the event will “catch on” and grow to neighboring islands.
As for eligibility to participate and how he defines the term “disabled,” Curll defers to those who are interested to make that determination.
“We’ve had people in their 60s and 70s, or those who have had strokes,” Curll said. “You could tell me you just got divorced and your kids hate you. That’s good enough for me.”
While races throughout the day take place in three double-hull canoes, music, food, drink and games make for a relaxing regatta on the shore.
Boats will line up at the mouth of the Wailua River and make their way single-file to the Hawaiian Village and back, and will then line up at the Smiths Marina and race to the finish line.
Curll said each of the three scheduled heats should take about one hour.
Each double hull canoe has enough room for six experienced paddlers and six Bright Star participants.
“It’s all about inclusiveness, about everybody coming together,” Curll said.
To further accomplish that, members of the canoe club will make adjustments to the boats for those ranging with disabilities from edema to quadriplegics, and muscular dystrophy to autism.
Naomi Correa, general manager for Jamba Juice, said she decided to have her Kapa‘a store sponsor the event after one of the team’s paddlers, Bob Swiryn, told her about the joy the participants get during the race.
“It definitely was something we wanted to get involved in,” she said.
Jakki Nelson, general manager for the Olympic Cafe, a Kapa‘a restaurant also listed as one of the event’s sponsors, cooked chicken for the event last year, a plan she is hoping to put into action again this time.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Nelson said. “The kids (Bright Stars) always win.”
Swiryn said to keep the race exciting, experienced paddlers in the boats stay close, so “everybody becomes a winner.”
Other event sponsors include Kaua‘i Pasta, Coconuts Restaurant and the Arc of Kauai.
To keep the event going, Swiryn said the team is hoping to find a corporate sponsor to help cover the cost of food, the photographer and music.
“I hope we can continue to do it,” he said. “…All canoe clubs on-island depend on the community for support, and I hope people will participate in this heartwarming event.”
Curll, who has worked with the mentally ill and the physically and mentally challenged throughout his life, said one of the remarkable traits of living in a place like Kaua‘i is the potential to affect the community — which includes keeping those with disabilities active.
“If you make the world a better place then you get to live in a better world,” he said.
• Amanda C. Gregg, assistant editor/staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or agregg@kauaipubco.
com.
