Na Pali Challenge Saturday by Dennis Fujimoto – The Garden Island Namolokama topped both the Women’s and Men’s Open at the Mick Callahan Long Distance canoe race Saturday. In addition to taking the two largest classes in the race, Namolokama
Na Pali Challenge Saturday
by Dennis Fujimoto – The Garden Island
Namolokama topped both the Women’s and Men’s Open at the Mick Callahan Long Distance canoe race Saturday.
In addition to taking the two largest classes in the race, Namolokama was unchallenged in the Mixed Men and Women’s class on a 1:33:58 paddle.
In the Women Open class, Namolokama set the pace for the field as its crews filled in the first two slots with just a .12 second difference between them.
The Namolokama women’s teams finished at 1:27:25 and 1:27:37 for the first and second berths followed by a Hanalei Canoe Club team filling in third at 1:29:56.
Namolokama men’s teams filled in the first and fifth berths in the Men Open class with paddles of 1:23:36 and 1:33:47, respectively.
Second place in the open class went to Pu‘uwai that stopped the clock at 1:26:11 followed by Kaiola Canoe Club in third at 1:27:35.
Kaiola was also unchallenged in the Novice Men with a 1:30:41 paddle and topped the Senior Master Men as well as the Master Men races on paddles of 1:36:05 and 1:29:50, respectively.
Pu‘uwai was second in the Senior Master Men at 1:47:00.
Pu‘uwai Women Masters topped that division on a 1:37:56 run followed by Hanalei at 1:43:23, and the Niumalu Women Senior Masters was unchallenged at 1:50:04.
The Na Pali Challenge fills the ticket for paddlers this Saturday when teams take off from Hanalei for a trip around Na Pali to end on Kaua‘i’s Westside.
According to the Na Pali Web site, paddlers hit the water at 8 a.m. and race to the finish at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center.
The 2007 Na Pali Challenge was won by the Hawaiian Canoe Club-Dana in a time of 4:14:34 in the field of 30 canoes.
Team members of the winning crew included Dane Ward, Therera Felgate, Lauren Bartlett, Barbara Querry, Emill Jancheri, Kawena Cramer, Kai Bartlett, Mael Carey, Kekoa Cramer, Philipe Gomes Tyson Kubo and J.B. Guard.
For more information, visit the Na Pali Challenge Web site at www.napalichallenge.com
Race results
Women Open
1) Namolokama 1:27:25
2) Namolokama 1:27:37
3) Hanalei 1:29:56
4) Niumalu 1:30:37
5) Kaiola 1:30:57
6) Hanalei 1:34:26
7) Niumalu 1:36:03
8) Kaiola 1:38:51
9) Pu‘uwai 1:42:36
10) Pu‘uwai 1:46:50
11) Hanalei 1:49:58
Mixed Men and Women
1) Namolokama 1:33:58
Women Masters
1) Pu‘uwai 1:37:56
2) Hanalei 1:43:23
Women Senior Masters
1) Niumalu 1:50:04
Men Open
1) Namolokama 1:23:36
2) Pu‘uwai 1:26;11
3) Kaiola 1:27:35
4) Niumalu 1:29:38
5) Namolokama 1:33:47
6) Hanalei 1:34:06
7) Hanalei 1:37:09
8) Pu‘uwai 1:38:07
9) Pu‘uwai 1:42:48
Novice Men
Kaiola 1:30:41
Senior Master Men
Kaiola 1:36:05
2) Pu‘uwai 1:47:00
Master Men
Kaiola 1:29:50
