Get Up, Stand Up

David Kawika Carvalho and Kalani Vierra of Koloa were two of the four Kaua‘i paddlers competing last weekend at the Battle of the Paddle on O‘ahu. The stand-up paddling community paid honor to its birth place when over 600 paddlers from around the world converged on Waikiki for the Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle Hawai‘i. Among the competitors were Kaua‘i’s own Laola Aea of Kalaheo taking first place women’s ages 50 to 59 in the stock 12’6” class in the Hawai‘i Kai distance race, finishing with a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, 22 seconds for a 16:23 mile pace; husband, Kamuela Aea taking first place men’s ages 50 to 59 in the 14’ class in Hawai‘i Kai distance with a 1:46:17 total time and an 11:49 mile pace; Carvalho took 14th place in men’s ages 40 to 49 in the 14’ class in Hawai‘i Kai distance race with a 2:02:49 total and 13:39 pace and Vierra took fifth in men’s ages 40 to 49 in the 12’6” class in Hawai‘i Kai distance (1:52:43 and 12:32 pace) and 41st place in the elite men’s race (1:36:31 and 19:19 pace). Staged at historic Duke Kahanamoku Beach at Ft. DeRussy, June 12 & 13, the Battle of the Paddle is more than an ordinary paddle race. For the sport’s elite paddlers it presents the greatest championship styled SUP race as well as the sport’s largest cash purse of over $25,000. Danny Ching was the first-place finisher in the Elite Men division, completing the paddle in a time of 1 hour, 22 minutes and 42 seconds, for a mile pace of 16:33 on the five-mile course. Candice Appleby was the top finisher in the Elite Women division, with an overall time of 1:35:25 and a mile pace of 19:06.