PO‘IPU — Paddling — by hand, by paddle, or in various vessels — was the highlight of the Paddle Fest, Sunday, at Po‘ipu Beach Park. Fran McDonald of the Kukui‘ula Outrigger canoe club said there were 77 entries of six
PO‘IPU — Paddling — by hand, by paddle, or in various vessels — was the highlight of the Paddle Fest, Sunday, at Po‘ipu Beach Park.
Fran McDonald of the Kukui‘ula Outrigger canoe club said there were 77 entries of six different types of watercraft that took park in the two phases of competition. The event coincided with the week-long celebration of Koloa Plantation Days.
Competition heightens the excitement and brings to light the skills and techniques involved in paddling, whether a paddleboard or an outrigger canoe, participants said.
Tyrus Siale topped the OC-1, or one-man outrigger canoe, series that left Kalapaki Beach for Po‘ipu Beach Park in the Long Course.
Siale touched down in Po‘ipu in 1 hour, 11 minutes and 59 seconds.
Mary Bartlett topped the Women OC-1 in the Long Course with a paddle of 1 hour, 25 minutes and 25 seconds.
Tiffany Palama teamed with Eric Rafter to take the OC-2, or two-man outrigger canoe, Mixed on a run of 1 hour, 14 minutes and 49 seconds.
The host Kukui‘ula Outrigger men’s team captured top honors in the OC-6, or six-man outrigger canoe, class on a run of 1 hour, 13 minutes and one second, beating out the first women’s team from Namolokama who made the run in 1 hour, 20 minutes and 27 seconds.
Wes DeSilva topped the Surf Ski division in 1 hour, 9 minutes and 23 seconds while Dave Parmenter took an hour, 42 minutes and 25 seconds to paddle the Kalapaki-to-Po‘ipu course on a Stand-up Paddleboard. Ernest DeSilva rounded out the Long Course on a Prone Paddleboard, making the run in 1 hour, 49 minutes and 25 seconds.
Phil Zeidner topped the Short Course OC-1 in 24 minutes, 36 seconds while Angala Husler topped the Women’s OC-1 in 29 minutes, six seconds.
Matt Ives topped the Men’s Stand-up Paddleboard on a run of 27 minutes flat, more than six minutes ahead of Lisa Ives, topping the Women’s Stand-up Paddleboard, who made the run in 33 minutes, 28 seconds.
Jeff McBride topped the Prone Paddleboard on a run of 28 minutes, 49 seconds.
Visit www.koloaplantationdays.com for more information on the more than two dozen events planned for the celebration.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
