Kauai outrigger canoe paddlers joined with their brothers from Oahu to finish second in the bi-annual Paa Weono Hoe which wrapped up Sunday on Oahu. Led by Luke Evslin, coach of the Puuwai Canoe Club, other Kauai paddlers included Christian
Kauai outrigger canoe paddlers joined with their brothers from Oahu to finish second in the bi-annual Paa Weono Hoe which wrapped up Sunday on Oahu.
Led by Luke Evslin, coach of the Puuwai Canoe Club, other Kauai paddlers included Christian Marston, coach of the Hanalei Canoe Club, Jody Simpson, coach of Namolokama Canoe Club, Tyrus Siale, Mark Frazier, and Makana Denton.
The group combined with Oahu paddlers Bobby Pratt, Kalei Kahookele, Alika Guillaume, Justin Watts, Jack Roney and Manny Kulukulualani, the race organizer, to finish the tri-island relay event second to Team Primo/Mellow Johnnie’s, comprised of paddlers from Maui and the Big Island.
Brian Curll of the Puuwai Canoe Club said the two-day relay race covering Maui, Molokai and Oahu is considered the premier open-class outrigger canoe race in the world.
Each team, consisting of two crews of six paddlers, ran the first leg from Fleming’s on Maui to Kaunakakai, Molokai, the crew paddling to the wharf to change crews, Curll said.
With a fresh crew, the second leg covered 20 miles down the coast of Molokai before going six miles up to Kepuhi Beach on the western end of Molokai.
The final leg unfolded Sunday when crews raced 20 miles across the Kaiwi Channel where one open ocean crew change place took place.
The fresh crew continued the race, paddling another 20 miles to finish at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.
“The Eono Hoe is unique in that it was the first open-class race in Hawaii since strict regulations on canoe design were enacted in the 1970s,” Curll said. “As opposed to most outrigger races in Hawaii where canoe design is very strictly regulated based on a historical snapshot of Hawaiian canoe design from the middle of the 20th century, the Eono Hoe is nearly unregulated.”
Curll said this enabled an explosion of design innovation from many of Hawaii’s builders who are once again able to use the ocean as the final judge on canoe design instead of a rule book.
One of the builders, Oahu-based Kamanu Composites founded by three Kauai High School graduates Evslin, Keizo Gates, and Kelly Foster, sponsored the Kauai/Oahu team.
