Waimea gets big win at KIF long distance paddling

Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island

The Kaua‘i varsity girls are on the tail of the Waimea girls, as the canoes head into the home stretch of the varsity combined boys and girls heat at the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation long distance paddling regatta at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023.

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Waves from the wind-driven swell break over the breakwater, as the varsity boys make the turn ahead of the varsity girls during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation long distance paddling regatta at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023.

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

The start of the varsity combined boys and girls race at the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation long distance races at the mouth of Huleia River on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023.

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Waimea High School paddlers wait to check in at the registration tent during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation long distance race held at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023.

NAWILIWILI — Waimea High School paddling teams picked up the lion’s share, taking five of the nine events, on Dec. 23 during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation long distance paddling regatta at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor.

Island School teams that topped four of the events during last week’s regatta settled for first place finishes in the junior varsity girls and JV girls B teams.

Kapa‘a High School captured top spots in the JV boys with a paddle spanning 14 minutes, 10.11 seconds, nearly three minutes ahead of the Kaua‘i High School B team.

New to the race were two teams fielded by the Kanuikapono Charter School that participated in the JV girls B crews, where they finished second to the Island School B team, and in the JV mixed B, crews where the Kanuikapono A team topped Kapa‘a’s B team with a 15:37.53 run and the Warrior B team’s at 15:49.33.

The next KIF paddling regatta will take place on Jan. 6, 2024. This will be the last of three long distance paddling regattas, where the JV teams stroke for 2 miles, and the varsity teams paddle for 4 miles. The first paddles hit the water starting at 9 a.m. at the mouth of the Huleia River at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor.

Following the long distance series, the KIF will host the sprint races at the Wailua River starting on Jan. 13.

Results

Results unofficial through photo of queue board. Order based on lane selections.

• Junior varsity girls: Kapa‘a A (15:04.83), Waimea A (17:10.28), Kaua‘i A (15:19.94), Island A (14:51.39)

• B crews: Island B (16:05.63), Kaua‘i B (17:13.33), Kapa‘a A (16:52.21), Kanuikapono A (16:11.44)

• Junior varsity boys: Kaua‘i A (14:13.67), Kapa‘a A (14:10.11

• Varsity girls: Waimea A (28:00.46), Island A (28:20.37), Kaua‘i A (31:14.56), Kapa‘a A (30:19.34)

• Varsity B boys/girls: Waimea B girls (16:12.65), Kaua‘i B girls (16:12.67), Kaua‘i B boys (13:46.80), Waimea B boys (13:29.74)

• Varsity boys: Kaua‘i A (26:00.13), Kapa‘a A (25:40.38), Waimea A (25:46.98), Island A (26:08.35)

• Junior varsity mixed: Waimea A (14:00.72), Island A (14:22.74), Kapa‘a A (14:27.27), Kaua‘i A (14:34.34)

• B crews: Kapa‘a B (15:49.33), Kanuikapono B (15:37.53)

• Varsity mixed: Waimea A (26:09.96), Kaua‘i A (29:15.31), Kapa‘a A (28:22.12), Island A (26:17.53)

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