WAILUA — The return of the trades at the Wailua River could not deter the Kapa‘a High School grasp of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation paddling standings, Saturday. On the heels of a weather front that dumped wet and windy conditions
WAILUA — The return of the trades at the Wailua River could not deter the Kapa‘a High School grasp of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation paddling standings, Saturday.
On the heels of a weather front that dumped wet and windy conditions over Kaua‘i through midday Friday, the winds returned to normal trades, Saturday, blanketing all three lanes on the Wailua River.
This created a jet stream condition for boats off the starting leg and tested the mettle of paddlers who stroked into headwinds on the top end.
Calm water conditions helped Kapa‘a High School teams as the Warriors finished the final regular season regatta with four of six events, settling for second place finishes in the JV girls and JV Mixed events.
Kapa‘a controlled the Varsity Girls, Varsity Boys, Varsity Mixed and JV Boys events with first finishes.
Kapa‘a has held onto the lead for the varsity divisions from the first regatta and continues to hone its teams for the KIF Championship which takes place on the Wailua River this Saturday starting at 2 p.m.
The departure from the normal
10 a.m. start time is due to SAT testing.
For Kaua‘i High School, the day started on a high note as its JV girls team captured the top berth on a 4:14.22 paddle, holding off Kapa‘a’s A team by more than five seconds (4:19.63). Waimea filled in third place at 4:45.83.
The Red Raiders’ only other first place came in the JV Mixed race where its A team, racing against Kapa‘a’s A team, outdistanced the Warriors on a 4:01.32, almost a half a minute ahead of the Warrior A team.
Kapa‘a picked up second place on its B team finish of 4:14.78, this time Kapa‘a outstroking the Red Raiders’ B team by more than 30 seconds (4:35.05).
Four seconds separated Kapa‘a and Kaua‘i teams in the JV Boys race where the Warriors slipped across at 3:52.21 to the Raiders’ 3:56.26 paddle.
The Kapa‘a varsity boys continued to control the river, finishing almost 12 seconds ahead of second place Kaua‘i in the final race.
Warrior men were all alone at the turn en route to its 3:38.51 finish over Kaua‘i’s 3:50.82 paddle, about seven seconds ahead of third place Waimea (3:57.60).
The closest race came in the Varsity Girls class where Kapa‘a continued its control of the division with a four-second margin over Kaua‘i.
Kapa‘a varsity girls crossed on a 4:08.25 final run to Kaua‘i’s 4:12.28 and Waimea filling in third at 4:22.52.
The Warrior Varsity Mixed completed the sweep of Varsity classes with a 3:57.05 run over Kaua‘i’s 4:05.32 paddle, almost an eight-second lead.
The final race takes place Saturday with the KIF Championships starting at 2 p.m. at the Wailua River.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
