Nathan Kalama’s chicken skin pule (prayer) and oli (chant) mesmerized the crowd at Wailua River as he opened the Garden Island Canoe Racing Association’s (GICRA) regatta season early Saturday morning. Kawaikini Canoe Club’s 20th Annual Walter J. Smith Canoe Regatta
Nathan Kalama’s chicken skin pule (prayer) and oli (chant) mesmerized the crowd at Wailua River as he opened the Garden Island Canoe Racing Association’s (GICRA) regatta season early Saturday morning.
Kawaikini Canoe Club’s 20th Annual Walter J. Smith Canoe Regatta was the place to be for hundreds of Kaua‘i canoe paddlers who came in droves from Ha‘ena to Kekaha to celebrate and compete in their first official regatta race of the season. They were an impressive, energetic group of people, young and old, with a passion for paddling, a profound reverence for the Hawaiian canoe culture, and an ever-growing respect for the healthy, team-building sport of canoeing.
The spirit of camaraderie and competition began with the children’s ten-and-under event, sparking loud cheers and encouragement as their little bodies, dwarfed by the huge 450 pound, 48-feet long outrigger canoes, paddled their hearts out down a quarter-mile course past colorful lane flags, marking the end of the race.
“Everyone’s a winner, gangie, so give them all a hand,” announced Meph Wyeth, as the event ended and another began. And so it went, each event as exciting as the next, the crowd growing in numbers, high-fives going in every direction, and a host of ecstatic paddlers doing exactly what they love doing.
The competition was fiercer than ever before, as witnessed by more than a few knock-down, drag-out, come-from-behind winners, but at the end of the long, memorable day, it was Hanalei Canoe Club who racked up the most points to take first place. Could it be possible that they were inspired by some other celebration? Perhaps the birthday of their fearless kupuna leader, Kainoa Chandler, who turned, how many, Kainoa? Anyway, second place went to Kaiola Canoe Club, followed by Pu‘uwai Canoe Club in third place.
Kawaikini Canoe Club would like to thank their generous donors, Grandma Smith, Uncle Freckles and Aunty Mokihana for their continuous support each year, and Garden Isle Painting’s George Tsukamoto, for his enduring faith in our “little club with the big aloha.”
The club would also like to recognize the incredible teamwork of the following people who worked the official’s tent and kept the entire event moving: Our own Meph Wyeth, who did a great emcee job, Kealoha Enrique of Pu‘uwai Canoe Club for being so meticulous and efficient in getting everbody and all the paperwork organized, timers Fran McDonald of Koloa Canoe Club and Meph’s visiting friend, “Judy from New Zealand,” Napua Costa and Bea Sakamoto for keeping the paper-work in order, and last but not least, the guru of paddling and President of GICRA, Kalani Dawson.
On the water, our official boat was handily manned by owner-operator and Kapa‘a High student Keawe Higa, who was assisted by his aunty Carol Lovell, and by Kilohana Canoe Club’s President, Kane Turalde.
Mahalo to all canoe clubs on the island for their contribution to the success of Kawaikini. They would like to invite interested people to join them for recreational and competitive paddling on the Wailua River, especially seniors who are interested in respiratory work out. Please contact Carol Lovell at 822-9122, or Puanani Carvalho at 822-1822, for membership details and information.
