WAIMEA — The Kaiola Canoe Club, open, unlimited division team captured fastest canoe of the day on Saturday during the Waimea Town Celebration Na‘i‘ole Long Distance Canoe Race that launched off Waimea Landing Pier.
Hosted by the Kilohana Canoe Club, the fastest boat piloted by the Kilohana Canoe Club crossed the finish line in 47.19 minutes, according to results provided by Eric Shewchuk of the Banyan Media Group.
Several hundred people lined the Waimea shoreline and pier to witness the races hosted by the Kilohana Canoe Club with Coach Kaina Makua serving as the race director.
The host Kilohana CC picked up first finishes in the 50 mixed division when its crew sounded the finish horn on a 54.03 paddle. Kilohana Open Mixed crews crossed the line on a 49.25 paddle for top honors in that division as well as earning overall Mixed crew honors.
Kilohana also topped the Na ‘Opio-boys and Na ‘Opio-girls division races, the Na ‘Opio-girls’ time of 54.48 earning top overall women honors.
According to Schewchuk, the Na‘i‘ole Long Distance race is the first canoe race of the Kaua‘i Outrigger Association racing season and included a number of first-time competitors.
The KOA website lists the next race as the Prince Kuhio race that is held in two stages with the men in the first stage, and mixed teams, Women, and Youth, or Na ‘Opio crews race in the second stage.
Hundreds of paddling athletes on Kaua‘i are expected to race in this event, where the men race from Kalapaki Beach to Kuku‘iula, and the women, mixed, and Na ‘Opio teams race from Kukui‘ula to Salt Pond Beach Park on March 20.
For more information: visit koapaddler.org.
WTC Long Distance Canoe Results
50 Men: Kaiola Canoe (47.19), Namolokama (59.19)
50 Women: Namolokama (58.52), Kukui‘ula (1:04.56)
50 Mixed: Kaiola Canoe (54.03), Hanalei (59.36)
Open Men: Hokualele (47.54), Pu‘uwai *(k47.56)
Open Women: Pu‘uwai (55.30), Namolokama (56.10)
Open Mixed: Kilohana (49.25), Niumalu (55.45)
Na ‘Opio-boys: Kilohana (48.51), Pu‘uwai (49.32)
Na ‘Opio-girls: Kilohana (54.48), Pu‘uwai (49.32)
Na ‘Opio-mixed: Kaiola Canoe (57.50)
Overall mixed: Kilohana (Open-Mixed-49.25), Kaiola Canoe (50s Mixed-54.03), Niumalu (Open Mixed-55.45), Kaiola Canoe (Na ‘Opio-mixed-57.50), Hanalei (50s Mixed-59.36).
Overall Women: Kilohana (Na ‘Opio-54.48), Pu‘uwai (Open-55.31), Namolokama (Open-56.10), Pu‘uwai (Open-57.05), Namolokama (50s-58.52), Kaiola Canoe (Open-59.48), Pu‘uwai (Na ‘Opio-59.51), Kukui‘ula (Open-1:01.57), Hanalei (50s-1:07.41), Hookualele (Open-1:08.29), Kaiola Canoe (50s-1:09.28), West Kaua‘i (50s-1:12.46).
Overall men: Kaiola Canoe (Open, Unlimited-47.19), Hokualele (Open men-47.54), Pu‘uwai (Open men-47.56), Kilohana (Na ‘Opio-boys-48.51), Pu‘uwai (Na ‘Opio-boys-49.32), Namolokama (Open men-49.38), Namolokama (50s-50.19), Kukui‘ula (50s-50.31), Hanalei (Open-51.01), Pu‘uwai (Open-53.47), Niumalu (50s-55.02), Hokualele (Open-56.42), Pu‘uwai (50s-56.52), Kukui‘ula (50s-58.14), Hanalei (50s-58.40), West Kaua‘i (50s-58.50), Kaiola Canoe (50s-1:17).
