KAHULUI - Call this the ultimate wake-up call.
Napili Canoe Club started the 2012 Maui County Hawaiian Canoe Association summer season with eight wins in the first 11 races Saturday - a statement noticed by the entire association, but also a clear challenge to the host of the John M. and Kealoha Lake Regatta.
Hawaiian Canoe Club has won 10 of the last 13 Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association state crowns - including last season on Maui - and owns every MCHCA season title since 1985. The blue-and-white juggernaut walked away with the regatta win in the opener at Kahului Harbor, but not without noticing Napili's cannon blast of a start.
Article Photos
Competitors in the Maui County Hawaiian Canoe Association’s first-ever men’s 65 race make the turn in the the half-mile event during Saturday’s season-opening John M. and Kealoha Lake Regatta at Kahului Harbor.
The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
HCC finished with 130 points, 45 better than runner-up Lae'ula O Kai, taking first place in 14 races.
Napili, which ended up fifth, won six races in a row, and seven of its wins were in the youngest divisions - boys 12B, 12A, 13 and 14, mixed 12 and girls 13 and 14.
"Napili has been strong for, like, four or five years in that division," said HCC's Paul Luuwai, in his 30th season as the club's keiki coach. "We have been battling with them for a long, long time. Big credit to Joey Tihada and his Napili staff. They came out blazing today."
Tihada, Napili's head coach, said he hopes his youngsters didn't awake a sleeping giant with six county events to go before the state regatta at Ke'ehi Lagoon on Aug. 4.
"The kids worked hard, it is hard to know what's going to happen in the first race," Tihada said. "All you can do is tell the kids to work hard and see what happens. As always, I know Hawaiian has a lot of quality kids and Lae'ula does, too, and Na Kai (Ewalu) has more kids this year. With the first race, it is hard to tell.
"Really, I didn't see this happening. I knew we were going to do pretty good, but I didn't expect us to roll off that much wins. The kids surprised me today, pleasantly."
Saturday's regatta included the inaugural races for men and women 65 and older.
Thirty years ago, HCC head coach Diane Ho and Mary Akiona were part of the winning crew in the inaugural 35 race for the MCHCA, then the oldest division on the docket. On Saturday, Ho steered and Akiona sat in seat two and teamed with Aulani Takatsuka, Kekoa Enomoto, Sandra Cole and Jay Magallanies to win the first 65 race in Maui history.
Ho was happy to win her race, but four early disqualifications for HCC had her a little concerned.
"I think everything is going OK," she said. "I think it is going to be a fun season for everyone, but mistakes - lack of focus, silly mistakes. I think when you are hosting opening day, everyone is starting out, you are organizing a club of our size and you are putting on the regatta as well, it is tough."
Moments after Ho steered her crew to victory, Boogie Wainui, the veteran mentor for Na Kai Ewalu, competed in a regatta for the first time in many years and helped NKE win the men's 65 race.
"That has to be the first time in a couple decades that Uncle Boogie has paddled competitively," Luuwai said. "To see them win, that was really, really special."
Luuwai said this season is a challenge for a few different reasons. Since a seven-year state winning streak from 2001 to 2007, HCC has not been able to claim the title in back-to-back seasons. Also, the world championships will be held in Calgary a few days after the state regatta and Luuwai will guide a 20-person keiki roster to the event.
"We have got some other things going on," he said. "It does make it a little bit spicy when you have got to do more responsibilities and all, but no excuses. We didn't race as well as we could have today."
* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com
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MCHCA LAKE REGATTA
Saturday's Results
At Kahului Harbor
| Hawaiian | 130 |
| Lae‘ula O Kai | 85 |
| Kihei | 73 |
| Na Kai Ewalu | 71 |
| Napili | 58 |
| Kahana | 28 |
| Wailea | 26 |
| Lahaina | 6 |
| Hana | 3 |
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MCHCA LAKE REGATTA
At Kahului Harbor
Saturday's Results
Female
Quarter-mile
12B-1. Kahana (Mei Lei Wegner, Ashley Taguiam, Waileka Cabrera, Ira Navarro, Dakota Delos Reyes, Ivy Navarro) 3:24.83, 2. Napili 3:26.06. 12A-1. Napili (Kealahooipoleimaile Cabanilla, Daisha Kahoalii-Kalilikane, Hoku Delatori, Lina Nolan-Criste, Ola Medeiros, Noe Keahi) 2:53.56, 2. Hawaiian 2:57.19, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 3:27.96, 4. Na Kai Ewalu 3:48.16. 13-1. Napili (Tavi Viela, Kiana Nakoa, Hoku Delatori, Ana Lukela Kobatake, Kaile Kron, Kaohulani Palakiko) 2:44.08, 2. Kahana 2:56.26, 3. Hana 2:57.16, 4. Na Kai Ewalu 3:07.36, 5. Hawaiian 3:09.29, 6.Lae'ula O Kai 3:34.17. 14-1. Napili (Courtney Ruidas, Christy Mae Ruidas, Kehau-Lani Brown, Carly Jaramillo, Ana Lukela Kobatake, Diamond Freitas) 2:24.57, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 2:30.07, 3. Kihei 2:57.57, 4. Na Kai Ewalu 3:07.56, 5. Lahaina 3:10.57. Novice B-1. Napili (Kaitlin Kaiser, Amie Gerber, Sarah Velasco, Mandy Oconnell, Alicia Riley, Brittani Summers) 2:41.99, 2. Na Kai Ewalu 2:44.53, 3. Kahana 2:44.88, 4. Hawaiian 2:49.33, 5. Kihei 3:09.61, 6.Lae'ula O Kai 3:23.72.
Half-mile
15-1. Napili (Kaleiokalani Steele, Diamond Freitas, Tavi Viela, Courtney Ruidas, Kaliko Pasco-Dusenberry, Carly Jaramillo) 5:01.73, 2. Hawaiian 5:03.84, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 5:24.92, 4. Na Kai Ewalu 6:25.44. 16-1. Hawaiian (Kamaile Lee, Kahili Novikoff, Mikaela McDaniel, Mikela Wesson, Brenna Hoonan-Amby, Kaulu Luuwai) 4:50.46, 2. Napili 5:03.00, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 5:30.84, 4. Kihei 5:45.96. 18-1. Hawaiian (Lilinoe Bal, Ali Hoeck, Kaulu Luuwai, Hoapili Kealoha, Angelique Fontaine, Kiana Siliado) 4:53.22, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 5:09.68, 3. Napili 5:11.77. Novice A-1. Hawaiian (Chelsea Hindley, Kimberly Anderson, Emily Smith, Teresa Mautino, Malia Pestana, Nicole Schroeter) 5:04.02, 2. Na Kai Ewalu 5:04.77, 3. Kihei 5:05.43, 4. Kahana 5:06.41, 5. Wailea 5:37.04, 6.Napili 5:41.45. 50-1. Lae'ula O Kai (Holly Dollar, Marian Zajac, Donelle Zarko, Lei Laanui, Victoria Takayesu-Hamilton, Colleen Ford) 4:55.03, 2. Kihei 4:59.24, 3. Hawaiian 5:32.86, 4. Napili 5:54.56. 55-1. Kihei (Anita Anderson, Vanessa Weiss, Bonney Esbensen, Suzan Cengiz, Denise Guerin, Katy Smith) 5:15.30, 2. Hawaiian 5:23.36, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 5:51.02, 4. Wailea 5:51.64. 60-1. Hawaiian (Patty Rycroft, Jeanette Kaauamo, Mary Akiona, Nancy Plenty, Kathy Piller, Doreen Dagan) 5:04.77, 2. Kihei 5:09.54, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 5:16.01, 4. Kahana 6:21.14. 65-1. Hawaiian (Mary Akiona, Carol Aulani Takatsuka, Sandra Cole, Kekoa Enomoto, Diane Ho, Jay Magalianes) 6:25.85, 2. Kihei 6:37.11. Open four-1. Hawaiian (Dane Ward, Carla Fadriquela, Meghan Dunn, Kelsey Nae'ole) 5:10.38, 2. Kahana 5:31.20, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 5:34.52, 4. Kihei 5:39.13, 5. Na Kai Ewalu 5:55.43, 6.Napili 5:56.13, 7.Hana 6:03.91.
1 mile
Freshman-1. Hawaiian (Barbara Querry, Dane Ward, Kawena Cramer, Carla Fadriquela, Lauren Franzwa, Kelsey Nae'ole) 10:03.82, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 10:11.88, 3. Kahana 10:57.36, 4. Kihei 11:01.60, 5. Na Kai Ewalu 11:12.79. Sophomore-1. Na Kai Ewalu (Kat Kaufmann, Marjie Kahookele-Pea, Marissa Vierra, Erin Kamai, Nalani Kalama-Kaikala, Robin Wainui) 10:36.56, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 10:42.97, 3. Hawaiian 10:52.08, 4. Kihei 10:55.98, 5. Napili 11:10.13, 6.Kahana 11:26.33. Junior-1. Kihei (Jen Edwards, Amity Mason, Heather Pietras, Angie Wideman, Sandy Reyno, Sarah Dona-hue) 10:35.40, 2. Hawaiian 10:57.34, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 11:29.95. 40-1. Lae'ula O Kai (Lani Gomes, Rosela Balinbin, Emily Fielding, Jacque Mulleitner, Kelly Leon, Mary Kielty) 9:57.74, 2. Kihei 10:03.57, 3. Hawaiian 11:19.19.
1 1/2 miles
Open-1. Na Kai Ewalu (Marissa Vierra, Robin Wainui, Maisie Ramage, Jessica Ford, Kat Kaufmann, Keala Richards) 15:01.15, 2. Hawaiian 15:22.79, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 15:31.01, 4. Kihei 15:46.19.
* * *
Male
Quarter-mile
12B-1. Napili (Kaleo Nuesca, David Coulombe, Joshua Tihada, Dean Miyamoto, Kamaehu Baltonado, Treven Tihada) 3:09.53, 2. Hawaiian 3:11.04, 3. Na Kai Ewalu 3:26.31. 12A-1. Napili (Steven Kama, Justice Tihada, Kaleo Nuesca, Ikua Tihada, Ikaika Viela, Kila Vierra) 2:43.11, 2. Na Kai Ewalu 3:04.34, 3. Hawaiian 3:06.78, 4. Lae'ula O Kai 3:12.02, 5. Hana 3:19.20. 13-1. Hawaiian (Kekoa Medeiros, Keanini Aarona, Kekoa Vaivai, Kawai Luuwai, Keanini Aarona, Heali'i Barrett) 2:20.62, 2. Na Kai Ewalu 2:39.24, 3. Lahaina 2:40.46, 4. Wailea 2:45.95, 5. Napili 2:48.00, 6.Kihei 3:06.28. 14-1. Hawaiian (Lihau Higashino, Thomas Peterson, Iban Garvin, Maika'i Cadman, Noah Katz, Palekana Pamat-Hett) 2:09.06, 2. Napili 2:10.69, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 2:15.32, 4. Kihei 2:29.72.
Half-mile
15-1. Hawaiian 4:20.71 (Kauanoe Vanderpoel, Kyle Knutson, Matthew Meyer, Tyson Felicilda, Kellen Bean, Lihau Higashino), 2. Napili 4:32.45, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 4:34.25, 4. Kihei 4:42.31, 5. Na Kai Ewalu 5:08.53. Novice B-1. Na Kai Ewalu (Joshua Johnson, Paulo Feagai, Peter Hamill, Kristan Walsh, Cory Jacobson, Shane Skolil) 4:13.70, 2. Hawaiian 4:20.97, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 4:38.21, 4. Hana 5:02.10, 5. Wailea 5:09.81, 6.Kihei 9:10.34. 16-1. Hawaiian (Maleko Lorenzo, Kauanoe Vanderpoel, Bryce Takabayashi, Adam Ferrier, Carlos Herrera, Mogul Luuwai) 4:13.83, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 4:28.12, 3. Lahaina 4:43.18, 4. Napili 4:44.52, 5. Kihei 5:01.22. 50-1. Wailea (Eric Mitchell, Rich Olson, Gary Saldana, Robin Bolos, James Knutson, Biggie Lara) 4:10.98, 2. Kihei 4:19.04, 3. Kahana 4:32.75, 4. Lae'ula O Kai 4:57.56. 55-1. Kihei (Tom Guerin, Sam Cavitt, Terry Davis, Ed Begley, Gary Heath, Casey Logsdon) 4:27.12, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 4:36.49, 3. Hawaiian 4:50.30, 4. Na Kai Ewalu 4:52.44, 5. Kahana 5:13.11. 60-1. Kihei (Louis Dionese Jr., John Salse, Ken Pearsall, Bob Brooks, Ed Begley, Kimokeo Kapahulehua) 4:31.65, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 4:39.95, 3. Na Kai Ewalu 4:46.15, 4. Hawaiian 4:51.75. 65-1. Na Kai Ewalu (James Woessner, Thomas Wright, Skippy Young, David Padgett, Steven Booth Songstad, Boogie Wainui) 5:14.59, 2. Kahana 5:18.02, 3. Kihei 5:26.04, 4. Hawaiian 6:20.61. Open four-1. Na Kai Ewalu (Richard Palakiko, Kaimi Kealoha, Mike Lambert, Keith Zielinski) 4:21.70, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 4:25.32, 3. Hawaiian 4:30.07, 4. Wailea 4:37.94, 5. Kihei 4:47.61, 6.Napili 4:48.17, 7.Hana 5:02.78.
1 mile
18-1. Hawaiian (Maleko Lorenzo, Flo Michelier, Ryan Knutson, Levi Almeida, Makolea Aikala, Mogul
Luuwai) 8:47.98, 2. Wailea 8:55.95, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 8:59.68. Novice A-1. Kihei (Jesse Guerin, Greg Frederick, Michael Lauer, Grant Haitsuka, Brooks Cohen, Lawaia Aweau) 8:41.42, 2. Hawaiian 8:45.50, 3. Na Kai Ewalu 8:46.32, 4. Kahana 9:29.32, 5. Napili 13:53.07. Freshman-1. Na Kai Ewalu (Kaimi Kealoha, Hans Harder, Richard Palakiko, Matthew Lewis, Bobby Divers, Kalani Tancayo) 8:35.09, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 8:38.41, 3. Lahaina 8:40.56, 4. Hawaiian 8:48.44, 5. Wailea 8:56.38, 6.Kahana 9:15.99. Sophomore-1. Wailea (Kai Bartlett, Jacob Abeytia, Felipe Gomes, Paul Donovan, Mael Carey, Kekoa Cramer) 8:16.23, 2. Hawaiian 9:13.33, 3. Na Kai Ewalu 9:29.14, 4. Napili 10:09.74. Junior-1. Wailea (Rich Olson, Ekolu Kalama III, Robert Brede, Biggie Lara, James Knutson, Jason Gomes) 8:46.39, 2. Hawaiian 9:09.66, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 9:30.83, 4. Na Kai Ewalu 9:38.35. 40-1. Lae'ula O Kai (Juan Giliberto, Lee Ishikawa, Reggie Balidoy, Stuart Vieira, Frank Zajac, Ricky Balidoy) 8:35.28, 2. Na Kai Ewalu 8:55.80, 3. Kihei 8:58.27, 4. Napili 9:30.23, 5. Hawaiian 9:44.83.
1 1/2 miles
Open-1. Wailea (Kai Bartlett, Felipe Gomes, Kekoa Santos, Mael Carey, Kekoa Cramer, Jake Durnell) 11:44.93, 2. Hawaiian 12:51.60, 3. Na Kai Ewalu 13:01.61, 4. Lae'ula O Kai 13:31.67, 5. Napili 13:59.32.
* * *
Mixed
Quarter-mile
12-1. Napili (Steven Kama, Justice Tihada, Lina Nolan-Criste, Ikaika Viela, Kealahooipoleimaile Cabanilla, Noe Keahi) 2:46.09, 2. Na Kai Ewalu 3:09.70, 3. Hawaiian 3:16.08, 4. Lae'ula O Kai 3:19.73, 5. Hana 3:23.99, 6.Kahana 3:58.96. Novice B-1. Na Kai Ewalu (Jessica Ford, Paulo Feagai, Shane Skolil, Peter Hamill, Tiare Gahan, Paula MacCutcheon) 2:11.84, 2. Hawaiian 2:15.24, 3. Kahana 2:18.41, 4. Kihei 2:27.68, 5. Napili 2:33.31, 6.Lae'ula O Kai 2:45.21.
Half-mile
18-1. Lae'ula O Kai (Maikael Gosselin-Gunn, Ariel Finberg, Sean Grogan, J.R. Rios, Nicole Rios, Tori Prieto) 4:43.98, 2. Hawaiian 4:56.95, 3. Kihei 5:25.06, 4. Na Kai Ewalu 5:50.98. 40-1. Hawaiian (George Dagan, David Ward, Michael Giblin, Cathy Uu, Trez Harrisson, Theresa Gerry) 4:14.59, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 4:15.73, 3. Kihei 4:16.71, 4. Kahana 4:41.91, 5. Napili 5:17.97. 55-1. Kihei (Anita Anderson, Mark Kasbergen, Sam Cavitt, Terry Davis, Vanessa Weiss, Katy Smith) 4:50.20, 2. Lae'ula O Kai 4:55.05. 60-1. Kihei (Irene Geyer, John Salse, Kimokeo Kapahulehua, Bob Brooks, Deborah Pearsall, Lea Giddens) 5:13.92, 2. Hawaiian 5:31.35, 3. Kahana 5:31.87. Open-1. Hawaiian (George Dagan, Timothy Lara, Michael Giblin, Barbara Querry, Theresa Gerry, Kawena Cramer) 4:11.45, 2. Kihei 4:12.30, 3. Lae'ula O Kai 4:23.95, 4. Na Kai Ewalu 4:31.76, 5. Wailea 4:42.96, 6.Napili 5:06.25.
