Thousands of paddlers arrived at Ke‘ehi Lagoon early Saturday with a paddle in hand and team jersey on their back preparing to sit in their beloved koa canoes one final time this year.

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Thousands of paddlers arrived at Ke‘ehi Lagoon early Saturday with a paddle in hand and team jersey on their back preparing to sit in their beloved koa canoes one final time this year.

For generations, canoe clubs have formed the foundation of communities across Hawaii. Some clubs are among the oldest continuously operating local organizations in the islands. This year’s Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championships marked 74 years since the association first sanctioned interisland championship racing under unified rules.

The inaugural Julian Yates Championship Outrigger Regatta Race was held in pristine Kailua Bay in 1952. Manago Hotel, Standard Bakery, and the Aloha Theater all took out advertisements in the pamphlets printed before statehood. Eight clubs competed in nine races, with Outrigger Canoe Club dominating the day.

Decades later, and the premier race has grown into one of Hawaii’s largest sporting events. This year it was held in the urban epicenter of the archipelago. Ke‘ehi Lagoon on Oahu hosted 44 divisional races welcoming 57 canoe clubs representing 5 islands to participate over the course of 9 hours.

The lagoon is a sacred place with ancient Hawaiian fish ponds and is nestled within three valleys — Kalihi, Moanalua and Kahauiki — which all caress the lagoon carving a shallow course where local water knowledge helps crews understand currents running best.

Trade winds of 20- to 30-mph challenged crews throughout the day and produced some of the closest racing all season. Thirty-one races were decided by five seconds or less between first and second place.

Some champions arrived undefeated boasting the fastest times on their island yet didn’t step foot on the podium in Oahu.

It was a slow day earning medals for Big Island paddlers until the late morning. Keoua Canoe Club’s Girls 10 crew earned the island’s first podium finish placing third after a tremendous season taking the coveted prize home for Hawaii Island. Manaia Hua-Cho, La‘i Kaawa, Naia Kaleohano, Aulani Kaupu, Honua Lafitaga and Kalea Phipps paddled a determined race in the youngest division.

Keoua is the lineal descendant of Honaunau Canoe Club, one of the eight original teams racing in Kailua Bay 74 years ago, with coaching ties to Julian Yates himself.

The senior race used to be 3 miles. The paddles were solid wood. 1952 also marked the first sanctioned Molokai to Oahu crossing. According to the original race program, the inaugural season was considered “unpopular,” with the strain of training proving “too much” for many participants. Yet another passage from that same program remains timeless:

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“Tall tales are told of the races held between 1906 and 1909 off Oahu, when the rivalry between Kona and Honolulu was as keen as it is today.”

Those same words ring as true now as they did almost a century ago.

Kona paddling is firmly in the canoe seats of Heipualani, the koa wood canoe from Kai ‘Ehitu, shaped by founder Papa Kimitete. Head Coach Richard Kimitete has developed a deep partnership with Big Island Jr. Wa‘a, an independent youth paddling organization operating out of Honokohau Harbor. Heipualani’s stunning red stripe set a statement with back-to-back golds in the late morning.

Ke‘ala Kahananui, Cheyenne Kahulamu, La‘akea Kamaka, Sarai Liufau, Lily Ponce and Ilona Takaki-Puou Ellis finished first place for the Kai ‘Ehitu 14 girls. The following race ‘E‘a‘e‘a Akau, Kendell Kahahane-Takaki, Brodie Learned, Kainoa Moku Andersen, Trevor Podry and Sebastian Shoemaker-Hassey earned Kona gold in the Boys 14, bookending a perfectly undefeated season in their division.

Just seven races later, Bently Balanga, Tautau Hing, Kamuela Kainoa, Oliver Powers, Gavin Schwartzkopf and Mason Torcato topped off their perfect season with Kai ‘Ehitu. The young kona paddlers proved their true prowess, edging out Honolulu’s Outrigger Canoe Club by 2 seconds in the Boys 16 division.

Some of these boys would go off to set a tremendous showing in the adult division with steersman Oliver Powers navigating the prestigious senior men to a thunderous 3rd place finish later in the afternoon.

Three Hawaii Island crews defended a perfect season through the state competition. One of those crews had a divisionally defining performance setting the fastest time in the state for their age group, cap stoning a 3-year unbeaten streak on Hawaii Island while remaining undefeated at Keehi Lagoon multiple years running. Jerry Bess, Ikaika Hauanio, Eddie Hayward, Ekolu Kalama, III, Tito Nicolas and Theron Ogata wrestled first place from Honolulu’s historic Healani Canoe Club in the Senior Master 50s race.

Some members from that crew worked with the Julie and Mike Matthews Foundation earlier this year to renovate the Honokohau Harbor paddling center.

The next 75 years of paddling could once again be flowing straight through Kona. Men’s coach Eddie Hayward posted an ohana photograph with the caption “unreal” as Kona ascended once again upon the top stage in Hawaiian paddling. This time wearing a red jersey and holding the 3rd place prize for the top AAAA division.

The rivalry that inspired paddlers more than a century ago continues to define the sport today and the next generation of steward paddlers may once again rise from the slopes of Hualalai.

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