Two days of racing brought paddlers together for the Koa Nui Championship Race, hosted by Pa'a, which is part of the Steinlager Race series. Here are some of the comments paddlers were sharing as they waited in line for a lunch provided by Dukes Waikiki — "Good Grinds! Yummy Speights!"
John Hoogsteden: (surfski) It was awesome; good conditions, lots of wind, lots of waves, good fun, really good grinds (food).
Keizo Gates: Today and yesterday were the most fun races of the year. It's good to get some wind.
Blain Chong: It was fun. Manny put in a lot of work to put together two days of racing.
Kirkwood Young: (surfski) I'm just a beginner, but it was a great experience.
Cathrine Lo: I thought today was a relief after yesterday. It was good to go downwind.
Nicole Madosik: (SUP) It was fun. A little hard once you pass Kaimana and come into Waikiki, so it was a little challenge.
Blain Fujita: It was fun. Finally had a race with trade winds instead of flat and variables or head winds. There were some whales out there jumping and flapping their tails. It was pretty cool. There was one outside Hanauma Bay, and if I had taken the bump, it would have been a pretty close one.
Larry Felix: I flew in from California for the series. The best part is the level of paddling here compared to California. It's just amazing. At home it's always flat, and here riding the surf is so technical.
Claire Townsend: Yesterday was my first time long-course in Koa Nui. Yesterday was a little intimidating going around Makapu'u. Today was a lot more fun.
Ryan Pogue: (Vancouver, Canada) There's lots of good competition here. It's always nice to race with people faster and stronger than you ­— it makes you better. The most memorable part was inside Diamond Head when a wave took my seat and I had to finish without one. It's a good series, well organized. There's the right amount of safety on the water so you always feel confident which is a big part. Everyone joking on the starting line, having fun, a positive competitive spirit. It's a big family, that's why the sport is so great.
Mario Mausio: (Fiji) I'm not used to the conditions. (Paddlers usually paddle within a reef system which is extensive.) It was a bit sloppy around the back (Sandy Beach to Hanauma Bay). The best part was the Hawaii Kai run.
Rachel Bruntsch: The best part was having three races in two days. The most memorable part for me was being taken out by a wave at the start of the race.
Carlton Helm: It was great conditions overall. It was great to have good wind, currents and tides. It seems like it's been a couple of months of just flat water.
Steve Cole: It was really fun at Makapu'u. I love that spot, just waves from every direction, and once you get to Moanalua Bay, there were some pretty good runs, zig-zagging and catching the backwash the whole way down.
Katie Slocumb: (SUP) It was a mellow Hawaii Kai run except for the whales. There was one coming straight for me, so I stopped, and it must have sensed me because it turned and went another direction — I didn't get launched like I heard other people did recently.
Jennifer Polcer: I did both days. I liked the sprint portion of the series. It was a different element which I haven't done before.
Mark Rigg: The best part was an outside line at Moanalua Bay and passing six guys. The worst part was when they caught me and passed me outside Waikiki.