Click on the cover to see the digitized edition

Na Wahine O Ke Kai
Molokai Hoe
Harrison 'Beanie' Lono Heen
What is tradition?
Paddling Scholarship
SoCal Ocean Racing
Another Dam Race
Canadian National Sprint Champs
Keeping your muscles limber
Canoe surfing challenge

"It was really rough and sloppy, just a lot of stuff coming left-to-right, right-to-left. Lucky the current and wind was pushing us the whole way."
- Molokai Hoe

On the cover Harrison 'Beanie' Lono Heen

2012 IVF World Outrigger Sprint Due Dates
The 2012 IVF World Outrigger Sprint Championships is August 11 thru 15, 2012 in Calgary, Canada. An intent to participate is due October 31, 2011. Information submitted will be used to help in the planning and organization of the Hawaii trials, which will be held on Sunday, January 15 at Keehi Lagoon. The intent to participate fee is $100.00 per Club/Team and $10.00 for each V1 paddler. Trial registration deadline is November 30 with a fee of $30.00 per paddler/person. Late trial registration fee $50.00 per paddler/person.
After the Hawaii Trails, the Hawaii area coordinator will notify each club/team or individual of the results and final payment. The final registration fee is due January 31. Only those who qualify for Hawaii's allotted lanes will be notified. It is mandatory that all Hawaii clubs, teams and paddlers wear the Hawaii Racing Jersey. Hawaii Delegation T-shirts are recommended.
Final registration fee is $60.00 per paddler plus Hawaii Racing Jersey and delegation tee shirt for $45.00.
All forms and payments should be sent to: Luana Froiseth
791 Sunset Ave
Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
Email: LuanaFroiseth@AOL.com
or phone 808-732-2639(H) or 808-330-4774.
Make all payments to: HCRA – World Sprints. All payments are non- refundable.

Molokai Hoe

>>See this story along with photos in the digitized edition of Pacific Paddler >>

Shell Va'a keeps breaking records

Shell Va'a returned to claim it's thrown and in doing so smashed it's previous record by nearly eight minutes finishing in 4:30:54. This averages out to nine-miles per hour from Hale O Lono to the Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki. In 2006, Shell Va'a won their first Molokai Hoe and broke the record held by Lanikai Canoe Club set in 2000 of 4:50:31. Lanikai had won this race six times and now Shell Va'a matches that total. Only Outrigger Canoe Club with 16 victories and Waikiki Surf Club with 12 have had more wins in the 60 year history of the race.

Shell Va'a has continued to improve their performance. It had been said that the Tahitians were good at flat water racing and not so good in the waves. In 2007, Shell Va'a proved them wrong by winning in rough conditions, and on top of that, they broke the previous record they set the year before in flat water by six minutes, finishing in 4:40:22.

In 2008, Shell Va'a had a third consecutive record-breaking race, and it became obvious the Tahitians had firmly established that they were World Champs of outrigger racing.
Shell Va'a continued their wins in 2009 and 2010 and were just shy of setting new records, but this year they made up for it, and in channel conditions some described as unorganized with waves coming from all directions, Shell Va'a found the groove and smashed the old record by eight minutes setting the new Molokai Hoe record at 4:30:50.

Four crews flew in from Tahiti and all finished in the top six. Coming in second, EDT finished in 4:36:45. Wailea Canoe Club - Team Primo from Hawaii finished 3rd in 4:42:59 followed by Lanikai Canoe Club, 4:47:08. Rounding off the 'Top Ten': 5th Air Tahiti Va'a, 4:54:17, 6th (1st Masters 40+) Team Livestrong Tahiti, 5:03:37, 7th Outrigger Canoe Club, 5:06:40, 8th Livestrong/Ocean Pursuits, 5:10:51, 9th Newport Aquatic Center, 5:11:16 and 10th Hui Lanakila, 5:15:34.

under the tent

After the race and the canoes have been put on trailers, under the tents that line the Hilton Hawaiian Lagoon, paddlers are feasting and basking in the afterglow of racing 41 miles from Molokai to Oahu. Depending on the experience factor, the channel was many things to different people. Here are a few comments made in the shade:
"This massive wave showed up and we were surfing it, then we started to pearl and then another wave came up on our ama side. What you going to do?" They hulied - Stanley, Kamehameha Hilo
"It was pretty hairy, big and sloppy, everything was against us, but we had fun. We had a bunch of great guys."- Jeff Tario, Hawaiian Canoe Club/Molokai/Healani
"It was very long, I cramped up out there, the waves were treacherous. Just tying to steer; the boat goes were it wants to go - Josh R., North Shore
"I like the 12 guy-thing, nice to be able to double rest every time." - Tim Doughty, (California) Kailua 55+
"We had all novice B men in our crew. They took third in the states this year, and they wanted to experience everything; they wanted to paddle Molokai, and we did it. I'm so proud of them. - Coach Kevin Mokuahi, Olelo O Ke Ola
"We hulied at the two-and-a-half hour mark, it took a long time to get the canoe back over. We had some novice paddlers in the crew. I think we set the hook in really tight, they'll be back next year. - Israel Gonzalise, Hilo
"It was really rough and sloppy, just a lot of stuff coming left-to-right, right-to-left. Lucky the current and wind was pushing us the whole way. It was a good run battling with Outrigger and trying to catch Livestrong." - Danny Ching, Newport Aquatic Center