covering hawai`i`s state team sport since 1996

Covering Hawai‘i’s State Team Sport since 1996
F R E E i n H a wa i i
April 2008
PRSRT. STD. U.S.
POSTAGE PAID
Honolulu, Hi
Permit No. 583
Aloha
Contents
Where were you 13 years ago? In
'95 I was learning how to paddle a
canoe. (A)nd now, I have two beautiful children, a loving wife and
a beautiful view of the sun rising
over the Pacific. Thanks to God for
making it all happen and my friends,
family and associates for
sharing the experience.
HHSSA States
4
ILH
10
Toots & Tongg
12
Kauai Hoe Wa'a
14
Maui & Big Island
16
Kanaka Ikaika
18
Two days with Pa'a
26
Pa'a comes to life
31
CA, USA
32
Our NZ adventure
35
Fashion
36
Expanding Markets
38
New Products
39
Made to order
40
Hormone replacement
41
Want to run a race?
42
Published by: Ropati Hebenstreit
writers: Peter Caldwell, Jim
Who'e #1, p.4
Foti, Cheance Adair ,Kamanu
April 2008 Vol 13 #1
On the cover
Kanaka Ikaika's
Kailua to Kualoa
photo by Ropati
Composits, Brian Carter RPh,
Randy Botti and Karel Tresnak,
photos: Peter Caldwell, Brian
Vestyck with Hamsterworks.
com and Ropati
Proof reader: Amy Hebenstreit
Flat from Kailua to Kualoa, p.18
Address: PO Box 300345,
Ka‘a‘awa, HI 96730
PHONE: (808) 351-2398
EMAIL: [email protected]
www. pacificpaddler.com
Printed at Trade Publishing Co.
ph 808 848-0711
Manny ignights Pa'a, p.30
A subscription to Pacific Paddler
is only $12 for a year or $18 for two
Send a check to: Pacific Paddler
PO box 300345, Ka'a'awa, HI 96730
or go to pacificpaddler.com for subscription options
Our mission is to
bring the excitement of
outrigger paddling to a
larger audience. We feel
that Pacific Paddler’s hui
of supporters, contributors,
subscribers and advertisers is
helping the sport grow, not
only here in Hawaii, but
around the world. Thanks for
your contribution to the sport.
©2008 Pacific Paddler is published six
times a year. No reproduction without permission. No responsibility is assumed by publisher
as to the contents’ accuracy or completeness.
Share the Glory:
HHSSA States 2008
Photos by Peter Caldwell
On a day marked by spirited
competition and some surprises,
high school paddlers from across
the state spent a beautiful, sunny
day racing at Keehi Lagoon
in the seventh annual State
Championships. As usual, Oahu’s
private school ILH crews were
among the favorites to continue
their domination, but some strong
neighbor island crews, as well as
several from Oahu’s OIA, figured
to be in the mix as well. Changes
in regular season format had
occurred in the OIA where races
were conducted at a 1-mile distance
instead of the previous half-mile
sprints. ILH crews spent their season
racing at distances up to six miles
while outer island teams had a mix
April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
of sprint and distance events. Once
again with different formats and also
different canoes, evaluating crews
remained a challenge. A push for standardizing the events across the board
for all islands might eventually become
a reality, but so far the concept has not
passed the discussion stage.
For the boy’s varsity event, could the
ILH add another name to the perpetual
paddle trophy and run their string
to seven straight? Kapa’a, Kalaheo
and Maryknoll all had fast times in
the preliminary rounds. In the Finals,
Kalaheo’s orange-clad crew shot off the
line with a fast start. Maryknoll had to
play catch up when Ryan Dolan broke
his paddle. Ironically his older brother
Patrick had the same mishap in the
same race two years ago. To the cheers
of their supporters, Kalaheo was first
around the buoy at the halfway mark
of the half-mile course. Realizing that
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 victory and a chance to make some
history were at hand, they poured
it on down the stretch and flashed
across the finish line in 3:43:21.
The battle for second was won by
Kapa’a from Kauai with Maryknoll
taking third.
The ILH stranglehold continued in
the girl’s varsity event where Punahou
was the winner in a very tight race
where every stroke was critical at
the finish. In a blanket finish that
was not without controversy, outer
island crews took second and third.
After officials reviewed the videos a
number of times, Kapa’a was finally
awarded second place over Baldwin
from Maui. Last year’s winner,
Kamehameha-Oahu was fourth in this
event in which Punahou won for the
second time to Kamehameha’s five.
There was more excitement
to come in the mixed division
with the victory being decided by
tenths of a second. Going into the
April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
Finals, it looked to be a battle between
Konawaena from the Big Island,
defending champion Kamehameha –
Oahu, and Maryknoll, and that’s exactly
how it turned out. Was it Konawaena or
Kamehameha as the two crews sprinted
across the finish line in another photo
finish? The Big Island crew paddled to
the beach with big smiles knowing that
they had given it their best shot, and
it wasn’t until later that the crew and
their supporters started a wild celebration when they got the word that they
had won it! In a time of 4:00:73, the
BIIF had their first state champion as
they had edged out Kamehameha who
finished in 4:00:89. Maryknoll gave the
ILH another finish in the money as they
came in third.
Punahou coach Rocky Higgins
remarked that the depth of good crews
was never more evident than in this
year’s championship. Paddling as a
high school sport is really taking off,
which is appropriate for a state where
outrigger canoe paddling is designated
as the official sport. For the winners,
it is a memory to savor while for the
others, disappointments were eased
with the satisfaction of knowing that
they had competed with the best in
their sport. The scene now switches to
Maui for next year, and with increasing
participation, the competition will more
than likely get even better!
Peter Caldwell
April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
ILH competition off Waikiki
pictorial report by Peter Caldwell
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 11
Toots & Tongg
The Toots and Tongg Invitational
was held on March 1st at Keehi
Lagoon. Sponsored by the Na Opio
Canoe Racing Association, this sixman event was the unofficial state
championship prior to 2002 and was
called the Toots Minvielle Invitational.
To honor the late Michael Tongg for
all his contributions to the sport, the
event was renamed this year. Young
12 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
paddlers from Oahu and the outer
islands were joined by a large contingent of Tahitians to share a day of fun,
camaraderie and racing.
By Peter Caldwell
YMCA Kauai Hoe Wa'a
The YMCA Kauai Hoe Wa'a
2008 season is in full swing! Little or
no wind characterized three of the
four races so far, but the static conditions haven't dampened an enthusiastic turnout. With an average
of 60 paddlers competing in each
event, participation hit an all-time
high with 81 athletes showing up for
the second race from Poipu to Port
Allen, when 20-25 mph trade winds
prevailed. Post-race, participants are
enjoying the great food organized
by Beth Kauwe and prepared by AJ
Irons, washed down with refreshing
beverages donated by Budweiser.
In the YMCA Points Series, Mark
Frazier and Alana Goo-Frazier lead
the long course, with Tyrus Slale and
Lilinoe Forrest ahead in the short
course division. Two races are left in
the regular season, culminating with
the Kauai World Challenge costal
relay May 8-11. For more news
and race results, go to www.kauaihoewaa.com. Mahalo to all the
board members and volunteers who
have helped make the 2008 season
a success!
The 6th annual Kauai World
Challenge is happening May 811! With $20,000 in cash prizes,
this OC-1, OC-2 and surfski costal
relay boasts the largest purse in the
nation! The main event happens
on May 10 when teams paddle
a combined 34 miles, finishing at
14 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
Salt Pond where they will enjoy a
fantastic post-race party with lunch,
beverages and entertainment.
Two individual warm-up races will
precede the main event on May 8th
and 9th, and offer additional cash
prizes with no additional entry fee!
An OC-6 race on May 11 concludes
the weekend, with another $5,000
in cash offered up for the top teams.
With 274 athletes participating last
year, this race is the world's premier
costal relay. For registration and
additional race information, visit
www.kauaiworldchallenge.com.g
What's in your paddle?
The Friday of the State races, while
attending a workshop, I received a call
from one of the high schools (a frantic
call I might add) asking if a certain
paddle had the specs to be a legal
paddle by rules set down by canoe
racing associations.
This same paddle I have been
selling over the past few years, and it
was known that it is a legal paddle.
The high school racing association
told this high school that the paddle
was not legal and that they had to
come up with evidence that it was or
they would disqualify their girl's team
for using it... and that if they had to
cut into or drill the paddle, it would
be at the school's cost whether it was
legal or not.
We contacted the manufacturer of
the paddle and they in turn contacted
the officials to let them know that they
had built the paddles with the specs
the racing association had set. In the
meantime, the coach of the team was
told they could not use the paddles
they had until the controversy had been
settled because they would be disqualified. The coach went up and down the
beach looking for paddles for his girls,
found some, but it was a mixed batch
of sizes.
After all was said and done, the
officials went up to the coach and
told them the paddles were legal. But
by that time as you could imagine,
the team had been thrown off of their
game, and rightfully so, the team was
upset at the outcome.
Our conclusion is that questions
about equipment or any other infringement should be addressed after the
race and not before so that we don't
punish the innocent. A team can easily
be disqualified after a race, which is a
better deterrent to cheating.
Submitted anonymously
16 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
Hawaii island
Hawaii Island Paddlesports Association
(HIPA) is now well into it's tenth season for
solo and duo paddlers on Hawaii Island.
Over 150 paddlers took advantage of our
new on-line pre-season registration system
making registration easier and faster. HIPA
also began using a new race day short
form for registration to speed things up. The
association has grown to over 250 active
members, though less paddlers are doing
every race. More people are limiting their
racing to the events on their side of Hawaii
Island, probably, in part, a result of rising
fuel prices. On the water, Nick and Cherisse
Agorastos have been the paddlers to beat
in the respective long course open divisions. On the short course, the novices have
been led by Tasha Aipa on the wahine side
with Josh Timmer, Keahi Wartfiled and Kai
Robson battling it out on the kane side. One
of the most competitive divisions and the
division with three of the most comical individuals is the men's 65 and over, with Stan
Dzura, Stan Roehrig and Ron Reilly battling
it out week in and week out.
The high school paddling scene on
Hawaii Island continues to grow, with
12 schools participating in the Big
Island Interscholastic Federation events.
Konawaena rose to the top, taking a state
title in the mixed division and the first ever
BIIF state paddling title.
With summer on the horizon, the OC6 clubs are all gearing up with recruiting
flyers up all over the island. The early word
is that most clubs are seeing an increase in
members showing up for early practices.
That's the Hawaii Island Happenings for
now, enjoy paradise and we'll see you on
the water. A Hui Hou
Kanaka Ikaika
Kailua to Kualoa
photos by Ropati
Kanaka Ikaika’s 2008 Lulu’s series has good racing. Canoes and surfskis
in both long and short courses saw strong competition and mixed results.
Equally as exciting was the addition of the Stand up division. With the XCEL
Oahu and Hinano State Championship Races yet to commence, the season
is just coming to a peak.
18 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
The short course OC-1 is
showing lots of talent. Paddlers like
Jace Faufata, Gavin Hanoa, Kalei
Kahookele, Charles Meyer, Rusty
Goings and DJ Oga are all stabbing
for gold at the championships. Kalei
or Gavin are poised to win the series
title. The women’s division has been
dominated by Ann Dewey with 16 year
old Julia Anderson running consistently
close behind.
The OC-1 long course has consistently seen Manny Kulukulualani on
the top. However, Karel Tresnak and
Jack Roney have each won one race,
with paddlers like Keali’i Paiaina, Ryan
Dolan, Carlton Helm, Aaron Creps,
Alfred Van Gieson, Tapa Worthington
and Danny Ching all poking their
heads into the top 5 at one point or
another. Barring a disaster, Manny
is poised for a certain series victory.
The women’s division also has tough
competition. Jessica Eames and Kelsa
The long course paddlers make
there way past Popoi'a (Flat) Island
and head streight towards Mokapu
Peninsula, where if any action is to
be found on this day, it would be
there — between Ulupa'a Head and
Kahekili's Leap.
The pack set their sites on Mokulea Rock (Bird), in the middle of Kailua Bay. Above, Jack Roney will finish first overall.
As they make there way towards Ulupa'u crater, Moku Loa and Makapu'u Point can be seen in the background.
20 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
Teeters have each won races with
Arlene Holzman and Alana Goo-Frazier
from Kauai pulling in second place
finishes. Jaimie Kinard and Denise
Darval-Chang have both shown their
faces in the top 3 as well. Arlene is in
a good position to win the points.
Surfskis have had some interesting
shakes this season as well. In the long
course Patrick Dolan, Dave Campbell,
Sean Monahan and Szolt Szadovski
have all won at least one race. Szolt is
here from Hungary to train for Molokai
and took the series by storm in the 4th
inning. But others paddlers like Mark
Sandvold, Ryan Dolan, Matt Dubrule,
Courtney Seto, John Hoogsteden, Kala
Judd and Chris Ball are all in the hunt.
The wahine surfskis have been sparsely
attended with thanks to Robin Singh for
keeping the division alive.
The short course surfski was tended
to mostly by William Gacutan and
Mark Buck, with 14 year old Trenton
Tam representing the future. The
women’s division was saved by Rachel
Orange and Mikala Bradley.
OC-2 had Hall and Hall over Yoza
and Yoza, with Bustos and Creps dominating long course late in the season.
The Stand up division was born with
thanks to guys like Kainoa Beaupree,
Jeff Chang, Vitor Marcal, Edward
Pestana and Herbie Titcomb.
The season is turning out well,
however not without a few hiccups in
the system. But thanks to sponsors like
Lulu’s, Hinano, XCEL, Malibu, ENZA
and their Pacific Rose Apples, Shirtco,
Pacific Paddler, Kialoa and Outrigger
Zone, we are able to make the races
happen.
The final race of the Lulu’s Point
Series is the XCEL Oahu Championship.
The Hinano State Championship will
start from Waimanalo Beach Park at
9:00 am on Sunday April 13. The
course will swing around the south end
of Oahu, into Hawaii Kai and around
a mark at the Hawaii Kai Bath House.
From there it is back out and around
Jessica Eames paddles under Kahekili's Leap.
to the blinker buoy for a jungle rules
Hawaii Kai Run to Kaimana Beach.
Awards and lunch will follow at Lulu’s
Waikiki on the corner of Kalakaua and
Kapahulu Ave. If you normally don’t
hang around for the awards, don’t
miss this one. Bring family and friends
as Lulu’s welcomes all comers.
Mahalo for the support of the
paddlers and good luck in the Pa’a
OC-1 Kaiwi Solo, the Molokai Relay,
Kauai Relay and the Epic Molokai
Challenge.
Jim Foti
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 21
Kelsa Teeters paddles past Moku Manu, a seabird sanctuary
KERN ROGERSON
ZSOLT SZADOVSZKI
RYAN DOLAN
ARLENE HOLZMAN
TOM CONNER
NORM BRADLEY
JESSICA EAMES
JAMES FOTI
A stand-up paddlers on the home
stretch to the finish at Kualoa Park.
Right, from Mokapu Peninsula to
Mokoli'i (Chinaman's Hat), most took a
streight course accross the bay.
22 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler
JOHN HOOGSTEDEN
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 23
The tepuke
named Vaka
Taumako
sails across
the lagoon at
Kahula. In the
background
stand the
unpopulated
Bass Islands.
Cultural anthropologist Dr. Mimi Georg, on the hull of a
tepuke, enjoys a ride around Kahula Lagoon, Taumako
Island, Solomon Islands.
The tepuke's lauhala
sail rests in a mast step
carved in the image of
the Ube bird (Teube) who
befriended Lata, the first
person to build and sail
a voyaging canoe of
this type. According to
Taumako tradition, Teube
showed Lata the best tree
from which to make his
canoe hull. Ever since,
Teube has ridden in a place
of honor atop the canoe.
All photos taken by H.M. Wyeth during tepuke sailing training at Kahula Lagoon.
T-shirt sales help Polynesian Voyaging Society
navigate into the future
Continuing its mission to give back to the community and
perpetuate the Hawaiian culture of aloha, Duke’s Canoe
Club Waikiki – a tribute to Duke Kahanamoku, known as the
father of modern day surfing and a US Olympian Swimmer –
recently donated $4,000 to the Polynesian Voyaging Society
as part of its first Legacy of Aloha donation.
The Polynesian Voyaging Society was founded to research
ancient Polynesian migrations, navigation and seafaring heritage, and received a Legacy of Aloha donation of $4,000.
Surfing the Nations and SurfAid International, also received
$3,000 each from Duke’s Waikiki.
“The Polynesian Voyaging Society is very close to our
heart in that it seeks to preserve the ancient traditions of
Polynesian navigating,” said Duke’s Waikiki General
Manager Ross Anderson. “Contributing greatly to the
Hawaiian culture, the Polynesian Voyaging Society has
rekindled a passion for the seemingly lost heritage. We are
so pleased to support its mission.”
Created in 2007, the Legacy of Aloha is a charitable
donation program that fulfills Duke’s Waikiki’s mission to
perpetuate the Hawaiian culture of Aloha by giving back to
the community and to those that are in need. The program
raises funds for non-profit organizations in Hawaii through
the sale of an annual commemorative 'Legacy of Aloha'
t-shirt; Ten dollars of each t-shirt sold during the year is
donated to organizations that Duke Kahanamoku would have
supported in his day, including water-sport related, canoeing
organizations, ocean and water environmentalist groups,
youth and elderly organizations, and cultural organizations
within Hawaii’s community. Organizations may obtain an
application form from Duke’s Waikiki to be considered as
24 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
Foti Bros. & Outrigger Zone
hold OC-1 paddling clinic
Our clinic on March 1 at Kailua
Beach Park brought a crowd of about
30 people. We had a long sit down
on the beach in which we discussed
many facets of paddling OC-1 canoes.
There were people of many
different skill levels so we tried to cover
as much content as possible in order
to give everyone something new to
grasp. Our syllabus was as follows:
The clinic covered:
• Evolution of the sport
• Equipment and canoe care
- from the rack to the ocean and back
safely.
• Techniques – paddling,
rigging, etc…
• Training
• Philosophy
We opened up the lecture with
a brief history of how the modern
Hawaiian style OC-1 came to Hawaii
and how it evolved to
become the growing
sport that it is today.
We talked about the
many details necessary with handling and
caring for your canoe,
in and out of the water,
as most damage
occurs out of the water.
We discussed ways to
detect leaks and how
to do some mild at
home repairs, and we
talked about paddles and sizing, as
well as rigging your canoe and what
the different settings do to the stability
and trim.
Then we put the canoes in the
water and tested everyone’s paddling
technique while some newcomers just
tested out the sport. It was a beautiful
day in Kailua and everyone was very
happy with the session.
Keep your eye out for future clinics
and workshops. You can soon visit
www.outriggerzone.com for information on upcoming Outrigger Zone
sponsored events, much of the information that is covered in the clinics, and
more about Outrigger Zone.
General Manager Ross Anderson and staff at the PA'A
(Paddling Athletes Association) Koa Nui Race. Duke’s
Waikiki is one of the sponsors and provided the paddlers
with a delicious lunch.
beneficiaries of the Legacy of Aloha program.
As one of the 13 T S Restaurants located throughout
Hawaii and California, Duke’s Waikiki was founded on the
T S Recipe of Success, which includes offering oceanfront
dining, a sense of place (in Duke’s case: an “old” Hawaii
ambiance), Island-style entertainment, reasonably priced
Hawaii regional cuisine, and friendly service with aloha.
Duke’s Waikiki is located beachside in the Outrigger
Waikiki on the Beach Hotel and is a partnership between T
S Restaurants and Outrigger Hotels & Resorts. Named 'Best
Place to Take Visitors' by Honolulu Magazine in the 2008
Hale ‘Aina Awards, Duke’s Waikiki pays tribute to Duke
Kahanamoku and provides its customers with an authentic
and enjoyable Hawaiian-style dining experience.
Duke’s Waikiki is located at 2335 Kalakaua Avenue.
Validated parking is available at Ohana East Hotel, 2375
Kuhio Avenue. For dinning reservations call (808) 922-2268
and for more information visit www.dukeswaikiki.com.
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 25
PaPa
Two days with Pa'a
On Saturday March 15th, Pa'a held
Stage I of a weekend long series. It
started with two-mile time trials, then a
short course Mauanalua Bay Triangle
race, and for the experienced the long
course from Makai Pier to The Shack
Hawaii Kai (8 miles). Conditions were
extreme and most found it a challenge.
Awards followed at The Shack where
stage winners were announcement for
Stage III Qualifiers.
The next day, Sunday March 16th,
conditions were still rough and windy
and paddlers were raring to go. The short
course started in Hawaii Kai, the long
course at Makai Pier. Both finished across
from the Hilton Pier, Waikiki Beach and
took their canoes out at the Anuenue
Canoe Club site. At Makai Pier, the men
gave the women a 10 minute start, which
was enough for them to front up until
Black Point where Lauren was caught by
her husband, Kai Bartlett, who won the
race ahead of Karel Tresnak and Manny
Kulukulualani. Lauren Bartlett took first for
the women followed by Kelsa Teeters and
Alana Goo-Frazier.
A superb lunch was catered by Duke's
and awards followed with prizes from
Oiwi Ocean Gear, Island Air tickets, Da
kine gear, Hammer Nutrition Products,
Makana Ali’i paddles and Steinlager.
The overall winners’ names will be
engraved on the perpetual Koa paddle
that will reside at the famous Duke's
Restaurant.
Karel Tresnak
Kai Bartlett
Maui Kjeldsen
26 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
Manny Kulukulualani
Carlton Helm and Kalama Judd
Lauren Bartlett, first
Kai Bartlett, ditto (1st)
Danny and Susan Sheard came
from 'Down Under' for this race
and a weekend in Waikiki.
Kealii Paiaina
Alana Goo-Frazier
Kekoa Bruhn
Butch KeaHIolalo
28 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
Food catered by Duke's is a big
hit. Below, putting their fork of
approval on the 'ono grinds',
satisfied paddlers.
Pa'a comes to life
pp when did you
start paddling?
I started paddling
when I was 9 years old
for Hui Nalu. I was the
grommet and I remember
not fitting in so well with
the older kids, but when
they put the paddle in my
hands, I went to town. I
paddled in high school
for St. Louis, and when
I was 20, I paddled for
Kalihi Kai for 5 years
until our men’s program
folded up. I’ve been with
Hui Lanakila for the last 6
years.
Manny Kulukulualani
One thing that
kills me is sacrificing
my training time to
organize races. Not
trying make it sound
like self-martyrdom,
but reaching my own
personal paddling
goals is extremely
difficult with the extra
task of running a
race.
pp Was it
hard to get
permits for the
race?
Permits are a
difficult area of race
organizing, at least
in Hawaii. There
is conflict between
City and State allowance for access to
waters off Diamond
Head to Ala Moana
– areas where we
normally would finish
our races. Even
with proper safety
measures and safety
staff, there have
been numerous times
where the city would
not allow paddlers
to transit Kaimana
Beach park or the
State would not allow us to finish
a race outside of Waikiki. It is a
shame that our State sport is not
supported by our own State!
pp It takes a lot of
effort to put on a race,
what kind of help are you
Getting? Safety personnel, sponsors, registration & timing staff, and race day
helpers. Without these people, the
race will not happen, and as far as
I’m concerned I have the best help of
any association out there.
answers a few questions
pp When did
you first start
thinking about
starting PA’A?
PA’A was formed
almost on accident. The
idea to start my own
racing association was
never even a thought
before last year when
I decided to try putting
a race together just for
“fun”. And then, holy
smokes, the turnout for
the first race was huge,
and paddlers were asking
when the next one was. So I guess from there I
needed to keep entertaining them. Besides, I love putting on races for
the paddlers. Not to sound corny,
but one of the things I love the most
about organizing these races is
being able to see everyone on race
day. I consider them all to be a part
of my paddling family...okay, I guess
that’s a little corny!
pp What were some of
the hurdles you had to
overcome?
Geez, I’m still jumping over
them. I would say just as with everything else in life, when you want
to achieve something, you have to
make sacrifices in life to make it
work. Race organizing is no exception, and I quickly learned that I had
to restructure my lifestyle and give
up some things that I love, and put
other things on hold.
Budgeting for these races is my
biggest difficulty. My sponsors are
great, but without the proper financial sponsors in place, I have to
do a lot of things on my own time,
making it a full-time unpaid job in
order to keep costs down. Hopefully
one day, I will have the proper sponsors to support what I’m doing.
30 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
pp When did you first
start on an OC1, and
what type was it?
This is actually a funny question,
and between a group of us from
Kalihi Kai, it is one of our greatest
pioneering stories. It tells you a lot
about my roots and first involvement
with the sport.
In 1996 while I was paddling for
Kalihi Kai Canoe Club, my friends
and I actually converted Roseskis
built by Marshall Rosa into our first
OC1s. We glassed screw bolts to
the front and back of the ski’s deck
for the iakos to attach to (iakos were
of course just 2 by 4’s with holes). The ama was it’s own prototype and
molded from fiberglass. We put old
boogieboards over the ski’s cockpit
to keep us up on the deck. The boats
were filled with holes and tape and
in pathetic condition, unlike anything
you will ever see today (don’t argue
with me on this one that your canoe
is worse because I’m talking some
serious pieces of crap!). At some
points we ran out of fiberglass
for patches and instead we used
newspaper. These things began
filling with water from the second we
started paddling so we had to limit
our training intervals to about an hour
before pulling over somewhere to
dump out water or else sink.
I wish I had pictures of these
contraptions that everyone else
thought was so ghetto. To us, we were
invincible because we spent only $20
and would use these things to blast
up and down the Ala Wai racing any
OC1 or OC6 that came into view. We even took these things on runs
launching from Sandy's to Ala Wai to
train for the Molokai Hoe -- that was
just stupid! This is how I trained for
my first 2 years of “serious” paddling
because we never had enough guys
to fill a 6-man canoe, and there was
no way we would be able to afford a
one-man.
It was the most exciting time of
my whole OC1 experience. Looking
back on the whole thing, I realize
that these are where my roots for
one-manning started, and those times
have taught me toughness and keep
me grounded. I don’t forget where I
came from –Kalihi Kai! On time!
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 31
photos by Brian Vestyck with Hamsterworks.com
California
The SoCal Ocean Racing series is entering
the final stages of the season with the Malibu to
Marina Championships, hosted by Paddlme.com.
We have seen some very talented paddlers
on our courses this season, and it has been especially exciting to see the number of juniors that are
racing.
Some of them have always been here, hiding
in the mix. I suspect that if I were to look back, I
would see Nick Hanoian's name on many previous
result pages, as well as the Bohlman's, Lexie and
Sydney. Notably as well this year are the several
father-son teams that have raced Sean (13) and
Chris Barlow (Epic), Josh and Garrett Crayton,
Dennis and Brent Campbell, Les and Noa (8)
Hopper, Kelly and Slade Brown. In addition, we
have been ambassadors to international paddlers
who have been training at both the NAC and the
ARCO Olympic training center in Chula Vista.
New to the scene in force this year are the 30or-more stand-up paddlers that showed up at the
Dana Point race. Where the heck did you all come
from? Its been a lot of fun watching this new sport
grow... fast.
Also, training out of Dana Harbor, the Makapo
Aquatics Project. An awesome testimony to the
outreach capabilities of outrigger paddling. These
are six-man teams with blind paddlers! There were
three crews on the course in Dana last weekend,
and word is that interest is spreading to San
Diego. Fantastic.
Our series sponsors have once again proven
their generosity and dedication to promoting
paddling by hosting demos and providing cash &
product give-aways. At our final race we will be
giving away 'spot prizes' (a little phrase I picked
up while in New Zealand).
A Big thank you to Huki Outrigger Equipment,
Epic Surfski, Ocean PaddleSports, JL Racing, Better
Surf than Sorry, Mudbrook Paddles, PaddleMe.
com, Ocean Ohana, FirstTeam Extreme, and of
course Pacific Paddler Magazine for your support
of our events. As we make our way into the final
races, we can see some of our series points
winners are Danny Ching holding fast to the
men's OC1 victory; Julie Wolfe taking a lead in
the women's division, Eva Mauck in the women's
surfski, Tyler Morgan and Eric Abbot are currently
tied for first men's surfski, with Patrick Dolan
nipping at their heels. .
We also want to thank all of the safety boat
drivers and the race hosts, and a hearty thank
you to the photographers who have made their
way to the shores and waters to take hundreds of
photos of your smiling faces; Brian Vestyck with
Hamsterworks.com, Bruce White of Windandsea,
LANAKILA
DANA
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 33
New Zealand photos courtesy of our team
as well as www.Pictue.co.nz and Gary Cannon on Smugmug, plus the family
and friends who show up in support of the sons,
daughters, husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends,
brothers and sisters. It takes a lot to run a race, and
seeing so many people on such fantastic California
coast line, makes it all worth the while.
HANOHANO
Our NZ adventure
SCORA 2008 Calendar
April 26-Tempe Town Lake Regatta,
Tempe AZ
May 10 -Crystal Pier Race,
Hanohano- Mission Bay
San Diego
May 17 -Rig Run, Ka Nai'a,
Santa Barbara East Beach
May 31 -Kahanamoku Klassic
Marina Del Rey, Mothers Bch.
June 7 - Hokuloa Ir--man,
Hokuloa, Ventura
June 21- Pineapple Express
Pale Kai, Avila Beach
June 28- State Iron Man Champs,
Kai Elua, Mission Bay
July 12- Kahakai Knock-offs
Regatta, Kahakai, Long Bch.
July 19- Noah Kalama Regatta,
NAC, SDOCC, Long Beach
July 26- State Sprint Championships,
Leadbetter Bch. Santa Barbara
Aug 2- 9 World Sprints
Lake Natoma, Sacramento
Aug 16- Whitey Harrison 9-man,
Dana Point OCC, Doheny
Aug 23- Paopao 9-man, Oceanside
OCC, Oceanside Harbor
Sept 6-7 Catalina Crossing, Offshore CC,
Newport to Catalina & back
34 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
What does "abseiling" mean? What about "waka-ama"?
Have you ever tossed your gear in the "boot" before heading
out to practice? During one glorious week in February, myself
and seven of my teammates from San Diego Outrigger were
able to experience that and so much more! We took up the
invitation to join the Taniwha Grizzlies
as they and 40 other teams from New
Zealand, Australia, and Tahiti raced in
the '08 Takapuna Beach Cup event in
Auckland, New Zealand.
From the minute we submitted our
on-line request for a canoe and chase
boat, we were treated with exceptional
kindness. Rod, Lara and Dallas, whom
we met over the internet and through a
mutual friend, met us at the airport and
carried all of us and our luggage to our
hotel in Takapuna Beach, a delightful
and quaint little town at the surf's edge.
Before we left the airport, Lara had
made two phone calls and hooked us up with the two additional paddlers, Henryetta and Lisa, who would round-out
our 10-person team. As it turned out Lisa was from the states,
but now makes her home in New Zealand. Later that evening
the Grizzlies, host club of the event, had a special BBQ to
welcome us to their country, town and race. Prior to our
arrival, we inundated poor Rod and Dallas with our tourist
queries, and in one short week we went inner tubing in an
underground cave in the pitch darkness where the rocks
above were lit by tiny glow worms, hiked the thermal sulfur
grounds of Rotorua, soaked in hot mineral baths along Lake
Taupo, explored a Maori Village–hiking, climbing and then
jumping from great heights into small pools of water, sliding
down waterfalls, and went abseiling (similar to rappelling)
from great heights under waterfalls in the beautiful Blue
Canyon National Forest.
On Saturday we were fired up for the race. I know that
returning victors in both the men's and women's divisions
were plenty ready to defend their titles, and they had the
crews to do it.We had a good opportunity to see them
briefly, from the back, until they all disappeared around the
looming island of Rangitoto. Nevertheless, we pushed on,
fighting as hard as we could against all odds–wind, fatigue,
jet-lag–and still we had smiles as wide as Rhode Island
across all our faces as we made our way through that last 20
minute piece.
We truly embraced the island
motto "Discover it, live it, love it!"
I’ve been around paddling
for about 14 years, and I have
seen all kinds of events, and I’m
planning on bringing this style
of relay racing to our shores
this next winter. I think I'll call it
the Grizzly Relay. On Sunday,
everyone had to do 24km - four
laps each of a two-mile(ish)
distance. We all lined up at the
start. The horn blew and we
took off for the first lap, once we
returned to the beach, one of
our replacement paddlers had to tag the boat and run back
up the beach through a chute and then back to the canoe
before we could take off for the second lap of paddling; we
repeated this and if I can be honest- I am not a runner, so
the running 'sucked', but was a great way for spectators to
watch the race as it unfolded. We placed second in our division!
After the day's event, we all hung out at the beach as
they called out names of participants for 'spot prizes' kind
of like the "raffle" that we do at the OC1 championships. I
came home with a brand new hydration pack, a stellar race
jersey, and seven cd's worth of great memories and a host of
new friends.
If you are looking for an exciting, new and challenging
race for next year, you ought to try this one, but take at least
two weeks there because there is so much to see and do in
New Zealand.
Cheance Adair
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 35
turning heads
Tahitian vahine draped
in Silhouette style rayon
pareu with full multi
colored print Hinano
Vahine stylisee.
Tahitian vahine
gazing off
Tahitian coast
wearing Demi
Vahine tank top
with picot edge
straps carry an
oversized front
Hinano Vahine
and black floral
screen and script
and is available
in paradise pink
and mango.
turning
Hinano wear
Tahitian vahine wearing
Mango Demi Vahine
tank top with picot edge
straps carry an oversized
front Hinano Vahine and
black floral screen and
script and is also available in paradise pink.
The word Hinano was born
in the heart of the South Pacific
from strong Polynesian roots. In
Tahitian, Hinano is the name of
a beautiful white tropical flower.
Most people recognize Hinano
Tahitian man
sporting the Topa
as being the official beer of Tahiti
Tanka that carry
for 50+ years but since 2006,
the classic Hinano
Hinano has been defining itself
Vahine and is
as the innovative and authentic
available in navy
surf wear clothing brand of Tahiti.
blue.
With its roots lying in the tradiHira resting in
tions of Polynesian culture and
Tahitian jungle
water sports, Hinano has long
wearing Low pro
been dedicated to providing
board shorts in
apparel for surfers and canoe
two way stretch
with flap pocket
paddlers alike. With the new and
is available in
fastest growing water sport craze,
brown, blue or
Paddle Boarding, Hinano has
green and carry
the classic Hinano created clothing to meet paddle
Vahine emblem on boarders needs by providing
one side and the
them with premium accessories
Hinano Tahiti logo and apparel.
on the other.
"Ku Hoe He'e Nalu; To Stand,
To
Paddle,
To Surf a Wave."
Hira wearing
Derived from Polynesian
Rasta Soul shirts
with the classic
Royalty Roots, stand up paddle
Hinano Vahine
surfing was made popular back
emblem set in
in the Waikiki Beach Boy days of
gold trim is available in brown and the 1960's when the boys (Duke,
black and Custom Leroy Achey and friends) would
Burlap Trucker hat stand up on their longboards and
w/ sweatband
paddle with outrigger paddles
available in Black
while they took pictures of touror Tan.
ists on vacation. Many believed
that the Roots of Royalty is what
Xcel's new gear
Xcel Hawai’i is extremely excited to be bringing some
amazing new paddle gear to the 2008 paddle market.
We have done extensive product design, development,
and research over the last year to be able to bring you
really fresh new styles & colors in both women’s & men’s
VentX jerseys as well as several new board short styles.
Tahitian vahine sitting
with the oversized
bagsac made out of
woven faux leather with
large classic Hinano
Vahine screen print available in White and Coco.
you experience as you glide and
stand as you paddle surf. As
the years have gone by, paddle
boarding has become the new
craze and the world's quickest
growing watersport. Many
surfers such as Dave Kalama,
Brian Keaulana, Archie Kalepa
and Laird Hamilton used to use
paddle boarding as an alternative way to train while the surf is
flat. They soon found themselves
entering events such as the
Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard
Race and the Molokai Big Board
surfing classic. As always,
pushing their findings forward,
many of these contests today now
have their own division for stand
up paddling surfing, once again
bringing the old in with the new.
Hinano will be hosting a
fashion show promoting their
new 2008 spring and summer
surf wear line at the O-Lounge
on March 29th. Featuring
Tahitian dancers and music
bands, refreshing Hinano beer,
a Hinano Tahiti fashion show, DJ
and dancing all night long, it’s
a launch party that you surely
should not miss! Giveaways
include Hinano apparel and
3 custom designed Hinano,
Heavywater and T&C surfboards.
Women’s Short Sleeve
VentX Paddle Shirt: designed
for the paddle wahine and
tested by our world class
wahine paddle team riders,
Xcel is finally debuting a
VentX short sleeve paddle
jersey for women. Designed
with a comfortable neckline,
wider shoulders and raglan
sleeves, it is sewn with flatlock seams and a stretch
thread so that the jersey
gives with each twist and
pull of the body. The jersey is
made to be long enough to
prevent any type of canvas
rash, and our Xcel-made UV
protection VentX material is
a wicking, quick-dry fabric to
keep you performing at the
top of your game.
Women’s Hale’iwa
Paddle Short: the return of
an Xcel classic board short,
updated and improved for
the 2008 wahine paddler.
Available with or without the
3 mm neoprene seat-pad,
the rugged, yet flattering
Hale’iwa board short is
designed to last you through
a few seasons of paddling.
Baja nylon & triple-stitched
seams insure many seasons
of wear & tear. A comfortable 11 inch inseam is just
long enough to prevent any
chafing from the canoe seat,
and still short enough to be
functional, comfy, and cute.
Available in 2008 in light
pink (shown), sea green, and
black, all with hibiscus aloha
screen printing & embroidery
on the side of the leg.
Men’s Sleeveless VentX
Tank Top: Xcel’s classic
men’s sleeveless tank top
comes back strong again in
2008 with some new stylings
and our newest color edition
– solid black. 1st seen in the
Molokai Hoe, 2007 on Xcel
sponsored Team NZ/HI, the
all-black sleeveless VentX
Tank Top proved itself to be
a champion crossing the
finish line as the 1st Hawai’i
team to finish. Xcel-made
VentX is a UV protection,
quick-dry fabric that allows
you to perform at your best
both in and out of the water.
Available in solid nite blue,
dark red, green, and black
for 2008.
Infiniti 2 Board short:
Xcel has an extensive line
of hi-tech board shorts
ergonomically designed
to let you perform at your
best. Designed with stretch
fabrics, the Infiniti series
also incorporates 10 oz
heavy-duty cordura lycra
panels to let the board short
give & stretch with every
movement you make both in
and out of the canoe. Once
you wear one of our Infiniti
board shorts, you’ll want to
own them all in every color!
Shown in Electric blue, the
whole Infiniti series includes
4 different designs, and 12
different colors.
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 37
Expanding
markets
I was introduced to Outrigger
Paddling by Phil Foti, father of Jim and
John Foti. Phil came to our shop in the
fall of 1992 and asked me to coach
Lanikai Canoe Club's upper division
men's program. I first spoke to the guys
and discovered their tremendous enthusiasm and desire to win Molokai Hoe,
and I knew this would definitely be a
challenging prospect.
During the second year of my
involvement with Lanikai, I obtained a
hull mold from Tahiti brought to Hawaii
by Paul Gay and Gail Berenguy. I
modified a new deck, made an ama
and started limited production of those
27' long Tahitian-style canoes for
Lanikai members at pretty much my
cost, just to make them work harder
and decide individually on their performance. I used that as a criteria for
selecting the crews. But the 27' wasn't
the best design for Hawaiian waters.
From that point, we started to
design more ocean friendly canoes
like CUDA 21, ARROW, ARROW 2,
THUNDER and so on.
Being from a racing background,
I was a little reluctant to get into the
manufacturing of racing canoes for
one reason only–Endless research and
development (R&D), but I fell in love
with the sport and the R&D wasn't a
problem. As a matter of fact, it became
our obsession to create the most up to
date design available from the best
materials as possible.
Having Jim and John testing the
canoes helped a lot, and eventually
we had a team of the best paddlers
helping us to design our canoes. We
had Walter Guilt, Andrew Penny,
Kai Bartlett, Mike Judd, Courtney
Seto, Raven Aipa, Todd Bradley, Kea
Pai'aina, Maui Kjeldsen, Nate Hendrix
and later on Karel Junior. They all
were once or still are part of our team,
and the results showed with sponsors
pouring in. Since then some of the
guys followed their own careers and
Karel Tresnak Jr. takes down an OC2
from the showroom in Kailua
became canoe builders themselves.
It's was a testament to the impact the
OC team has had on the growth of
outrigger paddling, and I'm very proud
of our accomplishments. I still get
chicken skin remembering our SWEEP
in Hamilton Island 2000 winning everything as Team Simple Green/Outrigger
Connection.
At present time, we are manufacturing OC1 and OC2s canoes
in China and OC4 and OC6s in
Canada. The reason for this structuring
was the demand, and we were not
able to respond accordingly. We do
make a limited amount of ZEPHYRS in
our shop in Kailua but only the super
double graphite lay-up for paddlers
demanding absolutely the best in materials available.
Outrigger Connection's strategy
was to grow our business by opening
franchises around the world, let them
build our canoes, and the sport &
OC brand would grow. This worked
particularly well with the OC6 production, but we weren't able to establish
quality manufacturing for our epoxy
vacuum bagged production of one
and two-man canoes, so we had them
built in China and shipped to dealers
in Australia, Japan, Europe, the mainland USA and Canada. In addition,
we established dealers in Hong Kong,
New Zealand, Brazil and divided the
US into West and East.
All of those franchises are now
representing OC brand in their respective markets and produce and sell our
products.
Another reason we moved the
production overseas was the nightmare
of shipping from Hawaii. The cost,
most of the time, was the 'deal killer'.
We were shipping interisland right
from the beginning, but it took us a
while to figure out the endless damage
problems. Over the last five years, we
shipped our canoes in wooden crates
and we were able to cut the damage
38 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
Live like you paddle Keiki Kalo
2008 KIALOA Student
Scholarship
problems to a minimum.
Now we drop shipping containers
of canoes to our dealers and they
distribute the canoes to the customers.
This allows us to sell the canoes at
wholesale prices.
In the last two years we have
shipped containers to Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, the West
and East Coast of the US, Hong Kong,
Japan, Europe and here in Hawaii as
well.
One of our obstacles with building
our canoes in China was eliminating
quality control problems. I passed on
everything we knew about vacuumbagging, epoxy manufacturing using
advanced composite like S-glass,
graphite and kevlar and shipped materials to the factory in China from our
supplier, Fiberglass Hawaii. They have
built almost 800 canoes with no structural defect which is a testament that
our strategy has worked.
As for the future, we are getting
signals that Brazil could be another
strong market. We have also had
inquiries from Germany, Switzerland,
France, Italy and Netherlands. We just
sent a container of OC1s and OC2s to
Europe where we have been successfully building Mirage OC6s for last
three years.
So far our best market for the OC6
Mirage is Australia who have made
over 80 so far. We are selling a lot
of them also on the Mainland and in
Canada. A new production facility
in Abbotsford BC is making quality
OC4 and OC6s and we even ship
them back here to Hawaii for the local
market.
Our new structure will allow us not
only to serve the outrigger community
worldwide but will also free us from the
daily routine of manufacturing canoes
so we can concentrate on new designs,
new methods of making canoes and
bringing more progressive designs to a
growing market.
Karel Tresnak
You have until May 31st to apply for
the chance to win a paddle! This is our
5th annual student scholarship and we look
forward to receiving your application. We
believe at KIALOA that when you paddle
outrigger canoes you become a part of the
ocean, land and people of Hawaii. The Live
Like You Paddle Scholarship is an opportunity for students 18 and under to express
their love for the Hawaiian outrigger culture.
The top 10 students who can express it best
will win a KIALOA paddle!
We’ve had some amazing participants in
the three years we have offered this scholarship. Here is a sample of some of the values
that have been expressed by past applicants:
“(Outrigger paddling) definitely teaches
many Hawaiian values such as Laulima
(cooperation), Lokahi (unity), Kuleana
(responsibility), and Kokua (helping.) These
are all great because you don’t only use
them in outrigger, but you will also use them
in everyday life.”
Gavin age 14
“Paddling is a lifestyle for my ohana
and me. Through paddling it has taught me
to learn my Hawaiian culture and preserve
an ancient tradition. I will always live my
Hawaiian Culture.”
Britanie age 12
“Paddling. It’s not something I do – it is
me, in the same way my friends and family
are a part of me, the same way they make
up who I am.”
Michael age 15
How to Enter?
Read the entry rules and fill out the
application provided at our website. www.
kialoa.com"
Think of a creative way to express your
love of Outrigger and how it connects you
with Hawaiian culture. You can do this in an
essay or a collage of pictures, music, dance,
or any imaginative way you can think of to
tell us how you feel about paddling.
Get a teacher or a coach to write a letter
of recommendation telling us how great you
are and why you deserve to be a winner.
For more information write to Kialoa
Paddles, PO Box 5626 Bend, Oregon
97708 or phone 541-923-5355
With paddlers being introduced to the sport of Outrigger
at younger ages every year
KIALOA has produced a paddle
in 2008 to accommodate a
smaller paddler. The Keiki Kalo
is the ‘ohā, or offshoot, of the
parent Kalo Paddle. The Keiki
offers the same attractive woods
reinforced with fiberglass and
Dynel edge
banding but
in a smaller
package. With
a smaller blade
surface area,
smaller t-top
and slightly
smaller shaft the
Keiki Kalo is
also available
in shorter sizes,
42” – 47”
For advertising inquiries
call me at (808) 351-2398
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 39
Made to order
PP What does each partner bring to
the table??
The core of our company is made
up of Luke Evslin, Kelly Foster, Keizo
Gates, and Johnny Puakea. If we
had to define our roles with one word
they would probably be Luke: business, Kelly: builder, Keizo: engineer,
Johnny: shaper. However, there is
a fair amount of overlap and teamwork going on. A complicated Venn
diagram might do it justice, or we
have longer bios with everyone
involved in the company on our
website kamanucomposites.com.
PP What does Kamanu mean?
We use it in our name to represent
the manu on a six man canoe. The
manu leads and encompasses the
canoe.
PP Where did the inspiration come
for starting Kamanu.
We have been paddling together
since we were young, and before
practice we would sit around at
Keizo’s house and talk about how we
were going to start a canoe building
company when we were done with
college. The inspiration came from
a mutual passion for paddling and a
desire to make a life out of it.
PP What have been some of the
hurdles you had to go through to get
the business off the ground?
The biggest hurdle was to go from
six years of talking about the business,
to making the transition to actually
build the business. Once we made
that transition, everything fell into
place. Another hurdle of a different
sort was the evolution of our relationship with Johnny. Initially the plan was
to build his canoes for him for a flat
fee, but there was no long-term plan.
We all realized that a much better
option for everyone was for Johnny to
come on as a partner in the company.
PP How many canoes do you plan
to build per week?
One of the most important things
about our canoes is that they are made
for the customer. In order to keep
that aspect of our business, we want
to build each canoe after a paddler
orders it.
At the same time we also want
to avoid selling more canoes than
we are building, because we want
to keep the wait time short. So,
for us, it’s a tight balance between
over-producing and under-producing
canoes. Our immediate goal is to
get to four canoes a week, which
seems to be a good balance.
40 April ‘08, Pacific Paddler www.pacificpaddler.com
PP What has been the
feedback you have gotten
with your new venture?
The best part of building
canoes is the feedback that
you get for them. An OC1 is an awesome thing to
build because people are
always stoked when they
come to pick it up. Mainly
most people seem to be
excited about the idea of a
company that was formed by
a group of paddlers who are
committed to producing the
canoes in Hawai’i.
PP Are you building for
customers outside of Hawaii?
A large portion of our sales come
from outside of Hawai’i. Right now we
have reps in Seattle, San Francisco,
and Los Angeles, so most of our mainland sales come from those regions
because of our established distribution
network there. We need to expand
our production capacity before we
expand any further. But we are willing
to figure out how to ship canoes to
anywhere that people are buying them.
PP Do you just build the Kainalu
and Kaimana, or are there other things
you build/ and do you do repair jobs?
Right now we are just building the
Kainalu and the Kaimana. We will
have a new design coming out in the
next couple of months, and then we
will be releasing a rudderless canoe
some time after that.
PP Any plans to expand the business
to the mainland?
We are really attached to the idea
of keeping our entire production facility
under one roof and keeping that roof
in Hawai’i. So we have no immediate
plans to start another production facility
on the mainland.
PP Any plans to have your canoes
mass produced in Asia, if not, why?
Greater availability of OC-1s is
necessary for the outrigger canoe to
spread across the world. However,
Kamanu Composites will never be
a company that out sources production or labor. There is a great deal
of satisfaction in building a product
from scratch and seeing it through
to the customer. Anyone who is part
of Kamanu Composites can see their
work out on the water being used and
know that they make a difference in
peoples lives. Hopefully people in
Asia get that feeling too, but we think
the closer you are to the customer the
better the experience for everyone. In
regards to the ‘mass produced’ aspect,
we like to build a canoe specifically
for you, not just make 10 colors and
let people choose. So from the day a
boat starts getting built, it already has
your name on it. In addition, when you
outsource, innovation is not built into
the process. For us, when we do everything ourselves we come up with new
ideas every day. The founder of Toyota
said it best: “You can’t be creative
and complete a piece of work, unless,
above all, you work on the construction
yourself, attend carefully to every detail
and experiment over and over again.”
PP Where are you located?
We are in the warehouse district on
Kapa’a Quarry Road in Kailua, Oahu.
There are directions on our website
www.kamanucomposites.com
Hormone replacement therapy –
Can you be young again? Part 1
Hormones have been the buzz
in the media lately with famous
sports figures appearing before court
following controversy over performance enhancing drugs. This use of
hormones, by young healthy athletes,
is dangerous and destructive. Not only
to the athletes themselves but to the
younger athletes who may model themselves after these icons and feel that
it is ok to use steroids to achieve their
goals. It is imperative that all athletes
realize that hormones are only for
age appropriate, documented need,
with replacement in normal physiologic dosages by a qualified heath
care team consisting of a MD and a
pharmacist. It is with extreme caution
that even with proper diagnosis and
monitoring that these hormones or
any hormones be used. Many forms
of hormones are available over the
counter. Do not make the assumption that because they are available
without a prescription that they are in
any way safe to use as a performance
enhancer. This article will discuss
the other, positive side of replacing
depleted endogenous (ones your body
makes) hormones to maintain health
and improve quality of life. I will begin
on women this month and next month
continue with women and begin men
and their needs.
Estrogens:
Hormone replacement therapy
for women with estrogens has been
accepted since the early 40’s as a
contraceptive and as a treatment for
menopausal symptoms. Following
menopause a woman’s total estrogen
decreases by 70 to 80% and androgen
production (testosterone) decreases by
as much as 50%. Endogenous estrogens
are important to prevent cardiovascular disease (affecting lipid profiles,
inhibiting vasoconstriction etc.), protect
against bone loss, and maintaince of
secondary sex characteristics. Estrogen
replacement therapy is most commonly
used for the relief of menopausal symptoms such as; hot flashes, irritability,
nervousness, painful intercourse, dry
skin, diminished sex drive, depression,
and night sweats. Safety of estrogen
replacement is a major concern with
most women especially those that
have a family history of certain types
of cancer. Recent studies such as the
WHI (women’s health initiative) have
indicated that long term use of Premarin
(named for its source – pregnant mares
urine) and medroxyprogesterone
(provera) show increased risk of breast
cancer as well as increased risk of
stoke or other cardiovascular event. It
is very important to realize the outcome
of this study was based on women
who were given hormones that do not
naturally occur in the body. The use of
bioidentical hormones, hormones that
are identical to the hormones produced
by the body itself, are not the same as
the ones used in this study. This is not to
say that the supplementation of bioidentical hormones is indeed safer that other
hormonal therapies because to date
there are no long term studies that prove
this. I personally feel more comfortable
giving bioidentical hormones to our
patients because we are not giving them
something that hasn’t already been
there for the past 40 years.
Next month progesterone and
testosterone.
Aloha , Brian Carter RPh.
Lihue Professional Pharmacy
Kauai ,HI
(808)821.9418
(808)645.0491Mobile
www.pacificpaddler.com Pacific Paddler, April ‘08 41
no'ono'o
to reflect
Want to run a race?
What’s in running a race?
Paddlers around the world all share a spirit that lives
within our sport. Races bring this spirit together and help it
to grow. Without races this spirit would not as easily spread
from paddler to paddler, team to team, island to island, state
to state and country to country; all around the globe.
There are many racing associations, series' and independent races throughout the world that all realize similar
rewards, trials and tribulations. In my experiences through
sponsoring the Molokai Hoe while Hinano was involved,
and now helping execute Kanaka Ikaika's racing series, the
most rewarding aspect of running a race is bringing all your
friends, and soon to be friends together for a fun day in and
around the ocean. To create fun and challenging courses
with a comfortable post race setting where the paddlers can
enjoy themselves afterwards is my goal. However, creating
successful events doesn't come without considerable cost and
effort.
Organizing a race requires time, logistical skills and
money. Money is needed for some necessary expenses such
as escort boats and insurance, as well as other non essential
expenses such as food, drinks and awards. But the time and
effort it takes to organize races is most costly. Some of this
list is the following:
* Putting a racing schedule together that works with
other events worldwide.
* Dealing with the city and state to pull all the permits
for park usage.
* Organize paddler registration,
* Coordinate escort and safety boats,
* Get race insurance for the paddlers,
* Set up a timing system and race buoys,
* Make sure there is enough food for the paddlers that
arrives on time and is fresh,
* Be sure there are enough medals and awards for
everyone,
* Keep sponsors happy,
* Submit press releases and results,
* Keep track of finances and file any tax and/or government documents
necessary,
* And numerous other details. Kanaka Ikaika has since 1979 been Hawaii's golden
series of individual paddling. Much has changed in the
past 8-10 years, and I have wanted to help bring Kanaka
Ikaika back to becoming the gem it always was. And as I
have been a recipient of many good times in this series since
1989, I felt it was time to give back. Although busy with
other priorities in life this year, through my association with
Outrigger Zone and Hurricane canoes, I am able to justify
my volunteer time. Today there are many races and groups who promote
different races. I feel that all the enthusiasm and efforts
to promote our sport is raising the bar to run class events. However, as the sport grows it gets more and more difficult
to coordinate all the different racing schedules. In Hawaii
we don't have any one governing body that coordinates all
the different associations and race organizing groups with
a master schedule. Paddle sports are having growing pains
and I think that we need to carefully determine how to organize the future to avoid future pains, but instead increase
future gains.
You can't easily describe the spirit that lives in paddling
and you can't physically see the spirit either, but if you love
paddling you have the spirit that keeps the sport thriving. And if we let this spirit drive our decisions going into the next
decade, we will all together make the right decisions for the
future of the sport.
Mahalo,
Jim Foti