Shell Va’a Surfs To Victory for the Fourth Year in a Row.

Kapono Ciotti

Photos by Matt Capps

The 41-mile Moloka’i Hoe is known to many as the World Championship of outrigger canoe paddling with top crews from Hawaii, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, the continental US, Japan and Europe competing. This year’s 112 entries was a record for the event.

The day began wet and rainy. The ride down the twisting dirt road to Hale o Lono harbor has been getting rougher and rougher over the past few years. At the end of the road, cold and soppy paddlers readied themselves well before the sky began to lighten behind them to the east. To the west lay their destination: O’ahu.

From the starting line all eyes were on the favorites from Tahiti, Shell Va’a, who had broken their own 2007 record by over two minutes during last year’s Moloka’i Hoe. Outrigger Canoe Club of O’ahu, Team Paddling Connection from Tahiti as well as a new All-Star team of top Hawaii and California paddlers (including Ka’iwi Channel champion Kai Bartlett and California native Danny Ching) challenged the repeat-champions at the starting line.

“Shell shot out at the start.” commented Danny Ching of team Primo as the top teams battled along the coast and to La’au point. And from then on, to the midway point of the channel, Shell opened up its lead. From La’au Shell chose a course that was more southern towards Diamond Head, which allowed them a shorter, more direct route, but did not set them up for the same kind of surf run that teams farther north may encounter once off the coast of O’ahu.

[Shell Va’a]

Team Primo held a similar line to Shell by mid channel but deviated and ran more north, hoping to put in the energy upfront and reap the benefits from a fast down-wind run at the end, when other teams may already be exhausted.

[Team Primo]

Outrigger Canoe Club has trained hard this season. With twice-daily practices under their belt the team earned several key wins and went into this race to prove themselves as viable adversaries to the Tahitians as well as to beat their Hawaiian competition, namely Lanikai and Team Primo. Outrigger, already farther to the north, held their course, trying to draw closer and closer to the leaders. Simeon Ke-Paloma, Outrigger’s young prodigy paddler said it was at this point the water got sloppy.

[Outrigger Canoe Club]

Nearly a mile behind and slightly south of Shell’s line, Paddling Connection continued to exert themselves as contenders for this year’s title. While they pushed on, the heat and humidity that had set in by midmorning was taking a visible toll on the paddlers of Paddling Connection. “It wasn’t easy. The channel was rough but not too rough, and it was windy.” said Wilfred Ah-Min, one of Paddling Connection’s top paddlers and the son of the famed Tahitian canoe builder.

[Paddling Connection]

Nearly a half-mile farther south than the leaders, Lanikai Canoe Club was trying to make a statement. The club that had once dominated the paddling scene in Hawaii had made a solid, but less than spectacular showing this year in sprints and distance races. Virtually alone on the water, Lanikai forged their own path. One they hoped would bring them a solid finish.

                                                                                     

[Lanikai Canoe Club]

Off of Port Lock Shell locked up their lead and began to show that Tahitian teams can indeed surf. Rounding Diamond Head there were no other teams insight, just the tops of escort boats visible on the horizon to the east. The run from Diamond Head to the Hilton Channel was fast for Shell as they made a final push for a definitive victory.

[Shell Va’a]

Finishing with typical Tahitian flare Shell charged the shore and launched their canoe up the beach finally coming to rest nearly completely out of the water. Kiki Dubois, Shell Va’a crew member Taaroa Dubois’ father, commented that the team did well despite the bad weather at the start and a sloppy ocean. Taaroa, the World Sprint champion is a new addition to Shell this year. Shell finished in 4 hours 40 minutes and 17 seconds, just under 2 minutes short of their course record-setting run last year.

[Kiki Dubois, Taaroa Dubois, Kapono Ciotti]

Team Primo finished second, slightly over 12 minutes later at 4:52:24. “This was the first time we paddled with all nine guys.” says Primo team member Danny Ching, commenting that he was very happy with their showing.

Paddling Connection finished third at 4:57:51, while yet another Tahitian team, Erai Va'a was fourth finishing in 5:02:15.

Pat Dolan of Lanikai Canoe club, which finished 5th overall said that their determination to beat rival Outrigger paid off when they had to turn nearly 90 degrees in toward shore at diamond head when the ocean stopped cooperating. “We had to beat them.” said Dolan about their club’s rival, Outrigger. “People counted us out, but we worked for it.”

The Outrigger Canoe Club finished 6th with Team Livestrong, Hui Lanikila #1, Kailua, and Hui Lanakila #2 rounding out the top 10.

Moloka’i Hoe 2009 Results:

1 – Shell Va’a
2 - Primo
3 - Paddling Connection
4 – Erai Va’a
5 - Lanikai
6 – Outrigger Canoe Club
7 - Livestrong
8 - Hui Lanikila #1
9 - Kailua #1
10 - Hui Lanikila #2

CLICK HERE FOR THE GALLERY

1, Shell Va’a, 4:40:17. 2, Team Primo, 4:52:24. 3, Paddling Connection, 4:57:51. 4, Era’i Va’a, 5:02:15. 5, Lanikai, 5:05:22. 6, Outrigger-Red, 5:07:24. 7, Team Livestrong, 5:08:33. 8, Hui Lanakila-1, 5:09:00. 9, Kailua-1, 5:12:08. 10, Hui Lanakila-2, 5:16:04. 11, Hawaiian, 5:18:48. 12, Northcliffe A, 5:21:07. 13, Keahiakahoe-Black, 5:21:49. 14, Hui Nalu-Gold, 5:25:23. 15, Healani-1, 5:27:26. 16, Kailua-2, 5:28:31. 17, Na Molokama, 5:30:00. 18, Lanakila Calif., 5:30:41. 19, Newport Aquatic Center, 5:31:18. 20, Kai ‘Opua, 5:32:42. 21, Kaiola, 5:33:30. 22, Waikiki Beachboys-1, 5:34:02. 23, Leeward Kai, 5:35:08. 24, Paddle Sport Performance, 5:35:18.

25, Mooloolaba Senior Masters, 5:35:34. 26, Northcliffe B, 5:37:04. 27, Outrigger-koa, 5:38:40. 28, Outrigger 40s, 5:39:45. 29, Kukui’ula, 5:42:59. 30, Kailua 50s, 5:43:27. 31, Kihei, 5:44:11. 32, Hui Nalu 40s, 5:45:28. 33, Kaiola, 5:45:57. 34, Lanikai-koa, 5:47:11. 35, Oceanside, 5:47:20. 36, Kamehameha-Hilo, 5:48:29. 37, Lae’ula O Kai, 5:48:33. 38, Hui Lanakila-4, 5:48:57. 39, Hawaiian-2, 5:49:11. 40, ‘Anuenue-1, 5:51:03. 41, Te Awa Haku/Air New Zealand, 5:51:35. 42, Puna, 5:51:45. 43, Niumalu, 5:51:59. 44, Puuwai East Masters, 5:52:10. 45, Team Bradley/Keahiakahoe 55s, 5:56:53. 46, Kai ‘Opua, 5:58:08. 47, OP Advantage, 5:58:24. 48, Waikiki Surf Club, 6:00:22. 49, Kailua 40s, 6:00:35. 50, Hui Nalu-1, 6:04:08.

51, Easy Living, 6:04:44. 52, Pacific Northwest, 6:05:09. 53, Kai ‘Opua, 6:05:19. 54, Keaukaha, 6:05:25. 55, Na Kai Ewalu, 6:05:36. 56, Lanikai, 6:06:30. 57, California Gold, 6:07:08. 58, Mission Bay Beach Boys, 6:07:16. 59, Lokahi/Keauhou, 6:10:05. 60, Kahanamoku, 6:10:31. 61, Healani-2, 6:11:24. 62, ‘Anuenue-2, 6:12:07. 63, Waikiki Beachboys-2, 6:12:59. 64, Kukui O Moloka’i, 6:14:28. 65, Waimanalo 55s, 6:14:54. 66, Marina Del Rey, 6:15:56. 67, Lae’ula O Kai-Green, 6:17:31. 68, Hui Lanakila-3, 6:18:35. 69, Marina Del Rey-2, 6:19:53. 70, Akau Hana, 6:20:58. 71, Healani-3, 6:21:35. 72, Kaiola/Kihei, 6:22:28. 73, Honolulu Fire, 6:22:52. 74, Outrigger-Blue, 6:23:44. 75, North Shore, 6:26:03.

76, Ka Mamalahoe, 6:31:03. 77, Kihei/Keauhou, 6:32:55. 78, Na Keiki O Ka Mo’i, 6:33:22. 79, Kamehameha-O’ahu, 6:33:35. 80, ‘Anuenue 60s, 6:34:23. 81, Sail Sand Point, 6:34:43. 82, Oceanside 40s, 6:36:40. 83, Keahiakahoe 60s, 6:37:49. 84, Part Time Paddlers, 6:38:01. 85, Keola O Ke Kai, 6:38:43. 86, Kailua Novice, 6:38:45. 87, Hawaiian Fire Fighters, 6:39:09. 88, Waikiki Beachboys-3, 6:39:54. 89, Kaiola, 6:40:07. 90, New Hope, 6:41:26. 91, Outrigger 60s, 6:45:58. 92, Waimanalo 40s, 6:46:15. 93, Hui Nalu 55s, 6:46:28. 94, Kihei, 6:47:14. 95, Honolulu Pearl, 6:47:55. 96, Hui Nalu-2, 6:49:30. 97, Puuwai, 6:50:46. 98, New Hope 40s, 6:51:07. 99, Alapa Hoe, 6:51:34. 100, Kai Oni, 6:53:38.

101, Keahiakahoe 40s, 6:53:45. 102, Waikiki Yacht Club, 6:53:56. 103, Keahiakahoe-Red, 6:55:56. 104, Vladivostok, 6:59:42. 105, Keoua, 7:07:28. 106, Lokahi, 7:11:14. 107, Keaukaha 55s, 7:16:56. 108, New Hope 55s, 7:28:46. 109, New Hope 60s, 7:36:18. 110, Pure Light, 7:38:44. 111, New Hope 40s, 7:51:44.