Girls and Boys Paddling
by Catherine Fuller
January 3, 2009
While most 'Iolani students were enjoying their vacation by spending lazy mornings at home, or perhaps family trips abroad, the girls' and boys' paddling teams have been hard at work in the heart of their racing season. Upwind runs to Diamond Head buoy, innumerable laps between the Ala Wai Channel and Kewalo Basin, as well as everyone's favorite, dolphin chasing, have prepared the paddlers for the heat of competition.
The first race was held on December 20, and provided a chance for all to get back into the swing of competition. For younger paddlers, it was an eye-opening experience, and one that spurred crews to train harder.
For the varsity paddlers, it was time to measure up against the competition and begin the qualification process for the State Championship meet on Maui on February 7. A highlight was that both the Varsity I and II girls' crews had fourth place finishes.
Unfortunately, the power outage on the 26th necessitated postponing the second race. The third race was run this past Saturday in extremely windy weather, which made the seas unusually rough. All crews performed well in the adverse conditions and made it through without a huli. The girls again did well, with third place finishes by the Varsity I and JV I crews, and fifth place finishes by the Varsity II and JV II crews (just inches from fourth).
Races will be taking place on January 10, 13 (boys) and 14 (girls), 17, 20 (boys) and 21 (girls). Come out to Magic Island and cheer on the paddling teams!
To see more photos, please visit iolani-events.org.
