‘Iolani’s paddling teams faced their first challenge of the season this past Saturday in the waters off Waikiki. It was a chance to measure up against the tough ILH competition, and for the younger paddlers, a chance to see what racing is all about.
Our crews having been practicing diligently since the beginning of December, as well as dealing with some changes to the standard paddling routine.
For the first time, paddlers are split by division. The Varsity paddlers are led by head coaches Richard Bell and Brian Yee, while the JV paddlers are coached by Catherine Fuller, Melanie Soares and Michelle Kozlowski. Brian Mitsunaga has proved an able all-around assistant.
Last year’s problems with the Ala Wai also dictated a new paddling venue; now located by the Hilton pier. The new site’s clean water has proved a welcome change, as well as easy access to race course routes. Frequent dolphin and turtle sightings are additional benefits! 
Saturday’s race was indeed challenging for each of our crews in their own ways. Our JV II girls came from behind to reach third place, only to huli in the turn. The JV I boys narrowly lost a hard-fought race in the home stretch against St. Louis for fourth place. The JV I girls battled their opponents of last year, Punahou, and came in a respectable second place. Our Varsity paddlers have been struggling with small crews, but still performed valiantly in all divisions. For a young and mostly inexperienced JV group, the challenge is to learn from the first race and improve for the next.
This week’s races are again on January 20 at Magic Island. The boys’ races will begin at 8:30, and the girls’ races will begin 15 minutes after the boys finish. Come out and support our participants in a truly Hawaiian sport: outrigger canoe paddling!
