An airhorn sounded and the two boats were off.
An airhorn sounded and the two boats were off.
They raced down a stretch of the Wailoa River, eight paddlers trying to stay on pace with the bang of a gong in the bow of the boat, which sat low in the water. One person steered the boat from the back. On the riverbanks, people cheered and held up their phones to take videos.
Hundreds turned out Saturday for the International Haari Boat Festival, hosted every two years in Hilo by Hui Okinawa, part of the statewide Hawaii United Okinawa Association. They stopped to watch the morning’s lion dance and the afternoon taiko performances, browsed Okinawan cultural displays in the state park’s pavilion, and snacked on Okinawan foods (with Spam musubi and shave ice available as well).
But the main event took place on the water. Groups from Hilo, Kohala, Kona, Honolulu and even Okinawa took to the water to try their hand at racing — all with just a day of practice under their belts. The boats are in storage in between festivals.
“The races, if you’ve never been in a boat, it’s nothing like paddling,” event co-coordinator Taryn Yogi said. “They’re Okinawan fishing boats.” Yogi spent most of the day on shore, walkie-talkie in hand, but stepped in to help one team out after they were short a paddler.
Haari festivals are common throughout Okinawa Prefecture, where competition is much more fierce and races take place in harbors, not placid rivers. The tradition, imported from China, dates back centuries and is a way to thank the sea for its bounty.
Hilo’s fleet of three boats was a gift from Nago City, the town’s sister city in Okinawa.
Former County Council member and president of Hui Okinawa James Arakaki remembered visiting Nago City when the partnership was first established, and having the mayor ask what the city could do for its new friends across the Pacific.
There were no haari races in the state at the time, so Arakaki asked if Hilo could get its own haari boats.
“They had a master builder from Japan build brand new boats for us,” Arakaki said. The wooden boats arrived safely in Hilo after a stormy winter voyage. The first races were held Aug. 18, 1990.
This year’s festival commemorated the 30th anniversary of the races, as well as the sister city relationship itself. Several Nago City officials attended the festival, along with the Okinawan haari teams.
A group of Nago City junior high students and their chaperones timed their three-week study abroad visit to Hilo around the festival. The students were doing their first-ever haari races, chaperone Natsuki Nagamine said.
“They’re loving being here in Hawaii, especially here in Hilo,” Nagamine said.
Zenko Nakamura, vice chairman of the Nago City assembly, said the Okinawan group felt very at home in Hilo, even though it was everyone’s first time visiting.
“We are very happy to see the people in Hilo city are enjoying the event,” said Shu Uechi, interpreter for the delegation. “We’re hoping it becomes larger.”
Margaret Torigoe has been co-coordinator for the past five festivals, and said her favorite part was seeing the camaraderie among all of the teams competing.
“And, really, the excitement of others who want to see the Okinawan culture,” she said. “We’re happy to do it for the community.”
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.