KAILUA-KONA — More than 250 crews took to the waters off the westside of the Big Island for the 90th edition of the storied Queen Liliuokalani Long Distance Canoe Race on Saturday.
There were 134 canoes to the starting line to race the 18-mile course between Kailua Bay and Honaunau. On the return 18-mile race from Honaunau back to Kailua Bay, 130 canoes of men and mix-open crews launched from this historic starting line fronting Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Park.
At 7:30 a.m. the starting flags dropped and the women’s crews launched from Kailua Bay followed by the mixed 40-plus and 50-plus canoes.
In the men’s race, it was Red Bull Wa‘a who crossed the finish line first in the iron non-koa open division with a time of 2:00:51. Team Hokupa‘a Hui Nalu Canoe Club took first in the iron unlimited division with a time of 2:01:35. Red Bull Wa‘a had an eighth of a mile lead over Wailea Maui Jim crew at the 14-mile mark of the course and held on to pull off their fourth victory in a row.
“Our congratulations to Red Bull Wa‘a for winning this great race for the fourth consecutive time and to the Outrigger Women who looked so strong as they crossed the finish line and they will certainly be a force to reckon with in the years ahead. It was an epic day on the water,” said Kai Opua Canoe club president Doug Vera Cruz.
The first women’s crew to cross the finish line in the grueling race from Kailua Bay to Honaunau in the iron non-koa open division — meaning no crew changes — went to Outrigger, who captured the win with a time of 2:04:08. Hui Nalu Canoe Club took the top spot in the iron unlimited division with a time of 2:01:15.
High surf throughout the week along the Kona coastline challenged crews to make strategic and intentional course decisions.
“The course conditions were excellent for racing this year. The race start was clean and the crews had a great day on the water,” said race director Mike Atwood.
This year’s race is dedicated to Lawrence “Uncle Bo” Campos, who was the president of Kai Opua Canoe Club, race commissioner of the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association and the driving force behind the Queen Liliuokalani Races. Campos died Dec. 13, 2018, after a short but courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
“It was a surreal experience being a part of this race. It’s truly an honor to share our paddling passion with the world,” Vera Cruz said. “Losing Uncle Bo late last year was a real wake up call for all of us. He left us too soon, but in his honor, we all stepped up and made this another great race.”
