The conditions at Hilo Bay would not be used for a postcard. The water was so choppy that whitecaps crashed over the breakwater wall. There was enough wind to knock a hat off someone’s head.
It was an adapt and adjust scenario for those at the BIIF canoe paddling regatta on Saturday, one week ahead of the championships and the final tune-up.
“Typical Hilo weather,” Grant Kaaua called it.
The Keaau coach and his staff, wife and co-coach Anna Golden Kaaua and assistants Amy McBride, and Byron Cachola, had reason to smile after the Cougars won the boys and girls races.
Showing the pride of a defending champion, Hawaii Prep claimed the mixed race to salvage a day that included only one race that had heats, the boys.
The surprise of the day, other than no crew had a huli (flipped canoe), was Keaau taking down the defending BIIF champion Ka Makani in the boys race. The Cougars finished the half-mile sprint in 3:59.99 to HPA’s 4:04.94, handing Ka Makani their first loss of the season.
“We had to figure out our correct lineup,” Kaaua said.
He placed junior Etmi Jally at stroker and senior Sypris DeMello at steersman. Junior Chaz Chaz Olson, sophomore Kaiden Requelman, senior La’akea Nakoa, and senior Luke Liulama-Mitchell round out the crew.
Like the girls, a lot of the boys paddlers compete for Keaukaha. Nakoa fits the description of a paddler for life.
“He was born and raised in Keaukaha,” Kaaua said. “He’s got the most years under his belt.”
What got him excited was the Keaau boys and girls junior varsity crews winning their races.
“Our JV girls were on the outside lane and won,” he said. “They all work just as hard as the varsity. That will help keep the program rolling. Our coaching staff has stepped p too. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
The girls race was a good one, too.
Keaau and defending champion Kealakehe both took a clean turn, but the Cougars had better straight-line speed down the stretch to win, 4:46.33 to 4:52.56.
“That was impressive,” Kaaua said. “It was a nice, strong race. They had to race clean in the rough conditions. Our steersman (La’a Cother-McKeague) handled the conditions.”
There was a strong onshore wind, running into the sides of the canoe when they attempted to navigate the flags near the Wailoa river, which made life challenging with its currents.
The Cougars were able to practice at Hilo Bay three times last week and worked out at school on Monday.
“We focused, stayed in shape and worked on our grades, the big picture kind of things,” Kaaua said.
The Cougars are mostly veterans who paddle for the Keaukaha canoe club during the offseason. The Kaaua couple are coaches there as well.
The stroker is Jonay Enrique, a senior. Cother-McKeague, the steersman, is a junior. Liana Prudholm is senior, and the other paddlers, Lori Boi Aiu, Kyla Fabiani are also juniors. Lexie Prudholm is a sophomore.
Fabiani and Liana Prudholm were on the 16 and under Keaukaha crew that won an Aunty Maile Mauhili/Moku O Hawaii title over the summer.
One thing Kaaua enjoys about his girls crew is their inquisitive nature.
“They never leave me alone,” he said. “We’ve got a good family vibe going on.”
The Cougars coach credited his paddlers’ offseason commitment as one reason for their improvement. They’re doing club paddling and one-man races.
“No longer can you just show up and jump in a canoe and be competitive,” he said. “The only way we can go to states and compete at that level is to be paddling. It takes a lot of training.
Ford Stallsmith and Bennett Varney were on last year’s BIIF champion mixed crew, and their experience provided vital to post a 4:18.97 over a hard-charging Keaau, which clocked in at 4:24.05.
Ka Makani coach Mesepa Tanoai was encouraged his mixed crew won, but hopeful that the boys’ runner-up finish served as a wakeup call.
“It’s a motivation for us to know that we won, but for our boys now they know they can be beaten. We’ll see how we are after we return to practice.”
The BIIF championships will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Hilo Bay.
HPA is the defending boys and mixed crews champion, and Kealakehe is the girls defending champion.
Paddling results
Hilo Bay
Varsity boys
1. Keaau (Etmi Jally, Chaz Olson, Kaiden Requelman, La’akea Nakoa, Luke Liulama-Mitchell, Sypris, DeMello), 3:59.99; 2. HPA, 4:04.94; 3. Kamehameha, 4:09.99; 4. Hilo, 4:24.86; 5. Kealakehe, 4:27.14; 6. Waiakea, 4:50.77.
Varsity girls
1. Keaau (Jonay Enrique, Kyla Fabiani, Lori Boi Aiu, Liana Prudholm, Lexie Prudholm, La’a Cother-McKeague), 4:46.33; 2. Kealakehe, 4:52.56; 3. HPA, 4:54.61; 4. Kamehameha, 5:00.76.
Varsity mixed
1. HPA (Ford Stallsmith, Bennett Varney, Paloma Field, Te’a Kanuha, Tain Lawson, Ollie Hope), 4:18.97; 2. Keaau, 4:24.05; 3. Kamehameha, 4:47.93; 4. Kealakehe, 4:55.68; 5. Hilo, 5:14.40; 6. Pahoa, 5:41.40.