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Fiji International
We are enjoying sunny spells and sunny hospitality here in Suva for the Wai Tui Fiji International.
First held in 2003, this has become an annual event which offers Fijian paddlers the chance to flex a little muscle and for overseas paddlers to enjoy the 'Bula' experience of Fiji. Organizer, Colin Philp, has since founding this event, come to see it as a grass-roots event, not so much for the elite but for those who merely wish to experience the sport in a mellow, tropical environment, where simply being a part of the event, will warm you to the sport if you have grown cold of red tape and the absence of 'Aloha' which paddlers speak of, but rarely feel.
Here's a note from Claire from Port Stephens Aust: "Hi Australia - Claire H from PDs here i've just hijacked the race organizers laptop - Its awesome here! Everyone should come next year. We got a mention on Fiji TV last night, and Linda is racing OC1 marathon this afternoon. Bring it ON!!"
So rude! OK, I'm back...having moved a few times in its short life, being in Nadi (Nan_di) last year, the event has now moved to the University of the South Pacific just outside of Suva, a site used for the 2007 Hobie Worlds. Protected by a rock wall, the harbour area is proving to be a great sprint course for the V1 races currently underway, with paddlers from Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, Samoa and Fiji competing. Conditions are hot and humid and apart from the occasional threatening storm cloud drifting past the fringing reef on the far distant horizon, conditions are calm.
Mandy and I are paddling with American Samoa, between taking photos and interviewing for kanuculture.com and Pacific Paddler magazine. We are guests of the Fiji Visitors Bureau and the Holiday Inn Suva to whom we thank for their support.
The event will run from today, Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th. V1 events today, and V6 events over Friday and Saturday, including Sprints and Marathon races. More later.
Vinaka
Steve West
[Steve West]
As for the rest of the day...the V1 500m rudderless events continued on through the day, with some increased wind and shower activity, leading to the U16 and U19 V6 marathon races in the latter part of the afternoon. NZ U19 Hemi Wahapango paddling with the Portage Crossing, winner of the World Sprints in NZ, continued good form to win in 2:32:09 and also backed up to win the Open event in 2:46:09 in strong blustery head winds. Richard Thrupp from NZ finished runner up to Hemi in both events. Maia Davis (NZ) won the U19 500m V1 in 3:07:99 followed by Carley Eklund also of NZ, demonstrating the depth of their Kiwis V1 paddlers in the junior divisions.
Encouragingly the event also included an U14 division. Fiji is strongly behind their juniors seeing that in order to compete with some emerging Pacific island paddling regions, that this is essential to their future success on the international scene and in building a culture of paddling amongst the community. The U14 mixed, girl and boys teams paddled over 6km, with strong performances from the Nadi team winning all events and PNG collecting silver in the mixed and girls event.
The U19 marathon over 15km took the paddlers outside the reef, where massive Pacific swells pounded on the reef and challenged the paddlers and steerers, especially when rain squalls, salt spray, mist and a setting sun made for limited visibility. The U19 girls race was won by Portage Crossing in 1:47:53, followed by their second team and in the U19 boys event also by Portage Crossing in 1:30:25 followed by an excellent performance by the Port Moresby Canoe Club PNG 1:37:52.
With the importation of Hyper Canoes into Fiji, these ruddered light weight canoes have opened up open ocean paddling and paddlers enjoyed the large swells outside the reef, organiser Colin Philp returned to shore all smiles and stoked at surfing the 10-15' faces.
A great first day. Time for Fiji Bitter and prize giving.
[Steve West]
Day 2 - It's raining but not windy. V6 500m and 1000m races with 1500m for the open divisions. OC1 marathons this afternoon. More later. Steve.
[Steve West]
...So the V6 sprints are over with, the open and U19 events not dominated by any one team or club, but a a good mix of winning crews from Nadi and Suva and a some great performances by ithe PNG youngsters and the Kiwis. The tropical downpours have cleared for the moment and paddlers are feasting on plate lunches and browsing the stalls. OC1 marathon races are later this afternoon conditions look much the same from the beach, though additional buoys are being laid out at the reef pass to keep paddlers well clear of the imploding sets which would make easy work of canoe and paddler. Wherever you race in the Pacific, from Guam to Fiji, Cook Island to Tahiti, racing along the backside the reef line with a prevailing swell, is always 'interesting'. Often you will be unaware of the size until you hear the wave 'boom' on reef beside you, which can be a wake up call. Tomorrow the V6 Marathons will bring the event to a fitting climax, followed by 250m V1 races for those with energy to burn. Cheers.
[Steve West]
Todays Open womens marathon was won in blustery and at time rough conditions in 2:02:02 Kai Wai (Suva) over 20kms with Sydney paddlers 'The Flip Side' (Port Stephens) finishing 2nd 2:02:43, then Nadi Bay 2:08:48. The first 5km was spent punching into a 20km head wind, then making their way out through the passage into open water and a long long leg along the reef with a SE Trade win pushing them along. Kai Wai led from the start, though the Flip Side made a valiant effort to pull back. Steering was difficult at times, as heavy swells rolled in from the East. Back in the through the reef, Kai Wai pulled away to a comfortable buffer to win.
In the Open mens marathon, the wind had eased marginally, but the heavens opened up, torrential rain limiting visibility. Team Camakau (a young Kai Wai team) team pulled away from Colin Philps' older, though more experienced Kai Wai crew. In open water running along the reef, Kai Wai pulled up to and past Camakau by about 100m. A two horse race all the way, the younger Camakau came back to over take once through the pass to win in 1:36:08 from Kai Wai in 1:36:20. 3rd place went to Nadi Bay in 1:40:25. Clean and at times glassy swells, made for some good surfing conditions.
It's pouring here, but regardless everyone is making the most of it. Some V1 3, 6 and 10km races were held this morning for U14,16 and 19 age groups and the last event to culminate todays racing and the event, is a 250m V1 dash for cash.
Photos and more to come asap (when I return),
Vinaka
[Steve West]
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Christmas Blues
Since 1993, I have dedicated my time, energies and resources to the Kanuculture publications and on two occasions since, have relinquished them to companies on account of being over-whelmed with the demands made of running the business, travelling, competing, running clinics and having any semblance of a 'normal' life in between. Juggling too many balls and dropping them one by one, burning bridges and losing one's way, seem all too common a problem amongst those who have a passion.
The Kanuculture publications are once again under my control I am pleased to say. Regrettably, the Ezines which which were being produced are no longer, to which end I was not in control of and I understand some of our readers subscribed. The company controlling this have folded and as is the way with companies, none of us can get our money back. I do intend however to produce several Ezines during the course of 2008, downloadable and free of charge to one and all.
I look forward to a new start in 2008 and in continuing my work which I began so long ago in studying and sharing the va`a sport with you all.
All the best for Christmas and for the New Year.
Steve West
[Steve West]
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Moloka`i to Oahu Paddleboard Race
11th Anniversary
QUIKSILVEREDITION MOLOKAI TO OAHU PADDLEBOARD RACE
Australian Jamie Mitchell Posts 6th Win in Record Time.
Honolulu - (July 29, 2007) - Australian paddleboarding phenomenon Jamie Mitchell, 30, continues to reign supreme after posting his sixth consecutive win of the 32-mile Quiksilveredition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race in a record time of 4:48:23 today. Mitchell shared the winners dais with fellow Australian Shakira Westdorp, 22, who took first place in the women's division with a time of 5:59:52. Kauai's Kevin Horgan posted a narrow win in the stand-up paddleboard division, presented by C4 Waterman (6:20:59), and Oahu's Keoni Watson won the 12-foot stockboard division (5:39:48). Conditions were excellent for today's race, offering 15- to 20-knot easterlies and open ocean swells of four to six feet. The Quiksilveredition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race is considered the world championship for long distance paddlers.
From the 7:30 a.m. race start on Molokai, Mitchell's superb physical conditioning was evident as he opened up an immediate lead over his closest rivals Bruce Taylor (Australia) and Brian Rocheleau (Hawaii). While Taylor did the best job of keeping Mitchell in his sights, any hopes of a win vanished into the distance with Mitchell. As Mitchell surged along with the swells in rhythm with his waterproof iPod, Taylor rode the rollercoaster of mental highs and lows as the battle became one with himself. The two were singing very different songs by the completion of the race.
Mitchell stepped to shore in record time, breathing easily and looking as if he could jump back on board and make a return paddle to Molokai. No other competitor touched down on Oahu today looking as relaxed and pain-free.
"I felt the best I've ever felt in that race," said Mitchell. "I didn't feel fatigued at all. I don't feel fatigued now.
"I trained the hardest I've ever trained the past three to four months for this race, so it's real satisfying to know that the hard work paid off. Conditions and fitness played a big part.
"I thought it was fast but I didn't know how fast until I heard it over the PA at the finish," said Mitchell. "I don't think it was quite as windy as we thought it was going to be, but there was plenty of movement and plenty of bumps to be had, I mean, it must have been good to break a record. There were the typical Molokai flat, ugly spots out there, but nowhere near as much as previous years. I had a couple of good glides where I'd probably go a hundred yards or so and connect to another, so it was a lot more fun than the usual channel crossing.
"I heard a crack on my board at one stage. I don't know if something hit my fin or what - that worried me a little bit. I wasn't sure if something had broken, but everything was pretty good - pretty much a mistake free race for me."
Second-place Taylor made his first solo crossing of the channel today, having competed two years ago in a team.
"It's a totally different race, a totally different channel when you're on your own out there the whole way. I've got to admit it was terrible. The best part was that end bit. Just the fulfillment of a personal goal. Mentally, the ups and downs... just trying to get through those bad bits - it's such a rollercoaster ride. I came all the way from Australia for this and I'm not going to go home without finishing it - that's all I said to myself, a thousand times over.
"I came over here to win, to give Jamie a shake-up. But he was too strong today. At the half way mark I realized that. Jamie's been doing this for so long now, he does it professionally. He's got so many miles and races under his belt. He's just too strong. I'm an electrician back in Queensland, so this was a one-time deal for me."
The top Hawaiian solo finisher for the men today was third-placed Brian Rocheleau with a time of 5:19:52.
"I saw Jamie and Bruce go out and I kind of fell in behind them," said Rocheleau, 31. "I didn't see them. I couldn't go at their pace. I started to make ground on Bruce the last quarter, but he was going too fast.
"The beginning was real easy, but it just got worse and worse. I could see (Jamie's escort) boat - that was the carrot. He's definitely got the gift out there. He's raising the bar. Everyone's trying to chase him. I'll try to get him but I don't know if it's going to happen."
Rookie Shakira Westdorp, was perhaps the most impressive today, keeping her cool on a maiden voyage across the Molokai Channel that included a broken rudder that she fixed mid-crossing. Westdorp finished ahead of five-time and defending champion Kanesa Duncan (Oahu). Duncan finished a little more than five minutes behind Westdorp with a time of 6:05:05. Once the relief of reaching Oahu subsided, tears turned to jubilation as the young Queenslander vowed to do the race "forever".
"It was a lot of fun, I got a lot of runners, but I never felt like I was going to get there - never-ending," said Westdorp. "It's way rougher, way more runners, way bigger swell - everything magnified by about 10 (compared to Australia).
"The furthest I've paddled in training was about five and a half hours. I was prepared for the worst and it wasn't as bad as everyone said it was going to be. It was so much fun.
"I knew Kanesa would be tough. I know she comes home hard. I knew it would be close. To beat someone on Kanesa's level... I'm so stoked."
The C4 Waterman stand-up division turned out to be an incredibly close race - just 13 seconds the difference between winner Kevin Horgan and second-placed Vitor Marcal (Oahu). Having lead almost 31 miles of the 32 mile race, Marcal was overtaken on the home turn into Maunaloa Bay as the pair hit the infamous home-stretch headwind. It was in that final mile that Horgan accelerated to pass his disbelieving rival.
"It was like trying to run up a sand hill," Horgan said of the home stretch. "But that's where my endurance really kicked in. Earlier this summer I did a four-day, 175-mile paddle from New York City to Newport Rhode Island. That was the perfect training for today."
Two years ago, Horgan was the only solo stand-up paddler in this race and unofficially finished first and last after 10 hours of paddling; unofficial as he was outside the eight-hour official cut-off time.
"I just chopped off four hours!" said Horgan. "Waterman can, that's my motto.
"That finish was unbelievable. It was so fun. I rode so many waves, it was a blast. Vitor paddled an amazing race. I think I was just better in the headwind."
The first of the two-person teams entered in today's race was the stand-up team of Dave and Ekolu Kalama (Maui). Despite a 30-minute delayed start for the stand-up competitors, starting out from Molokai at 8 a.m., the Kalamas steamed through the course to be second across the line behind Mitchell in a time of 4:36:55.
Like Mitchell, Oahu's Keoni Watson found the conditions totally to his liking and was ecstatic with the fact that he had blazed by a slew of open class paddlers riding boards at least five feet longer than his, and with the advantage of a rudder system. This was his second consecutive stock win
"I felt good," said Watson. "I kept passing all these open (class) guys. The runs were unreal. Last year I felt pretty worthless at the finish. I feel good this time. That was so much fun on the stockboard."
For more information:
Jodi Wilmott
Tel: (808) 258-8533
Major Placings follow...
Men's Solo Paddleboard Overall:
1st - Jamie Mitchell, Australia - 4:48:23
2nd - Bruce Taylor, Australia - 5:15:00
3rd - Brian Rocheleau, Oahu, Hawaii - 5:19:52
Women's Solo Paddleboard Overall:
1st - Shakira Westdorp, Australia - 5:59:52
2nd - Kanesa Duncan, Oahu, Hawaii - 6:05:05
Men's Stockboard Overall:
1st - Keoni Watson, Oahu, Hawaii - 5:39:48
2nd - Kiva Rivers, Hawaii - 5:52:15
C4 Waterman Stand-up Solo Division:
1st - Kevin Horgan, Kauai, Hawaii - 6:20:59
2nd - Vitor Marcal, Oahu, Hawaii - 6:21:12
C4 Waterman Unlimited Teams:
1st - Dave Kalama/Ekolu Kalama, Maui, Hawaii - 4:36:55