This past weekend, 186 participants gathered at Anaehoomalu Bay to enjoy some Cinco de Mayo fun and compete in a one-mile ocean swim. From the beginning of registration to the presentation of awards for the speedo-clad 70-and-over men’s age group
This past weekend, 186 participants gathered at Anaehoomalu Bay to enjoy some Cinco de Mayo fun and compete in a one-mile ocean swim. From the beginning of registration to the presentation of awards for the speedo-clad 70-and-over men’s age group swimmers at the end of the morning, the race ran seamlessly. Grant Miller and Janet Higa-Miller, owners of Bike Works and race director extraordinaires, know how to put on a fantastic event.
In true Cinco de Mayo fashion, the race was served up on the rocks and very salty. While Kona Aquatics coach Steve Borowski announced that the rocks had to do with the ultra-low tide caused by that night’s full moon, I swallowed enough sea water during the race to figure out the salty part all on my own. In addition to being inviting and warm, the ocean remained calm throughout the morning, and on a scale from 1 to 10 — one being flat as a tortilla and 10 being as turbulent as Lane 2 in a masters swim meet — I’d give the race day conditions a 2.
Swim starts have a reputation for kicking off with a ferocious tantrum of elbowing and thrashing, as competitors ruthlessly vie for position. The Cinco was very drama-free, however, thanks to an extremely wide start line that spread out the competition. An alternative explanation for this, which I overheard before the start, was that “swimmers are much nicer than triathletes,” but I prefer to believe the former.
After the initial sprint at the starting line, swimmers settled into a steady pace and headed out to sea, guided by buoys and a paddleboarder. Off the front of the pack was the young Kona Aquatics crew, with some older — err, wiser — fish trailing closely behind. As racers made the turn at the top of the house-shaped course and started heading back to shore, a game-changing element entered the competition. Peaking over the mountains to say hello, the bright sun glittered and shined, blinding swimmers and keeping them from sighting their way home.
“I went crooked with Hoyt (Thomas),” front-runner Madison Hauanio, who had trouble sighting, reported to me at recess at Kealakehe High on Monday. Thanks to the “best-ever” water patrol, Hauanio was veered back on track just in time to catch Leahi Camacho and take the lead, earning Hauanio first place in a time of 20 minutes, 48 seconds. Camacho finished next, just four seconds later.
Running up the beach a minute later to grab the first male and third female spots, respectively, were Thomas and Madeline Foo, who will graduate later this month. Graduating from middle school, that is. Not far behind those speedy youngsters were fast-at-40 competitors Mark Noetzel and Trent Fischer for the men, and Aimee Kolman for the women.
Right in the heat of the action and nabbing the fourth-place women’s spot was Jenny “I don’t race” White, Kealakehe’s finest math teacher, whose ear I pulled to enter my 5k Fun Run a few weeks ago. Conveniently, Mrs. White literally ran home from the race with an entry into the Cinco Splash, where her name was drawn as one of two grand prize winners of an overnight stay at the Hilton Waikaloa. You’re welcome.
The youngest competitor of the day was 6-year-old Kelsey Gray of the Kona Dolphins. Kelsey initially went to the race to cheer on her teammates but, not wanting to miss out on the fun, jumped at the opportunity to race.
“She swam the whole way by herself,” fellow Dolphin Malia Santos told me during a 90-minute torture — I mean, pre-calculus class. “And she didn’t even take a break until the second buoy.”
Kelsey was “super -stoked” to finish the mile swim and hear the crowd cheering for her at the finish line. Keep it up Kelsey. It wasn’t too long ago that I was a little Dolphin myself, and I finished last at that very race.
Congratulations to all who competed in this awesome event, and good luck as you prepare for the Hapuna Roughwater Swim on June 30. Big mahalos go out to Grant and Janet, and to the Coffee Talk Riders for volunteering this weekend. This great group of cyclists welcomes riders of all abilities to meet them at 7 a.m. on Saturdays at Kona Community Aquatic Center for a fun, social ride.
This Sunday at 8 a.m. at Kailua Pier, Sean “Peaman” Pagett will hold the Brown Bear Bash and Sunny Sprint in loving memory of Sunny Haspe. The biathlon includes a 1/3-mile swim and 3.1-mile run, with the shorter option of a 200-yard swim and one-mile run.
I hope to see you there.
