KAILUA-KONA — Much like a metaphor for the season, the mixed race at Saturday’s BIIF regatta at Kailua Bay was too close to call. ADVERTISING KAILUA-KONA — Much like a metaphor for the season, the mixed race at Saturday’s BIIF
KAILUA-KONA — Much like a metaphor for the season, the mixed race at Saturday’s BIIF regatta at Kailua Bay was too close to call.
After some deliberating, the photo finish was awarded to Keaau, well after the canoes had crossed the flags.
Racing out of Lane 1, Keaau edged out the competition with a time of 4 minutes and 6.83 seconds — less than a second ahead of Kealakehe (4:07:58). Parker (4:17.99) finished a distant third.
It was the Cougars first win in the mixed half-mile race this season at an all schools regatta and a nice boost heading into the BIIF championships next week at Hilo Bay.
“That’s awesome,” Keaau co-head coach Anna Ka’au’a said just seconds after finding out the result from Kealakehe coach Mike Atwood. “Lane 1 is always a challenge, but they had fun with it. That’s the main thing.”
Meanwhile, Keaau’s three-time defending BIIF champion boys crew got back on track after letting one slip away at Hilo Bay last week. They finished third in that race, with Waiakea winning and Kealakehe taking second.
On Saturday, Keaau crossed in 3:52:70, just ahead of the upstart Warriors (3:53:58). Kealakehe was within shouting distance in third at 3:55:45.
“They didn’t take the loss the way we wanted them too. They took it really hard,” Ka’au’a said. “We really had to take it back to the cultural side of things. We still trained them pretty hard, but it helped them focus on the big picture. It helped their minds get better, not just their bodies.”
Kamehameha took first in its second consecutive girls race, outpacing the field with a time of 4:26:42. They are the defending BIIF champs. Waiakea (4:32:77) and Kealakehe (4:38:42) followed.
Looking ahead
Here is the breakdown from the three all schools regatta this season: Kamehameha has won the past two girls races, with Kealakehe taking one gold; as previously stated, the Keaau boys have won twice, Waiakea once; in the mixed event, Kealakehe has won two-of-three, and had the narrow second place finish this weekend.
In the 16 years of BIIF canoe paddling no school has ever swept all three titles, and while there are some crews that could be labeled as favorites, there is still is certain level of parity heading into championship weekend.
That becomes even more relevant if the races are one-and-dones. With thinning rosters, there were no heats in the scoring varsity races at the final BIIF regatta in Kona. There are expected to be some at the championship next week, but it’s not a certainty.
The conditions could also play a factor. It wasn’t pristine at Kailua Bay on Saturday, but that opinion might have varied depending on who was asked. Keaau rode the high-surf advisory and light winds to its best showing of the year.
“It wasn’t too bad. There were some swells, but you can use it to your benefit,” Ka’au’a said. “We always like coming over here. The water is so clean.”
