Paddling: Puna coasts to third consecutive Moku O Hawaii championship

Whenever Puna is paddling in its comfortable home waters, no matter the weather conditions at Hilo Bay, things follow a certain pattern at Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association regattas.

Longtime coach Afa Tuaolo’s club usually trails early in the day with the youth races, then suddenly starts to pick up steam once the adults finish their coffee and put their game faces on.

As such, Puna fought back from a 21-point, halfway point deficit to capture the Division A (21-43 events) title at the 12th annual Aunty Maile Mauhili/Moku O Hawaii championships on Saturday at Hilo Bay, where nice weather cooperated all day long.

Green Pride outscored rival Kai Opua 235-201 to claim their third consecutive large-division crown, powered by their 15 gold crews, including the unbeaten men freshmen, junior, women 60, 50, men 55, and mixed 55. (Kai Ehitu boys 13 and Kai Opua girls 18 also finished undefeated.)

Kai Ehitu, with a second-place high of nine golds, was third with 175 points, followed by Kawaihae, 133; Keaukaha, 111; and Kamehameha, 110 points. Kai Opua pocketed eight golds.

Keoua Honaunau took the middle Division B (11-20 races) title with 109 points, followed by Paddlers of Laka, 81; Keauhou, 67; Waikoloa, 60; and Kailana, 49 points.

Hui Wa’a O Waiakea grabbed the lower Division C (1-10 events) with 27 points and Na Wa’a Hanakahi was second with 17 points.

Since the Moku O Hawaii regatta scene switched from Kailua Pier to Hilo Bay, Green Pride has been unbeatable. Puna has won all six regattas at Hilo Bay. Kai Opua won the last race in Kailua Pier; Puna was second.

“Puna’s been too tough and gained momentum since the races came to Hilo,” Kai Opua athletic director Mike Atwood said. “We tried, and we’re getting better, but unfortunately so is Puna. I have to compliment their results and their work ethic.”

Through 20 races, it was no surprise that Kai Opua (43 events) and Kai Ehitu (37) were the co-leaders with 93 points each. Big Blue and the Red Engine have the best farm systems among the 13 Moku O Hawaii clubs.

For the first time in a long time, Puna (43 races) fills all the lanes with no holes missing in the youth ranks. Green Pride is just getting started at developing young talent. No surprise, the club was third with 72 points halfway into the regatta.

Fast forward to the results after event 34, that’s when Green Pride is already warmed up and where the adults paddle with the mindset that only the best effort is good enough.

Puna held a healthy 153-134 lead over Kai Opua. Kai Ehitu’s lack of depth in the adults races started to take its toll and settled in at third with 124 points at that time.

Green Pride didn’t win until event 18 (women novice A) and immediately followed with another gold with the men novice A, good signs for the future. Those are second-year paddlers and provide depth for the adult races.

From there, Puna started to build a rolling stone’s momentum, winning event 23 (men sophomore), event 24 (women junior), event 25 (men junior), then event 29 (men 40), event 30 (women 65), event 31 (men 65), and event 32 (women 60).

The gold collection was already contagious. The string also included event 34 (women 55), event 35 (men 55), event 36 (women 50). That’s the type of hot streaks that any club would envy.

For a couple’s moment, Tuaolo and his commander-in-chief wife Bev Tuaolo could cheer each other on. Both claimed gold — Afa in event 35 and Bev in race 36.

“She does a lot of thinking as far as putting crews together,” Afa said. “She knows our people and knows them well. She puts together good crews, and she’s part of it.”

Still, one has to wonder what makes Puna so tough?

Maybe it’s because Afa Tuaolo comes across as a benevolent Bill Belichick, someone who preaches teamwork and pushes his team hard but is quick to offer a warm handshake.

“It’s a team thing with us. That’s the most important thing, and everybody understands that,” he said. “When it comes to our meetings, everybody is there. Everybody is humble. Everybody is hungry.”

Big Blue still has that tradition of winning. The West Hawaii powerhouse has won every single championship, except for 2007, ’15, ’16, and this year. Puna owns those years and has a three-peat worth remembering.

Again, Tuaolo talked team one last time before heading to the club’s halau to celebrate with his Green Pride paddlers.

“Everybody trains hard, and they do what they have to do and things work out,” he said.

The two top finishers in the Moku O Hawaii standings earn the island’s two lanes to the 37th annual Hawaii Canoe Racing Association state championships, slated for Saturday, Aug. 5 on Maui.

Race of aloha

There is no mixed 18 race at the HCRA state championships, but Moku O Hawaii, like other island associations, runs the event anyway.

After all, the main mission of paddling is participation. Last year, the state regatta at Oahu’s Keehi Lagoon drew 371 crews and 1,805 paddlers, despite the fact that a handful of clubs dropped out due to brown, bacteria-infested waters.

The Aunty Maile/Moku O Hawaii championships routinely attract over 1,000 paddlers and well over 270 crews. On Saturday, there were 1,126 paddlers and 302 crews.

That said, Kai Opua entered the final mixed 18 race in first place with Kai Ehitu in second and Paddlers of Laka in third.

Kai Opua grabbed gold in the half-mile event in 4:12.48, followed by Keauhou, and Kai Ehitu.

Upset of the day

Kailana entered the boys 16 race sitting in fourth place in the standings. Coach Jerome Mauhili’s crew had a slim shot at states, trailing behind in points.

However, that doesn’t mean an Aunty Maile/Moku O Hawaii title was out of reach.

The crew snagged the half-mile event in 4:03.36 for gold, ahead of Kamehameha’s 4:03.60, which assured a state berth. Kai Opua was fourth in 4:05.16 and also secured a state lane.

Maybe upset is a stretch for Kailana, which earlier won two regattas at Hilo Bay. Actually, it’s three wins, the last being gold.