It was no surprise that the Moku O Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Racing Association race directors from the island’s 14 clubs voted to nix the regatta season on a Zoom call on Saturday.
That follows the rules under Hawaii Country’s outdoor gathering, which is limited to 25 people and regatta events have at least 500 people.
“We canceled the regatta season, but the long distance races are still on the table,” Moku O Hawaii president Doug Bumatay, of Paddlers of Laka said. “The races early in the schedule we’ll look to push back to July. Of course, it’s all a work in progress. It’s definitely not the norm.”
The Maui County Hawaiian Canoe Association recently canceled its regatta season.
“Basically, it’s the issue of outdoor gathering,” Bumatay said. “I see soccer and baseball going on. But their events are tiny compared to our operation. The DLNR (Department of Land and Natural Resources) has been more than willing to work with us and help us along this journey.
“We all want to be back on the water but have to do our part to keep the community and the paddling community safe.”
Then Bumatay’s imaginative mind started spinning.
“Unofficially, we could have some kind of fun races, not official, but guys could race from this rock to that rock to keep our sanity,” he said. “Everybody has been cooped up.”
Kai Opua chief Mike Atwood said the Moku O Hawaii vote doesn’t affect the Queen Liliuokalani race, which is held in September.
“We still want to put it on but what fashion I don’t know yet,” Atwood said.
The annual race is billed as the largest in the world with paddlers from other countries, around the state, and the island.
It’ll have to be much smaller, and Atwood will need to keep his fingers crossed that the COVID numbers don’t spike up.
Bumatay is just happy that the long distance season is still alive.
“It’s more manageable,” he said. “There are fewer spectators and participants. It should be manageable provided we don’t go backward. With the vaccine, hopefully, we’re headed in the right direction.”
In 2019, Oahu’s Lanikai won the Division AAAA title, Maui’s Kihei the AAA crown, Moku O Hawaii’s Kawaihae the AA championship, and Kauai’s Namolokama the A title.
