All Stories
OC1 SOLO - Sunday 27th April 2008
Once again Maui Kjeldsen performed excellently coming 4th and Conan Herbert came in at an impressive 21st overall using his water knowledge and surf skills to stay with the main leading pack. Kingi Gilbert, Mario Mausio and Bernd Sommer were the next New Zealand male paddlers home. Bernie Murch was New Zealand's only female representative and did very well, finishing 6th overall in the womens.
The race record was broke by Karel Tresnak Jr at 3:38 and Lauren Bartlet in 4:18. In the mens the first international competitors were, Danny Ching from California (3rd) and Greg Long from Australia (5th). Reuben Dearlove from Cook Islands came in at 11th. Kiwi born Rick Nu'u also competed, doing very well in the Masters division, finishing 32nd overall.
The conditions were rising easterlies with the day before being relatively small and flat. The start had a gnarly beach break wave about 2-4 foot which meant paddlers had to battle it through this with their gear before they could even start the race.
The top Hawaiian paddlers were outstanding on the day, fine tuning their whole yearly training schedule for this one race. From the start they employed every bit of surfing knowledge, canoe feel and water knowledge to pull ahead and dominate the race. More on Honolulu Advertiser
MAUI TO MOLOKAI - Saturday 26th April 2008
Kingi Gilbert and Mario Mausio relayed in the Maui to Molokai 25 miles on the Saturday before the OC1 Solo and came 1st in the Open Men, pipping out some highly respected local paddlers.
Dallas Ashmore & Bernie Murch relayed and came 3rd, with Dallas putting a big effort so Bernie could save her energy for the Solo the next day. Both teams were happy with the result but after the race apprehensive about the decision to go 'back to back' weekend racing with such an important and long race on the next day.
Only a handful of top paddlers decided to do both races back to back, of notable mention is Mael Cary and Lauren Bartlett from Maui. Lauren won both in the womens and Mael finished 2nd in the Maui Molokai and 10th in the Solo - an awesome display of skill and fitness for both athletes.
Watch this space as these athletes lift the bar and continue to push the sport forward to more extremes.
PADDLER MENTIONS
The New Zealand paddlers based in Hawaii for these races would like to thank the following for making their race possible - all the family and friends for putting up with a tireless training schedule and for assisting them in Hawaii; Moana Nui, Wai Tui Outrigger, Regis Park - Rob Bruce, Lauren Bartlett & Kai Wa'a, Karel Tresnak Snr from Outrigger Connection, O'iwi race gear, the Kneubuhl and Helm families from Maui and Molokai.
The race costs each New Zealand paddler around $4000 not including time spent training and other help and effort is sincerely appreciated.
What's up next? The above New Zealand paddlers and brothers Lance & Paul Roozendaal from Goodyear in Rotorua will compete in the Molokai Relay race from Kaluakoi, Molokai to Magic Island, Oahu. Can they make a top 10 placing? Stay tuned to find out...
Comments
Anon - go team roozy
29-Apr-2008
Anon - GO Waitui Boys...
29-Apr-2008
Very Proud Kiwi - Maui Kjeldsen you are still the bomb, and wow Conan, you have the goods in the rough, too.
Bernie what are you thinking...two races back to back, it's nice to get water time,..... but that was the World Champs, mate and you are so up there. Good on ya and good luck at the sprints.
Kingi you too are good mate,.... Lauren just beat you...but she is no mere mortal.
It is so inspiring to see kiwi paddlers mixing it, and in those conditions and over such a long distance.
Congrats to those that did us proud in the Cook Islands.
Can't wait to see you guys up the medal anti in Sacramento!
29-Apr-2008
Bernie Murch - A huge "Mahalo" to all my friends and family for the support and kind words in my campaign towards the "2008 World Solo Championships".
I must admitt I made a mistake by trying to compete in the 2 events over the weekend, regardless of only doing a total of 1 hour paddling out ot the 3 hours it took us to complete the Maui to Molokai race.
Yes a very poor decisionon on my part, believe me it's not much fun living with a mistake like that!! But a little bit of retail therapy and a block of chocolate has helped ease the pain and re-focus me for this weekends relay.
Once again a big "Thanks" to every one back home.
30-Apr-2008
Kingi - Ow! Was hoping no-one would notice that Lauren beat me! Bummer.
30-Apr-2008
Anon - Well done Boys and Girls. Putting NZ on the MAP yeeeaaaahhhhh
30-Apr-2008
Lana - Good on you guys and girls! Good Luck to you all for the relay
30-Apr-2008
Mike Hickson - chur chur and well done to you all,its inspiring to see fellow NZ paddlers do so well,damn I better get out and train some more. Maui and Rick you are welcome to come home any time you want you know!!
30-Apr-2008
Tru3 s0uLd!3r - Sh0t te @urere Boyz go hard hope uses win worlds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hehehe....
probably won't lol
nemin
30-Apr-2008
b - Waitui hard
30-Apr-2008
Daniel Wikaira - Chur! what an awesome result!!! way to go Brothers & sisters of waka NZ. Kingi bro I know how you feel, thats happened to me and I haven't left the country yet!
01-May-2008
AUSZY 1 - Please dont call this the world championships when its not, ive done this race twice and the super ito in Tahiti and find the super ito much harder specialy rudderless if any race is going to be called the world champs it should be this one.
01-May-2008
paddler1 - then why don't the tahitians race it?
01-May-2008
AUSZY 1 - You obviously didnt see the results from last year when the tahiti teams were there 1st and 2nd in a new record time.
01-May-2008
Kia ora - hey Auszy1, Pa'a named their race the Kaiwi Channel Solo OC1 World Championship, the bro who wrote this is just calling the race by its name given by the organisers - maybe take your issues up with Pa'a??
Kia ora
01-May-2008
Anon - Lets see a tahitian race in the Molokai Solo next year maybe. Or is that a bit far fetched.
02-May-2008
paddler1 - I thought Kai Bartlett won the solo last year?
02-May-2008
AUSZY 1 - Was talking about the sixs and lets see the hawaians do the ito rudderless
02-May-2008
Anon - they did the ito last year and got spanked. and they know that. but atleast they turned up.
03-May-2008
Anon - You dont know wat ur talking about auszy Kai won it last year and you said the tahitians won first and second and set new records....
03-May-2008
Kia ora again - we're talking about the PA'A OC1 race not the aito or the super aito or the 6man crossing. maybe doing the aito might have been harder for you auszy 1, but we're all different, and paddlers find they might be challenged in conditions and distances that another paddler may not be challenged, rudderless or ruddered.
PA'A is obviously trying to establish a World Championship Event, and it may take awhile until the Tahitians oc1 paddlers include it in their paddling calendar, hopefully they do, and maybe Tahiti will also establish or rename an event so they can also host a named world championship event( or perhaps they dont need to rename an event?). Where all top paddlers can paddle 2 hours /1 day/ 3 days 5 days ruddered /rudderless / downwind / upwind /calm and after hawaii tahiti world champs with competitors from all over the world - maybe we find who the best allround paddler is. until then brudda dont knock the organisers and the people out there competing
04-May-2008
Coc0nut - A bit of misunderstanding going on here. The Molokai could well be the defacto World Championship 'OC1' race. Tahitians race Va'a, which is completely different type of canoe, as we all know. So, its apples and oranges folks. I do recall Manutea Owen going up there and placing 7th(?) one year at Molokai, but he's a freak and could paddle a log faster than I paddle an OC1...
Tahitians are not really too interested in OC1 'Hawaii Style' canoes because 1) they paddle in different types of conditions (just like you Kiwis like paddling on rivers and estuaries!) and 2)they do a large business in manufacturing Va'a - so why would they go and abandon all that for something they have no experience with?
07-May-2008
AUSZY 1 - well said
07-May-2008
Henare-H - A big kia ora koutou to al da bro's and sister's specially our waka hoa from aotearoa, we buzz and aspire 2 do half the things you's achive
08-May-2008