Pacific Paddler April 2015 - (Page 20)

waikiki surf Club Jun Five Junior crews entered last year's Molokai Hoe. Waikiki Surf Club - Aunty Moku placed 56th overall, finishing in 6:26:47. We wanted to know more about this crew and asked their coaches Napali Woode and Marc Bright about the crew. The Waikiki Surf Club Boys 18 crew consisted of: Kaeo Lindsey, Beau Shishido, Kaimana Gomes, Carter Lai, Jezus Santos, Kapono Kapanui, George Wilson, Tyler Valdez, and Ryan Twigg-Smith. They are coached through long distance season by Mark Bright and regatta season by Napali Woode. Q: How young are tHe Kids wHo start tHe waiKiKi surf club youtH paddling program? Mark & Napali: The kids program includes all ages from 10 - 18, boys and girls. With any club, kids come and go, but the majority of our kids have been with the club for many years. Of the 18 boys, Kaeo, Beau, Kaimana, and Carter have been with Surf Club for the last four years. Q: is it seasonal? Mark & Napali: Surf Club's kids program has always been just summer regatta. Because of the new 18s division, our 18 boys really wanted to do the Molokai Hoe. In the first year, we didn't have enough boys to form a crew of 18s, but this past year, the boys asked everyone they knew to be able to get a full crew together. That's how we got George, who was paddling regatta at Hui Nalu, and how we got Tyler and Jezus who weren't even paddling. We also had a handful of 18 girls who wanted to do the Na Wahine, but they couldn't round up enough girls. Many of the high school kids paddle for their high school teams. In fact, Kaeo, Beau, Carter, Jezus, Tyler, and Kapono all paddled together at Kamehameha. All of the boys, except for Tyler, George, Kapono, and Jezus paddled during the regatta season this past year for Surf Club. Q: How many years did tHe crew tHat paddled moloKai paddle togetHer? Mark: Kaeo, Beau, Jezus, and Carter paddled all 4 years in high school together. Tyler and Kapono were with them for three years during high school. Q: How did tHe boys prepare for distance races? Mark: We basically had them train with Surf Club's men. We set up long training runs on the weekends to expose them to long distances in rough water. We had to teach them how to make water changes. We tried to 20 Pacific Paddler aPril 2015 get them to push themselves at 100% for 4 hours. I knew what it took to compete in long distance races, and it was a challenge to try to get them to understand the level of effort required. In the beginning, they just didn't get it, meaning they weren't mentally or physically prepared for the 24 mile race. Our crew was over 20 minutes behind the winner of their division. The problem with kids is that they try to get away with as little as possible, and losing by 20 minutes helped to light the fire in each of them. Going forward, they understood that their intensity needed to increase. I had to pound into their heads that the effort they were giving at practices wasn't enough. I asked them if they wanted to participate or compete, and they all finally seemed to get it. The real key for them was winning their division in the Henry Ayau race by 20 seconds, because over a 32 mile race to only win by 20 seconds is nothing. That race gave them the confidence to know that they could win if they worked hard enough. After the Henry Ayau race, I stepped up the training to push them even harder, and they all stepped up to meet the extra training demands. Q: How did tHey cover expenses? Mark: All of these boys are in school and many aren't working, so cost is a big concern in terms of participation in long distance races. In fact, we had one strong paddler not paddle, because of the costs. I made sure they each paid what they could, but for all of the races, many of the Surf Club members and coaches pitched in to make up the difference and cover their costs. Having an 18s boys crew paddle in Molokai Hoe was a big moment of pride for our club, and the adult members wanted to make sure the kids had the opportunity to compete, which is why they were so willing to help cover the boys' costs. Without the financial assistance and support of all of the Surf Club's members and coaches, we would not have been able to enter an 18s boys crew. The entire Surf Club distance program also held a

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Paddler April 2015

Kanaka ikaika maui Jim waterman's series
Waikiki Surf Club juniors
Sean Monahan on technique
fishing from an oC1
Koa Nui
Manny Kulukulualani talks story
HSCA 2015 schedule
Outrigger canoe making waves in the desert
Small boats getting big
Stretches for paddling
Hawaii Island
Composite paddle blades
Mahalo Kai Opua

Pacific Paddler April 2015