Pacific Paddler December 2013 - (Page 18)
The whole story, only in the digital edition
XCEL
European Championship
(Kai and Kaihe's great
European road trip!)
What makes paddling outrigger canoes spe-
cial? The people you meet and the places you
can see around the world that create memories
for a lifetime. While this sport certainly doesn't
pay its elite paddlers in the uS, it has provided
many (and not just the elite) with the opportu-
nity to travel and meet new friends in many dif-
ferent countries. Top paddlers have earned trips
to Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, New Caledonia,
Canada, and recently Europe. In 2012, Kai
Bartlett and Patrick Dolan were invited by the
organizers of the XCEL European Challenge to
come participate in this relay. They did and had
an incredible, adventurous, and exciting experience. They were invited again for this year's
relay, and there was no hesitation on Kai's
part. Although Patrick would have jumped on
this repeat opportunity, he had more significant
events happening in his life at this time (like getting married! moving to the mainland!). So he
was not able to go. Kaihe Chong was asked to
partner up, and like Kai, there was no hesitation!
Last year the race course went from Hossegor
to Biarritz to Guethery to Hendaye. This year
it started in Getaria, Spain (a very picturesque
town south of San Sebastian) running 34 miles
north to Hendaye, France. As this was the first
time most of the people had paddled in this area
of Spain, no one really had the advantage of
local knowledge. Nearly 100 paddlers participated, and came from various parts of the globe:
Australia, Hawaii, Tahiti, Switzerland, Germany,
Italy, Spain, and, of course, France (Brittany,
Paris, Medoc, Lacanau Ocean, Biarritz, Marseille).
Thanks to the generosity of XCEL Europe
and Carl Reiser, Kai and Kaihe got to meet new
people, share their paddling experience with a
clinic prior to the race, and have a terrific time
seeing new places. Kaihe and Tanya GumpacMcGuire made the most of it by first visiting
Italy checking out the cities of Rome, Venice,
Lucca, and the leaning tower in Pisa in six days
18
Pacific Paddler
December 2013
making for a whirlwind tour! Then it was off to
along the coast, the course turned at a beautiful
then to St. Jean De Luz in the Basque Country.
rolling out along with an outgoing tide, and the
Bordeaux, a few days in Lacanau Ocean, and
Kai and Kea Kimball arrived in Bordeaux a week
before the race , and were driven straight from
the airport to Anglet, by friend Jerome Fabre,
for a dinner party at the home of Pascal and
Kenza Seunaneche. This was a two hour car
ride after a seventeen hour plane trip! The next
day was a day of rest and surfing at Anglet.
French hosts, Sylvain Mercandalli, Christophe
Amestoy, Bertrand Baechler, Vincent Conrie, and
Remy Lavie, showered Kai and Kaihe with incredible hospitality during their visit. Marcelo Diaz
Rodriguez, of Gondolin SuP club and school in
San Sebastian, along with his friends, welcomed
the visiting Hawaiians to this beautiful city. They
paddled OC1 and SuP in the bay, had lunch on
Santa Clara island, and at night visited some
of the many tapas bars around "old town" San
Sebastian.
Race day started flat and glassy however
the course was full of magnificent scenery of the
Basque coast. From the start at Getaria, the
first leg (6 miles) went north to Orio. Paddling
point where a river flowed to the sea. Fog was
transition point was a ways up this river making
for a bit of a challenge. From there it was on to
San Sebastian (11.5 miles). The third leg (4.5
miles) made its way out of San Sebastian to the
harbor of Pasaia which is also located up a river
(just not as far as Orio). A bit of concern for the
organizers was that all of the paddlers needed
to be out of the harbor by 3 p.m. This concern
was based on the format of the relay in that the
second and third legs of the race were started
only after the last paddler finished the previ-
ous leg. It was not a "tag" and "go" format. A
little headwind greeted those on the last leg (12
miles) to Hendaye, but surfing from the ocean
into the river and meeting up with a somewhat
favorable current made finishing at the sailing
club a welcoming sight. Hot showers were provided by the sailing club, re-energizing paddlers
for the awesome after party with cold beer, dinner, and live entertainment. XCEL and Hoalen
provided wonderful prizes!
Europeans are becoming very competitive in
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Paddler December 2013
Molokai Hoe
So Cal - Winter Season begins
Image and Reality in Polynesian Voyaging
Canadian Outrigger Heats Up
XCEL European Championship
Take It to the Next Level
COVER 1999 Edition
December 1999 CONTENTS
1999 Na Wahine
1999 Na Wahine
1999 New Products
1999 Ocean Tides, Currents & Racing
OC-1, OC-2 & Kayak 2000 schedule
1999 Canada Outrigger
1999 P3 Masters Waa Kaukahi Relay
1999 Hawaiki Nui Va‘a, Tahiti ~
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