SAVE THE DATE: Kīkaha’s new canoes to be blessed May 18
Kīkaha O Ke Kai’s newest canoes have arrived in the Pacific Northwest and the club is scheduled to pick them up at RATI on May 3. Kaimana (Power of the Sea) and Kai Koa (Sea Warrior), will be blessed on May 18, said Nellie Bell, club vice president. The specific time and location will be announced soon.
With help from a grant from the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Kīkaha purchased the two Kai Wa‘a Hydra Pro OC6 canoes, dubbed “the twins.” Kai Wa‘a says the hull weight for the pro model is 99 pounds. Fully rigged, it weighs just over 127 pounds.
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Manu Baker touched lives as a mentor to Kīkaha paddlers
The casual observer might expect the heart of a canoe club to beat in paddlers furiously headed to the finish line.
But that’s not the case at Kīkaha O Ke Kai. That honor belongs to the late Howard K. “Manu” Baker, who spent most of his time guiding the club from the shore.
A beloved member of Kīkaha from its start, Baker was a mentor to many. He offered advice. He settled disputes. He led the prayers before races and he ensured that paddlers understood – and respected – the culture they represented.
The club’s Mirage canoe, purchased from Canada Outrigger Connection in 2006, a year after Baker died, is named in his honor. So is Kīkaha’s annual sprint regatta, the Manu K. Baker Regatta at Spanaway Lake.
“He was the face of Kīkaha,” said long-time Kīkaha paddler Boy Chun Fook. “Everybody looked up to him. All the clubs, all the keiki.”
Baker had a profound effect on Chun Fook, who called Baker a mentor.
“He taught me plenty,” Chun Fook said. “He was a leader, not a coach. He was there for the coaches, board members, paddlers. His heart was filled with aloha all the time.”
When the club started in 1996, it paddled out of Steel Lake in Federal Way and its canoes had to be towed to practice every day from a nearby home. Baker was often at the wheel, Chun Fook said.
Baker was born in Aiea, Hawaii, but had lived in Federal Way for more than 30 years. As a boy, Baker would join other youth who dove for the coins that tourists would toss from arriving ocean liners at the pier in Honolulu Harbor, Chun Fook said. He got the nickname “Manu,” which means bird in Hawaiian, because when he dove into the water people said he looked like a bird.
Former Kīkaha paddler and keiki coach Missy Richardson said Baker “touched a lot of lives.” She said she loved him like a father.
“He was well respected and loving,” she said. “I remember the hugs he would give. He was the glue to our club. He brought everyone together. If there was any kind of drama, he was there to calm things down. Everything would be OK because Uncle Manu was looking out for everyone.”
Former Kīkaha head coach Scott Moody said Baker’s devotion to the club was unparalleled and was made more impressive because Baker had a heart condition.
“It was pretty painful and he was living with that,” Moody said. “He was there all the time. We didn’t realize that because of his heart he was living on borrowed time. The fact that he knew that meant he jumped into the cultural role more than any other paddler. That leadership aspect was important.”
Baker died suddenly, at home, while mowing the lawn in March 2005. He was 62.
His memorial service was well attended. The musician Fiji performed, singing along with a woman for 15 minutes. “It was one of the most mesmerizing things I have ever heard,” Moody said.
In 2006, at the first Manu K. Baker Regatta, held at the time at Steel Lake, paddlers young and old gathered to honor Baker.
“Everybody loved him and he loved everyone,” Richardson said. “We miss him dearly.”
Manu Baker regatta to open 2025 sprint season
The Manu K. Baker Regatta, hosted by Kīkaha O Ke Kai, will kick off the sprint season with a full day of racing on May 17 at Spanaway Lake Park. Raffle donations are still being accepted. If you have something, email the club at [email protected]
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Turning a canoe? It’s as easy as une, kahi and imua
With only four regattas over the course of a month, sprint racing in the Pacific Northwest is fast and furious.
Races run from 500 to 1,500 meters and are held on a 250-meter course. Each crew has its own lane. Turning the canoe efficiently is perhaps the most important skill a crew needs – especially when a race can include up to five turns.
Brian Martin, who has steered Kīkaha crews since 2010, said turns are “the most crucial moment of a race.”
“A race position often changes at the turn,” he said. “Who is second can get to being in the lead if they have a better turn, for example. You’ll need your power to get to the turn as quickly as possible but whipping that canoe around cleanly takes incredible skill.”
Three commands from the steersman direct a crew as it heads into a turn: une (to lever), kahi (to cut) and imua (to forge straight ahead).
To help momentum as he looks for the best angle, Martin will often call for more power about 10 meters out. And this is where it gets tricky.
At the turn, Seat 1 needs to be on the right side of the canoe and Seat 2 on the left. That means changes may be longer or shorter as the canoe approaches, because the goal is to not overtax Seat 1 and Seat 2, Martin said.
“It’s all very situational,” he said.
When Martin shouts “une,” Seat 1 and Seat 2 use their paddles to steer, holding them in place like a rudder to help pivot the boat. The canoe will slow slightly, and at that point Seat 2 must start drawing water toward the canoe.
When Martin shouts “kahe,” Seat 1 joins Seat 2 on the left and helps draw water toward the canoe to help move the nose around. The two paddlers have to be in sync, Martin said.
When Martin shouts “imua,” Seat 1 and Seat 2 remain on the left side and paddle as the entire crew powers out of the turn.
The next change is a short one, but Seat 1 remains on the left side. Another short change is called and Seat 1 will then be able to change sides.
“It’s a short change because that poor Seat 1 has been there forever,” Martin said.
But what about Seats 3, 4 and 5 during the turn? They cut their power so the canoe can turn more smoothly, Martin said. At “imua,” their power returns.
Strength and timing are rewarded during a sprint race, but mistakes are on full display, as well. A huli can easily happen in a turn, Martin said.
“Things you don’t expect happen in regattas,” Martin said. “A crew could turn too wide and into your lane. Suddenly you have too tight of a turn. If you don’t move fast enough, the nose of the other crew will plow into you. You have to prepare for the unknown.”
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Through the lens: Check out these videos as Rusty Iron opens season for Kīkaha
Kīkaha kupuna 70s paddler and club documentarian Lon Kincannon created several videos at the recent Rusty Iron race. Unfortunately, two races were not recorded due to a camera malfunction. The ones featured here offer an exciting look at the season’s first race.
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Da Kīkaha Korner
Aw’ryte!
A big Kīkaha mahalo to everyone who helped with the annual huli drill on April 5. Turns out a lot of paddlers wanted to join the upside down club with 78 people showing up at the Mount Tahoma High School pool in Tacoma. Kīkaha’s Lon Kincannon created a video of the event for everyone to review. Check it out below…
Who dat?
Paddler: Jill Sullivan, keiki program assistant coach
Years paddling canoes: 15
Years with Kīkaha: 10
Favorite race: “Local, I really like Da Grind. There’s always some jockeying for place when getting around the island. Overall though, I love anything 9-man change out.”
Favorite paddling experience: “My favorite of all time was the Micronesian Games in Palau. There were teams from all over. It was my first big competition. Plus the weather was warm.”
Why paddling: “My husband Sean and I had just moved to Guam for his job and I was six months pregnant. I had never even been anywhere tropical before. We were standing on a cliff looking down at the water and in the distance I saw a paddler on a 1-man out in the vast ocean. I just turned to him and said, ‘I want to do that!’ After I had Liam, I joined a team. Sean would walk the baby along the beach and I’d get a practice in. Turns out I was pretty good. Turns out it fed my soul, especially on a team like Kīkaha.”
Best club advice your ever received: “The steersperson is the lead. Don’t talk back. (I did once and that was a VERY bad idea).”
Paddler: Katsie Hirsh
Club activities: Paddling practice, some paddling races, and club social activities
Years paddling: “Less than a year (since June 2024). I had no paddling experience before joining Kīkaha.”
Favorite race experience: “Rooster Rock 2024. I was asked to paddle at the last minute due to an illness of another paddler. It was my first race after only a few practices. I was so nervous! Everyone was so encouraging and supportive. I had so much fun! We even got first place in our division!”
Favorite paddling experience: “Every time the fellow paddlers and coaches take the time to give me advice to become a better paddler. I learn something new every time I paddle.”
Reason for paddling: “Kīkaha is a fun and welcoming community. I enjoy being active and on the water with others who love paddling.”
Best Club Advice Ever Received: “Relax and have fun!”
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Kīkaha O Ke Kai, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that paddles out of the Foss Waterway, would like to say mahalo to its sponsors and supporters: Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Papa Ola Lōkahi, Nordlund Boat Company, Katie Downs Waterfront Tavern & Eatery, Tucci Energy Services, Hawaiian Paddle Sports, Aloha Carpet Cleaning and Moku ‘aina Wakinekona Hawaiian Civic Club.
Talk Story seeks to cultivate a strong, unified identity for Kīkaha O Ke Kai, reflecting the spirit of Hawaiian outrigger canoe paddling. It is dedicated to sharing club news and managing information promptly. It aims to provide members and supporters with a newsletter that enhances their connection to the club and represents our shared values on and off the water. You can contact us at [email protected].