Kīkaha paddlers earn spots at IVF World Sprints qualifier
From teenagers to kupuna who call themselves “queenagers,” Kīkaha will be well represented at the IVF World Sprint Championships next summer in Singapore.
Eighteen paddlers qualified during V6 and V1 races at the USA ORCA Sprint Nationals on Oct. 4-5 at Blue Lake Regional Park in Oregon. The world sprint championships will be in Asia for the first time, from Aug. 17-31, and feature races of 500 meters and 1,000 meters.
At the qualifying races last month, many Kīkaha paddlers joined crews from different clubs. Among them were:
Ned Bobo and Hannah Yu, who qualified with open V6 crews from Autumn Rose.
John Murillo and Matt Taufa’asau, who qualified in a Master 50s crew from the Florida Paddle Hui.
Joe Aquino, who qualified with a Master 60s crew from Mountain Home Canoe Club.
Fay Tong and Joy Yoder, who qualified in the Master 70s division with paddlers from Washington and Oregon. Tong also qualified in a Master 75 crew with paddlers from California and Oregon.
Aaron Tyerman, who qualified with Master 40s and Master 50s V6 events with paddlers from Sand Point Canoe Club.
Dash Lauritsen, Eva Avila and Lily Wynkoop, who qualified with junior crews from Autumn Rose.
And the ageless master organizer Lon Kincannon, who assembled Master 70s and 75s crews using himself and fellow Kīkaha paddlers Doug Close, Craig Holt, Joe Wall, Shaun Koos, Rusty Herbert and Dave Oreiro. Oreio, Herbert, Holt and Koos also qualified in V1 races.
Tong, who also qualified in a V1, tapped into her newly found steering skills. She made a point of thanking Kīkaha head coach Gordon Martinez.
“I gave one of my blue ribbon medals to Gordon because not only did he teach me how to paddle a V1, but wanted me to learn how to steer,” Tong said. “He said last year, ‘We need more kupuna women steering.’”
Kīkaha members also helped manage the event. Boy Chun Fook and his son Gabby set up the lanes and monitored races from the lake, Rachel Higgins handled registration and awards, and Clifford “Unko Bu” Daniels served as race announcer.
PNWORCA president Andy Michels said this was the first year that qualifying races for the world sprint championships were held in the PNW. The event was often held in San Diego, Los Angeles and most recently in Sacramento, which hosted qualifying races when the 2024 world championships were held in Hilo.
“We had 400 participants. The Hilo qualifier had 300. So, we’re really happy about that,” said Michels, who has dreamed about bringing the event to the PNW for about 10 years.
But racing in the PNW was in serious jeopardy after Washington health officials in July closed Vancouver Lake, the original race venue, due to widespread harmful algal blooms that produced high levels of cyanotoxins. Race officials moved the event to Oregon, but securing event permits was difficult, Michels said.
“It was crisis management,” he said.
An aquatic invasive species prevention permit, usually obtained from Oregon officials three months before an event, was needed in a matter of weeks. And permission wasn’t a sure thing, either. Multnomah County officials were initially inclined to deny the permit, but state recreation officials gave the green light two days before the event, Michels said.
“It was the first racing held outside of California and it was well attended,” Michels said. “It ran on time. The weather cooperated. And toxic algae be damned.”
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Kupuna make history at Molokai Hoe
For the better part of a year, Lon Kincannon was on a mission to create a history making crew for the 2025 Molokai Hoe, the prestigious 41-mile race across the storied and sometimes stormy Ka’iwi Channel in Hawaii.
To do that, he would need his 12-man crew of 70-somethings to beat younger paddlers because the Molokai Hoe’s oldest division is Men 65+. Kincannon envisioned a podium finish for his paddlers, who hailed from Washington, Hawaii and Texas.
“We are the only team with a chance to make history,” he said before the race. “We are pumped up and ready for it.”
Kincannon wanted to make a statement.
And that’s what he did: The crew finished third in its division with a time of 7 hours, 11 minutes and 54 seconds. (Full results are here.)
The crew included Kīkaha’s Shaun Koos, the silver medalist in the V1 Master 70 division at the 2025 IVF World Distance Championships in August in Brazil, but the rest were from other clubs.
Kincannon had to withdraw from the event at the last minute because of a health concern. Instead of racing, he joined Kīkaha’s Joe Wall to organize and manage the crew. Wall was on the escort boat, serving as the team coach. He oversaw crew changes and worked with the escort boat captain to find the fastest course.
Kincannon was there every step of the journey, he said, completing registration, picking up paddlers from the airport, rigging the canoe, managing their bunkhouse lodging and dinner and driving them to the starting line at Hale O Lono Harbor.
Then he flew back to Oahu to greet the team at the finish.
Finding transportation on Molokai turned out to be the crew’s greatest challenge. Kincannon couldn’t find a van to rent and put an ad on Craigslist to find a vehicle to purchase. He was prepared to buy a truck for $5,000 when New Hope Canoe Club came up with a vehicle.
Kincannon hopes that race organizers paid attention to what his crew accomplished and will consider adding an older age group to the Molokai Hoe.
“We gave it a good shot,” Kincannon said. “I was very pleased with that. But what will come of that, I don’t know.”
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Chicken Long Race ends season on a delicious note
Kīkaha’s 2025 Chicken Long Race Solo/Relay canoe race was a big success and delighted paddlers, toddlers and seals. You can find the complete results here. (Note: The Best Seal division was accidentally not listed by race organizers.) Below, are a few photos from Kanai Hyke, club president. Mahalo Donna Hanlon for the video.
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Wahine Wayfinding
Paddling, training and everything in between from a woman’s point of view
By Mariko Roths
Though Sunni Duncan has only recently started her paddling journey, she has quickly stroked her way into the OC1 racing world. Quick may even be an understatement, as she describes her jump into OC1 like being a cannonball.
“I started paddling in 2024 and toward the end of that first season, Coach Jill invited me out on OC1s with the Juniors,” she said. “What got me hooked wasn’t the physical challenge, but how much of it was mental.”
That first taste of OC1 quickly turned into a commitment, as just a couple weeks later she bought Gina Wall’s Fuze. Soon after that, she was on the starting line of her first race, the 2024 Chicken Long Race Solo/Relay.
Since then, Duncan has built an impressive OC1 racing record for a new paddler, competing this year at the Manu Baker sprints, Da Grind, the Narrows Challenge and this year’s Chicken Long Race Solo/Relay.
“Each race has taught me something new – not just about technique or conditions, but about grit, gratitude, growth and grace,” Duncan said. “Right now, racing OC1 is about the soft wins – it’s about getting out, gaining experience, and challenging myself. I’m chasing personal progress more than podiums.”
Part of the challenge takes place out of the water as well. Duncan juggles her work schedule and raising her kids. Between that and the unpredictable PNW weather, getting out on the water can be tough, but she says that just showing up is a win in itself.
When asked about how it feels racing in an OC1 versus an OC6, Duncan said the biggest difference is in the feeling of connectedness and kuleana, which is Hawaiian for responsibility.
“In a six-man, there’s a deep sense of responsibility knowing my prep and every stroke affects five other people,” she said. “It’s about showing up and showing out for the rest of the crew – it’s for family and community.”
But in an OC1, the connectedness is with herself.
“Every race becomes a mirror – just me, my thoughts, and the water – where I can unbury the hard things and defeat them one stroke at a time,” she said.
However, her kuleana when paddling in an OC1 extends beyond herself – it’s also to her kids.
“I race so my daughters see it’s okay to try something new – to be brave, have faith in yourself, trust the process, keep showing up even when it’s hard, and know that doing your best matters just as much as where you finish,” she said.
Da Kīkaha Korner
Aw’ryte!
Aw’ryte!
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Who dat?
Paddler: Braiden Lazaro
Years of paddling: 16 years
Years with Kīkaha: 1 year
Favorite race adventure: Queen Lili’oukalani Race in Kona
Favorite paddling experience: Gorge Outrigger Canoe Race
Why paddling? “Paddling brings humility and comradery, and it is more than a sport, it is a way of life. Paddling brings humility because as a person from Hawaii it is humbling to see that I am part of something that has made it to the Pacific Northwest while keeping me rooted in my native Hawaiian culture. The main reason paddling forms a bond is because you have to work together and get along as a crew or team to get the canoe to its destination. The reason why paddling forms comradery is because you meet other people who are experienced or inexperienced, who also not only become your teammates but also your friends.”
Best paddling advice: ‘O ke kahua ma mua, ma hope ke kūkulu – Set the foundation first, then the building
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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 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 kikaha.info@gmail.com.