Aloha ā mahalo to all the paddlers and supporters who came together on Saturday, March 3rd for the Uncle Louis Kelekolio Memorial canoe race! Under clear blue skies and on relatively calm seas, more than 75 canoes raced 6 and 10 miles to Ke‘ei and to Keawekāheka Point then back to Hōnaunau Bay. Co-sponsored by HIPA and Ola Brew, this race marks the beginning of Keōua’s 2019 paddling season and is an opportunity to line up and compete with some of the best paddlers on the island. It also brings us together to work as a team in hosting and welcoming our Moku o Keawe paddling ‘ohana to historic Hōnaunau Bay.
The post-race festivities featured nahenahe music by the Ke‘ei Mauka Boyz, honoring our recently departed Aunty Diana Aki, Marlis Tanoai, and Derek Young. Our amazing kitchen volunteers worked their legendary magic and prepared a delicious pa‘ina with kalua pig & cabbage, rice, stir-fried ‘ulu, pumpkin lu‘au soup, tofu poke, vegetarian chili, green salad, and various desserts. Our locally based Ola Brewery provided us with a keg of their refreshing IPA to wash it all down, followed by individual awards created by our friends at Stoneface Hawai‘i.
More than just an athletic event, a canoe race embodies the spirit of Aloha and Laulima, with the entire ‘ohana, young & old, helping to put it together and participating in every aspect, enlisting the kokua of friends, manning the race registration and timing, obtaining escort boats, gathering & preparing food, setting up and decorating the venue, and anything else necessary to ensure that everyone involved has a great time. We are truly blessed and grateful for all your positive energy and contributions to the perpetuation of our cultural traditions.
Mālama pono,
Keōua Hōnaunau C.C. Board of Directors
Long and short course race results are listed below
