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races:pailolo_challenge_2018
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| - | **Should have known…** .When we flew into** Kahului, Maui** at almost the exact time that NOAA was expecting the Hurricane, now downsized, "Tropical Storm Olivia" to make landfall. When the pilot announced it might be a little bumpy on the landing and a few minutes later the plane dropped what seemed like "an elevator missing a couple of floors suddenly" but in reality only about one second, but all the passengers yelled like they were on the brink of going down a roller coaster rail, is probably when I started asking myself if my life insurance policy was payed up and if my daughters knew where my Will was kept and what on earth did I sign up for??? After we taxied in, half of my crew that I was paddling with, which were on the same plane, Coach Gordan Martinez, Seat Two in the canoe, Ken Kroeger, Seat Three (part of the Engine Room with me as we were called, in seat Four) gave me grief for thinking it was bumpy and that "Moana" (Vast Ocean) had **other plans for us, **again, I started thinking about my Will. Our stroke Joel Strimling (Seat One) and Walt Wolf (Seat Five and backup steersman) and our second coach and boat captain, Bo Chun Fook was our Seat Six and Steersman, all were flying in later, rounded out our crew of paddlers for** Kikaha NorthWest.** | + | **Should have known…** .When we flew into** Kahului, Maui** at almost the exact time that NOAA was expecting the Hurricane, now downsized, "Tropical Storm Olivia" to make landfall. When the pilot announced it might be a little bumpy on the landing and a few minutes later the plane dropped what seemed like "an elevator missing a couple of floors suddenly" but in reality only about one second, but all the passengers yelled like they were on the brink of going down a roller coaster rail, is probably when I started asking myself if my life insurance policy was paid up and if my daughters knew where my Will was kept and what on earth did I sign up for??? After we taxied in, half of my crew that I was paddling with, which were on the same plane, Coach Gordan Martinez, Seat Two in the canoe, Ken Kroeger, Seat Three (part of the Engine Room with me as we were called, in seat Four) gave me grief for thinking it was bumpy and that **"Moana" (Vast Ocean)** had **other plans for us, **again, I started thinking about my Will. Our stroke Joel Strimling (Seat One) and Walt Wolf (Seat Five and backup steersman) and our second coach and boat captain, Bo Chun Fook was our Seat Six and Steersman, all were flying in later, rounded out our crew of paddlers for** Kikaha NorthWest.** |
| - | We had signed up for the race as an **Iron Team**, thus no water change-outs during the "26 miles or so" from Maui to the little protection of a harbor and the beach of Kaunakakai on Moloka'i (The Friendly Isle). Before all this happened though, our crew had reserved five Oc 1's and an one Oc 2 to do a down winder on Maui called the **Maliko Run. **Basically a Steroid version of Drano to White Salmon at the The Gorge or really a double Steroid version of Wildcat Cove to the Harbor. This was only a day after Miss Olivia had paid a visit to Maui, and our down wind host, none other then one of the worlds best paddlers, Kia Bartlett, calmly asked whom among us had **Ocean Experience **then stated that it might be a **little "lively"** out there!! Should have known….I had been nursing a sore shoulder that forced me out of the last long training paddle with my crew but it seemed to get dialed in right before I left with last second Vodoo Stuff from expert Physio Therapist ,Carolyn Watson. Still trying to protect it my shoulder for the Saturday Sleigh Ride I got to ride shotgun with Kai in the OC 2 thinking "no sweat"..**.wrong..**.throttle on full, don't stop, relax, breath, full throttle, put your paddle in all the way first, go, go, go ,go, relax , breath, turning right, turning left, duck (flying fish doing Kamikaze Runs at us or just trying to get out of the way) as we throttled down theses large rollers and waves at 15 to 20 mph. I was paddling with one of the masters **if not the master** of outrigger surfing and racing. Once I stopped spitting out salt water that had been injected into me most of the run and I pulled my board shorts back down to where they had started at the beginning of the run….I thought…I need a lot and a lot and a lot (did I mention, a lot) more practice…Kia is amazing. I don't care what it costs but if you get a chance to paddle with Kia….Just Do It (thank you Nike). | + | We had signed up for the race as an **Iron Team**, thus no water change-outs during the "26 miles or so" from Maui to the little protection of a harbor and the beach of Kaunakakai on Moloka'i (The Friendly Isle). Before all this happened though, our crew had reserved five Oc 1's and an one Oc 2 to do a down winder on Maui called the **Maliko Run. **Basically a Steroid version of Drano to White Salmon at the The Gorge or really a double Steroid version of Wildcat Cove to the Harbor. This was only a day after Miss Olivia had paid a visit to Maui, and our down wind host, none other then one of the worlds best paddlers, Kai Bartlett, calmly asked whom among us had **Ocean Experience **then stated that it might be a **little "lively"** out there!! Should have known….I had been nursing a sore shoulder that forced me out of the last long training paddle with my crew but it seemed to get dialed in right before I left with last second Vodoo Stuff from expert Physio Therapist ,Carolyn Watson. Still trying to protect my shoulder for the Saturday Sleigh Ride I got to ride shotgun with Kai in the OC 2 thinking "no sweat"..**.wrong..**.throttle on full, don't stop, relax, breath, full throttle, put your paddle in all the way first, go, go, go ,go, relax , breath, turning right, turning left, duck (flying fish doing Kamikaze Runs at us or just trying to get out of the way) as we throttled down theses large rollers and waves at 15 to 20 mph. I was paddling with one of the masters **if not the master** of outrigger surfing and racing. Once I stopped spitting out salt water that had been injected into me most of the run and I pulled my board shorts back down to where they had started at the beginning of the run….I thought…I need a lot and a lot and a lot (did I mention, a lot) more practice…Kai is amazing. I don't care what it costs but if you get a chance to paddle with Kai….Just Do It (thank you Nike). |
| **Race day dawned…Saturday..**..looked out the window seemed like a little less wind, tried to keep the nerves in check, but must have packed and repacked my racing clothes and nutrition and fidgeted like a little kid, "are we there yet, are we there yet." All the experienced crews that had done it before all had warned about enough and proper hydration and fuel (4 of 6) of our crew had played on the Molokai Channel before (Not me…). So I selected what I thought I would need and a couple of the crew had made a killer breakfast from our big dinner the night before, and I forced down some chow. I wasn't hungry but knew I needed to eat. We had set up our Oc 6 the night before and with Gordan's organization and Bo leading the show on rigging, we all knew it was sturdy for the crossing except for……The Skirts. They were all in good shape except for the Neoprene waist wrap, unfortunately, we had to try to rebuild it with what we had which was some three inch Sail Tape and some Gorillia Tape, of course, it had rained the night before and a shower started up as we were nearly complete…which didn't help the adhesiveness. As the opening ceremonies completed, there were three starts scheduled. The women's crews launched through the building break followed by the rest of the 80 canoe fleet. Another 60 escort boats bobbed off shore waiting for the first three change out crew members to be shuttled from the beach to the boat by jet ski's. (one of the Escort Boats would overturn and not finish as an Escort Boat….) Delays happened and then there were only two starts and then we were on the line with organized chaos all around, Jet ski s zinging back forth around you with all the escort boats who were jockeying for position and race directors yelling about "20 minute penalties" and 90 seconds to the start. Not sure what was worse, the waves flipping all over the place from boats or looking out and seeing the Moana throwing out huge swells in front of you that you about to enter in the Channel or just** really realizing that **you had** no out and here we go.**..For a newbie like me….it was quite intense focus, get to Molokai, Live, then Drink Beer…basically in that order!! | **Race day dawned…Saturday..**..looked out the window seemed like a little less wind, tried to keep the nerves in check, but must have packed and repacked my racing clothes and nutrition and fidgeted like a little kid, "are we there yet, are we there yet." All the experienced crews that had done it before all had warned about enough and proper hydration and fuel (4 of 6) of our crew had played on the Molokai Channel before (Not me…). So I selected what I thought I would need and a couple of the crew had made a killer breakfast from our big dinner the night before, and I forced down some chow. I wasn't hungry but knew I needed to eat. We had set up our Oc 6 the night before and with Gordan's organization and Bo leading the show on rigging, we all knew it was sturdy for the crossing except for……The Skirts. They were all in good shape except for the Neoprene waist wrap, unfortunately, we had to try to rebuild it with what we had which was some three inch Sail Tape and some Gorillia Tape, of course, it had rained the night before and a shower started up as we were nearly complete…which didn't help the adhesiveness. As the opening ceremonies completed, there were three starts scheduled. The women's crews launched through the building break followed by the rest of the 80 canoe fleet. Another 60 escort boats bobbed off shore waiting for the first three change out crew members to be shuttled from the beach to the boat by jet ski's. (one of the Escort Boats would overturn and not finish as an Escort Boat….) Delays happened and then there were only two starts and then we were on the line with organized chaos all around, Jet ski s zinging back forth around you with all the escort boats who were jockeying for position and race directors yelling about "20 minute penalties" and 90 seconds to the start. Not sure what was worse, the waves flipping all over the place from boats or looking out and seeing the Moana throwing out huge swells in front of you that you about to enter in the Channel or just** really realizing that **you had** no out and here we go.**..For a newbie like me….it was quite intense focus, get to Molokai, Live, then Drink Beer…basically in that order!! | ||
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