KANUculture Ezine Dec 2006

WIN A MEGA Surf Kayak See page 12

Kayak Surfing –– Making Making the the Break Break Yak Fishing -- Reef Reef Fishing Fishing in in WA WA Surfski -- The The Molokai Molokai Race Race Kayak -- New New Caledonia Caledonia to to Australia Australia The Hamilton Cup Surfski -- Hamilton Hamilton Island Island Kicks Kicks off off Men’s Men’s Health Health Heemoana Tahiti Tahiti Clinic -- Choosing Choosing the the Right Right Kayak Kayak Paddle Paddle

Contents Vol 13 No - 1 December 2006 - First Electronic Only Issue What’s New? Gear Kayak Surfing – Making the Break Yak Fishing Surfski - Hamilton Island Kicks off Men’s Health Adventure - 18 Days at Sea in a very Small Boat Va`a - The Hamilton Cup Surfski - The Molokai Race Event – Heemoana Tahiti Clinic – Choosing the Right Kayak Paddle Regional Wrap-Ups – Hawaii, NSW, WA, Japan

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Hello When publishing a quarterly magazine, the main costs are the printing and distribution. We have been struggling for some time to get enough advertising to cover these costs. Remaining true to our passion for ocean paddle sports and being a world wide information source, we have gone monthly and digital, which has some immediate benefits. For us it’s more achievable on a regular basis. E-Zines are more environmentally friendly and we will be doing our bit to keep Oceania’s head above water. For the advertiser an ad will be cheaper and more targeted. And most importantly, you our loyal reader will get an E-Zine every month that is packed with current and interesting articles. Additionally, you can supply your articles and low-resolution images and we can use these far more readily.

In the meantime KC Publishing will continue to build upon its library of paddling resource books. This year we have published two books, the ‘Art and Skill of Steering’ [Outrigger Canoe] and on the press right now, ‘The Paddlers Guide to Outrigger Canoeing’ which is almost 500 pages. Slack we aren’t, just ensuring we get it right. For 2007 we have plenty of exciting book projects we are working on and will continue to bring you monthly issues of Kanu Culture E-Zine.

In parting, ‘May there always be a dollar in your pocket and sand between your toes.’ Have a merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous 2007.

Yours in Paddling Steve West Editor Kanu Culture E-Zine is produced by KC Publishing.

Ph: 02 4579 0052, PO Box 7247, Wilberforce, NSW 2756. email: maria@kanuculture.com Website: www.kanuculture.com

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How does an E-Zine Work?

It’s easy. For the first three issues, you will receive a newsletter from us that will link you to a download of the Kanu Culture E-Zine each month, completely free of charge.All you need to do is make sure we have your email address. If you are already receiving newsletters or have a subscription, we have your address. If you’ve heard about this from a friend or just found it on the website, make sure you follow the steps to Register the E-Zine.

After you have received your third free issue, in order to continue receiving the E-Zine, you’ll need to purchase a subscription. For just $65 a year, you will receive 12 monthly Kanu Culture EZines. IF you want to subscribe now, we will give you 15 issues for the price of 12. If you don’t want to receive any more copies of the E-Zine, just send us an email and we’ll take you off the list.

Those of you who already have a subscription to Kanu Culture Magazine will receive a comparable subscription to the E-Zine. If, after receiving your three free issues, you do not want to receive the E-Zine, get in touch with me and we’ll work something out What we are planning to do is have at least 1 article on each of the ocean paddle sport disciplines in each issue, so there is something for everyone. Each issue will be between 25 and 35 pages.

Next Issue - Available 15th Jan 2007 Kayak - Adventure in Turkey Surfski - South African World Championship Boarding - Paddling for Peace in Fiji Va`a – The Moloka`i to O`ahu Race Events – Rio Va`a Yak Fishing – Landing the Big One Voyage – An update from the Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Voyaging Society

Contributions We welcome contributions from readers please keep stories to no more than 100 words and supply images as 200 dpi Jpegs. Email material to maria@kanuculture.com

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Whats New

New Books

New Boats Itroducing the NEW Viking Nemo Molokai-Oahu Through the Years: A History of the Molokai to Oahu Outrigger Canoe Race Written By: Peter Caldwell Published By: Editions Limited Hawaii 304 Pages, 550 Images, Hard Cover

The Paddlers Guide to Outrigger Canoeing Written By: Steve West 484 pages, 800+ images, Full colour, Soft cover “The Paddler’s Guide to Outrigger Canoeing” is almost here, should land in Sydney between Christmas and New Year.At 484 pages, 29 chapters and 800 superb photographs, it is a substantial body of work, rich in colour and with a unique tropical feel.Technical aspects of the sport are extensively covered from paddling techniques and styles, steering, right through to risk management, crew selection and an informative consideration of Tahitian versus Hawaiian canoe designs.Available Globally from www.kanuculture.com

For the outrigger canoe paddler, this publication provides a fascinating and intriguing addition to your library with an in-depth historical look at this great race and the development of ocean racing.This book captures the challenge, drama and tradition of the event. It includes complete records, memorabilia, fascinating sidebars and coverage.

Available in Australia and New Zealand from www.kanuculture.com

2plus1 – seating for 1 adult, 2 adults or 2 adults plus 1 child. Roomy comfortable seating for all passengers, the Nemo 2plus1 features four hatches and two hatch bags. Only 3.9m long and with a hull weight of only 28kg, this kayak is a ‘must have’ for families who want to have fun.

Features: Four hatches & two hatch bags Bottle holder Three roomy moulded seats and foot-wells Optional deluxe seats Linear polyethylene construction Length 3.9m Width .81m Hull Weight.28kg Load Capacity 200kg

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Gear

Get Wet and Stay Dry Aquapac, the leader in waterproof cases for electronic portable products have created yet another nifty idea to keep your phone, cards, keys and cash dry while enjoying the water.

The new BeltPac is 100% waterproof and foam padded allowing you to comfortably wear it around your waist and still protect your gear.When sealed, the BeltPac is airtight so if it’s dropped in the water it will float, even with your cash and keys inside.

Dust and sand proof, it is also submersible to 10m you really can take your BeltPac anywhere. Suitable for all weather conditions,Aquapac has an array of products for protecting other electronics such as MP3 players and mobile flip phones.

To find your local Aquapac dealer, log on to www.nextdestinaiton or phone 1800 644 033.

Ratchet Straps for OC6

For a quick rigging solution for your OC6, Kanu Culture has available 3m polyester webbing, 1” marine grade stainless ratchets.A set of 4 retails for AUD$100 and $180 for 2 sets, freight free Australia wide. Email steve@kanuculture.com for enquiries.

The Fuze OC1

Outrigger Connection Australia is now importing the Fuze OC1 aimed at paddlers in the 75-80kg range.The Fuze is a mini version of its larger sister canoe, the Fusion. Designed to be in direct competition to the very popular Hurricane OC1 in Australia, the Fuze is a ‘dry boat’ with greater above water volume, whereas the Hurricane is a ‘wet boat’ requiring different surfing techniques in larger downwind conditions.The seating position is somewhat low, for lowered centre of gravity in rough water.The price is $4,900 fully imported. Check out http://www.outriggerconnection.com. au or far a comparative analysis go to http://www.ocpaddler.com/node/1827

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Surf Kayak

Make for the Break

By Ross Boardman

As the all familiar message alert on my mobile rang out from the back office, I realised that 3pm had come around again quickly.The day had been a hectic dash from one customer to the next as I closed the shop doors and gathered my thoughts.The tiny screen on my mobile flashed “Surf’s Up at Caves” and I remembered that the crowd were scouting the local beaches for a session. Saturday afternoon had become an institution amongst our group of kayakers as surf kayaking was now an obsession in our paddling routine. I turned the ignition key on the Troopy and headed off ……

It all started about 15 years ago when I attempted to surf a sea kayak in at Target Beach in Jervis Bay. I realised that while fun it really didn’t

cut it, particularly when I went to manoeuvre around another paddler and found myself capsized in neck deep water grasping the carry toggle of the sea kayak.As I emptied the cockpit of water and sand on the beach and recovered my sponge, pump and snacks that were floating in the soup, I looked seaward to witness a seventeen foot yellow and black spear careering out of control across the face of the wave.The resulting end over end pitch poling of my buddy left me staring, mouth agape, as the violent trashing seemed to go on unabated for several seconds.The recovery process began again as flotsam washed onto the shore, followed by a bruised and battered ego.

My ambitions as a surf kayaker took a turn for the better when I

purchased a whitewater kayak.At least now I could slow it down and surf straight in without munching on the sand bank. By now we had amassed a group of 4 with freestyle play boats and whitewater kayaks, and the search for the perfect wave began.Wave after wave of bouncing, sliding and spinning out of control left us whooping with excitement and as our wave selection improved so did the hunger for bigger and better rides.

A few days camping on the beach on the NSW South Coast was required in order to really capitalise on our new found passion. Given that 2 or 3 ft waves were our playground to date, surely a few days would give us the opportunity to experiment with different breaks and changes of tide.The winter sun was

low along with the temperature and our first surf kayaking weekend brought out the best and the worst in technique and form.The best we could manage with our limited experience was a few hours of surfing a day, but such a weekend tends to focus your skills somewhat making you look more closely at your equipment and your own abilities. It was clear that surf kayaking was extremely addictive and, oh, so much fun.

When the courier tossed the parcel onto the shop counter, I eagerly tore the wrapping off the DVD case like a child on Christmas morning. Just released from the US was the latest extreme kayaking film that had snippets of kayak surfing. I had heard about this from one of our sea kayak guides now travelling overseas and he suggested we take a look.We stood in disbelief as the footage revealed a pilot with his carbon kevlar weapon catching waves from way out the back like a Malibu rider, and traversing the wave face just like to a pro short boarder. He was making deep turns at the bottom of the wave and moves off the lip that only a wave ski could perform.The hull seemed to grip the wave and hold its position unlike any playboat we had ever paddled. I had heard of surf kayaks, but I never imagined that this level of control could be attained by a craft with the apparent

volume and displacement of the boat shown in the video.

Three months later, my partner Janet and I pulled our hire car into an Industrial Estate in Southern England.The research had been done, long nights searching the net, and many, many emails back and forth to Malcolm Pearcy. Malcolm felt like a long established friend as the smell of resins lead us like a homing device to the home of Mega Surf Kayaks. Malcolm’s passion for his trade is matched only by his creativeness with gel coat.A team of laminators were busily shaping and laminating all manner of craft.‘The modern high performance surf kayak is really my passion,’ Malcolm revealed as we unwrapped the 10kg X-Ray shell he had made for me a week before.

At this moment I realised this was not a normal run of the mill composite construction. Before me was a multi layered carbon kevlar beauty with a marble patterned deck, the shaping and attention to detail was evident in all facets of this craft, it was perfect. Mal’s explanation of the design flew way over my head as I tried the kayak on atop a swathe of bubble wrap and cardboard.The deal, now almost done, was followed up by an in-depth conversation regarding establishing the Mega Surf Kayak Line in Australia.We tied the kayak on the roof of the hire car and

left Mega Performance Kayaks for Australia with a sense that we had met a true craftsman able to achieve the highest performance product both in form and function. ’I’d better try with one fin first’ I uttered as I launched off the sand at Nelson’s Beach.The small two foot wave engulfed the kayak as I leaned forward to gain stability.The volume seemed a little disproportionate to my 105kg frame. I had read somewhere that the stability would be different to a playboat, but I wasn’t quite prepared to learn to paddle again. Out the back, all of fifty metres from the shore, I turned and paddled onto a wave only to catch the hard edge of the kayak and for a moment everything went into slow motion.As I exited the kayak I heard Tracy yell out ‘Swimmer,’ this was a common friendly slander that was used to embarrass each other in the event of a swim.With egg on my face, I felt I had stepped back ten years.

Each Saturday, I would carry the Plastic Playboat and the Mega to the surf and find myself surfing predominantly in the whitewater kayak. My tendency to gravitate towards the playboat was frustrating as I knew what I was missing out on in terms of performance and speed. I shared the surf kayak around the group and watched as we all had varying results.A board surfing mate

decided to give it a go on a week long surf kayaking trip at Crescent Head on the NSW Mid North Coast.

The break, known for its perfect right hander, peeling for what seems like an eternity, was the stage for an enlightening session.‘I can’t feel the foot blocks,’ Glen uttered as he punched through the first of the beach breaks. He had only surfed a handful of times in a whitewater kayak, his Eskimo roll was less than bombproof, but he was armed with sound forward paddling skills as he sat patiently in the line up for his turn.

Take-off was a little sketchy but his immediate bottom turn and skimming rudder strokes saw the Mega at its early best screaming across the wave face. Glen railed the kayak from edge to edge and flew out of the top of the wave just before it finished on the sand bar 100mtrs up the beach.The look on his face said it all ‘Priceless’, as he headed out again.There goes my surf kayak for the week, I thought, as he ditched his short board for the surf kayak. It dawned on me that it’s the surf skills I need to get the most out of this.The kayaking skills are already there. I started to see waves in a different light. Like a surfer that drives for hours looking for peeling left and right hand waves, we all saw the potential for a better surf experience.

The learning curve from sea to whitewater kayak to surf kayak is, as I have now discovered, reasonably steep, particularly if you are at the heavier end of the scale.A kayak that is designed to plane only achieves a high level of stability at that point.This is directly related to the speed at which it reaches the plane.With this reasoning in mind, I ventured to the Huskisson Spit Break on the tail end of an October East Coast Low Pressure System. On occasion we experience perfect peeling waves at this break and although not huge, the power from a deep ground swell is one of the most satisfying rides in the region.

Tracy, taking the day off from sign writing in Picton, met me in the pub car park above the Currambene

Creek mouth.As she unloaded her playboat, I felt an uneasy edge as I knew it was a big day at the spit, the potential for carnage was there.We launched off the wharf and rode the tide out as a big set rolled in. I punched through the first and the second only to see, once the water drained from my nostrils and eyes, three feet of white water coming at me, solid and fat. I skimmed over the pile as Tracy was back looped into the depths below. I turned to check her progress and as she rolled up, helmet on a lean, the grin went from ear to ear. It was on.

Finding the sweet spot or best take off point is often a little difficult in a kayak as wind and tide can move you off the spot. But when you find it, it is so good.The rush of careering across a wave and a well positioned leaned turn and cutback into the foam pile and back out again is sensational.

Due to the immense power of the swell, the waves were faster than usual and Tracy’s playboat had difficulty catching them. From this day on, I have not surfed again in my whitewater playboat.The last three months of back forth from surf kayak to whitewater kayak had paid off. …… I turned the Troopy into the dusty car park and looked over to see the gang, skirted up, helmets on, and surf kayaks at the ready. Saturday is a special day for us.The evolution of the surf kayaker is an interesting one.

The camaraderie remains constant, but the equipment is ever changing.

Whitewater kayaks no longer exist amongst our group.‘Control’ and ‘Skill’ have become the essential elements of each outing.We all now strive for better performance and some are even looking at the competitive side of the sport, but that is the nature of any adrenalin filled sport.

Ross Boardman is a Professional Kayaking Instructor and Co-Director of Jervis Bay Kayak Co and Mega Surf Kayaks Australia.

Getting started • Jervis Bay Kayak Co offer Surf Kayaking Courses at all levels.

Instructors Tracy Garner and Ross Boardman are passionate about the sport of surf kayaking.

• Mega Kayaks – Manufactured and distributed by Harplane Pty Ltd Trading as Jervis Bay Kayak Co or a dealer in your state. See www.surfkayaks.com.au or www.surfkayaks.co.nz • The Essential Guide to Surf Kayaking – Author Simon Hammond World High Performance Champion 2003. $44-95 • DVD – The Search 2 – Paddlesport Chronicles Vince Shay NTSC. $44-95 • Make for the Break Surf Kayak Club – P.O.Box 27 Erowal Bay NSW 2540.

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For more information visit

WIN a MEGA “Maverick�

Surf Kayak plus instruction course worth over $1600

Its Really Simple Just email us at competition@kanuculture.com a picture of your most memorable paddling moment with around 50 words telling us where the photo is, when it was taken and why it was memorable.

The KANU Culture Staff will pick the best ten entries for publication in the January and February 07 editions of KANU Culture E-Zine. The winner will be announced in the March 07 issue.

Conditions: The entry must be emailed to competition@kanuculture.com no later than 28th Feb 2007. Promotion is only available to residents of Australia. Images over 5mb will not be accepted. Images must be hi res jpegs. By submitting the entry you are giving KANU Culture publishing rights to both the story and photograph. Prize does not include: Delivery of kayak outside of capital cities 2. Travel or accommodation expenses, to take undertake the instruction course at Jervis Bay Kayak. The winner will be advised by email. The Judges decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Yak Fishing

Yak Fishin’ Yanchep

By Joe Pullella

I got a call a few weeks back from Leon Tsouris, long time all round fishing enthusiast and recent inductee to the kayak fishing fraternity.The forecast for Monday was near on perfect for kayak fishing with variable winds of 8 to 12 knots all day and I needed little convincing when Leon suggested we take the boats out to explore his ‘back yard’ of Yanchep.

Reports of mixed bags of skippy, pike and tailor caught days before out in 5 metres of water behind a reef break were encouraging and a couple of big break offs meant that an encounter with a sambo could be on the cards.

The questions began flooding into my head.What gear am I taking? What rigs will I tie? What am I going to catch? I have never felt so enthusiastic about catching bread and butter fish in metropolitan waters before. Kayak fishing has been the

challenge I have been looking for some time and just to target common species at this stage is an adventure.

Rods n Reels Even the largest of fishing kayaks are restricted on storage capacity and my X Factor is no exception. Fishing gear needs to be selected methodically.All bases should be covered with minimal amount of equipment stored on deck as clutter can create problems out on the water.

The outfits I selected for this day’s fishing needed to be versatile enough to cast spoons and poppers for tailor as well as being responsive enough to bait fish for king george whiting and the like if required to.

I opted for a Penn 5’6” Sports rod and a Penn Applause 7000 spinning reel loaded with 14lb Fireline and what an awesome outfit this is! The rod is light enough in the

tip to fish for gardies and strong enough in the butt to stop an 8 to 10kg sambo in its tracks.The Applause 7000 and 14lb gelspun were borrowed from my tailor spinning outfit but suited the task at hand perfectly.

My second outfit was a heavier 10kg outfit that I intended floating a dead bait with on anchor or perhaps drifting a live bait with. I chose a Sabre 655 which I made years ago for shallow water boat work and matched it to a retired Shimano TSM 4 Speedmaster that even after 10 years of heavy beach and rock angling still refuses to die.

Floating a pilchard around reef structure will always get the attention of resident tailor, snapper and samsonfish. Drifting livebaits is also a known kayak fishing technique and doing this behind the surf zone is where I anticipated presenting lip hooked live whiting in pursuit of

mulloway.The deeper water around structure is where a live herring fished under a glitter bug can be the undoing of a sambo or yellow tail king.

Rigs Again, being mindful of storage and load restrictions, I set out to make good rigs and traces to cater for whatever species we were likely to encounter.The ‘Inji Rig’ is a rig that was developed decades ago by club anglers who fished the Cape to Cape area.

looking to gang their own hooks.

Beach Launch

On the heavy outfit I rigged two Gamakatsu Octopus 6/0 in tandem to take a small to medium sized live bait or perhaps a fresh fillet. Depending on current and wind speed, the amount of sinker weight required could easily be changed via a running snap swivel.

Well this was a first for me and although I was pretty confident and mentally well rehearsed, poor judgement or timing could result in a flipped kayak and risk of personal or gear damage.

With all rigs made and selected tackle and lures stowed in their waterproof boxes, I did my final gear check before calling it a night as we had aimed at hitting the water

So here it goes … ready, steady, go… jump on, paddle paddle paddle! What… is that it? I think I’m clear, geez that wasn’t so bad!

Within no time I was in 3 metre of green water looking back at the last two guys to launch. If only all beach launches were that easy. Meanwhile, Jason is heading south west all speed ahead so out we went … and went… and went.

“Hey Jason how far out did you say this spot is?” came a cry from the rear.

“Yeah just out here a bit.”

This was definitely the furthest I had taken the X Factor offshore but I felt reassured by the craft’s great stability and surprising speed but mainly by the fact that I had three other guys out with me if I needed assistance.

The paddle out to the break took us about 20 minutes which gave my shoulders a good workout and positioned us approximately 2km from shore and around 4km from were we launched.

Bad weather would often force them to fish the Injidup Reef area where they would encounter mixed bags of herring, pike, skippy, salmon and occasional samson or even dhufish.A rig was developed where a pilchard and a blue sardine or white bait were rigged via a 3 way swivel and was fished with a cast and slow retrieve method.

The pilchard would be tied with a short leader of heavier nylon and the sardine on a longer leader of thinner nylon.Theories of what the large and small baitfish represented when towed one behind the other vary from angler to angler but one thing is for sure - it works.

The purpose of the rig was that it would appeal to almost all species feeding on that reef, reassuring the angler that his baits wouldn’t go unnoticed by any prize fish snooping around the action.

So Inji Rigs were made using 4 x 4/0 Mustad Tarpons for the pilchards and 3 x size 2 Mustad tarpons for the sardines.The Mustad 7766 or Tarpon as it was once known is the hook of choice by many experienced anglers here in WA.Their strength and reliability and general good holding capabilities are qualities that have made them the No1 choice for anglers

at 5.30am the next morning.

The 4.30am alarm sounds and I’m out the door heading north to meet the guys. On this morning there would be four of us heading out to a reef break approximately 3km from where we would launch.

Leon greets me at the meeting spot as planned only to inform me that work commitments wouldn’t allow for him to join us on the day but his brother in law Jason would be more than happy to take his spot and come out with us.

Jason, a fairly extreme ex-Queenslander who paddle fishes, had fished this break (alone!) only the day before. Imagine the look on crayfishermen when they see a guy drifting on a 40kg blob of plastic, 3km from shore.

Anyway Jason couldn’t see what the fuss was about seeing as that he was fully equipped and wearing Leon’s new ‘Shark Shield’ deterrent on his leg.Although he spent most of his time navigating around the reef break and checking out where the better water was, Jason managed to get into a mixed bag of skippy, pike and cuttlefish as well as getting buried on two occasions by supposed sambos.

The reef system was just as I imagined with a main break of about 150 metres surrounded by shallow non-breaking reef with a 5 to 10 metre dropoff behind it

where the reef met sand. Luckily for us the dropoff was littered with cray pots which gave us anchoring options but also would have created feeding patterns in the area with their bait baskets full of oily fish berleying the area.

It wasn’t long before the skippy found our sardine baits and they hit them with gusto.

On any size tackle skippy are great fun and fight right to the end.These fish were smaller that the kilo size specimens Jason got into a few days earlier but even at 600 grams they were great entertainment.

Off course it didn’t take long for the herring to get in on the act as they virtually made it impossible for anything else to get a look in. Jason was fishing on anchor about 100m east of me over a bed of ribbon weed.

He was on the lookout for the school of cuttlefish that were pouncing on his hooked skippy on his last trip.This time he came equipped with jigs but as luck would have it, no cuttlefish to be had.A school of pike frequently swimming in small schools beneath his kayak and they as well as skippy, herring and wrasse made up his bag for the day.

Unfortunately the live baits went untouched although I did get a glimpse at a 15kg black tip reef shark breaking the surface ten metres from my yak and also saw a massive eagle ray swimming through a school of wrasse and skippy only metres from my bow.The fact also that the reef wasn’t

holding any tailor leads us to believe that we fished it on a poor moon phase which was post full.

The paddle back to shore was interesting as the sun now was a lot higher in the sky the sand and weed patches were a lot more noticeable. Comments of,“We gotta fish this bit next time,” were said by all.

With a kilometre to go and the lactic acid

zone and follow the last wave of the set just sitting behind it all the way.

building up in the arms, the reef system 300m straight out from the launch spot came into view.

OK, how hard can a re-entry be on a 14 foot fishing kayak? Tipping a kayak at launch or re- entry can be a detriment to rods as they tend to be keen on snapping as the huge load is put on them during a wipe out.

pull the kayak ashore.

Reels can fill with sand and salt water and any loose gear will surely be lost.Again storage setup and having all loose gear attached to the kayak with a lanyard or strap is crucial in preventing gear loss especially in the surf zone.

My X Factor is fairly unique in design as it has a 45 degree hatch opening which allows for safe rod storage particularly for entering or exiting the surf. Once out into deeper water, the hatch can be accessed and the rods brought out on deck and placed in the rod holders.

Re-entering was again an exercise I had only gone through in my mind.The procedure is to stop and observe the wave action and number of waves in the set.

Once this is known, sit in behind the break

This will mean that the force of the wave is not propelling you forward rapidly which may cause the boat to broach or lose its line and consequently wipe out. Once you reach knee high water, it is recommended that you exit the craft, grab the nose and

This is basically how it unfolded for me. I waited a few minutes to see what the surf was doing, timed my entry and in I went.

Admittedly, I was over anxious to jump ship and avoid a last minute mishap to spoil a classic day.

Every day out fishing in the Kayak is uncovering more benefits to using a paddle craft in my opinion. I can see that it won’t be long before that well organised species oriented kayak fishing competitions will be a reality here in WA. It also won’t be long before prize fish like dhuies and snapper are caught by smart anglers who know spots that can only be accessed by a shore launched vessel.

For me, watching the frustrated, abuse hurling shore based guys getting tumbled off the reef at Moore River as I pull in another plump spoon munching tailor has its own special appeal

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Fishyak 20 Baretta Road Wangara 6065 W. A. Tel(+61) 08 93096477 Fax (+61) 08 9309 6511

Sole Australian & New Zealand Distributor of

Malibu Kayaks &

Crack Of Dawn Kayak Accessories

Surfski

Hamilton Island Kicks Off Men’s Health

By Dean Gardiner

If there was a ‘best race in the world award’ then this one would have to come close to winning.

Paddlers are loaded on a barge and shipped upwind for just over an hour and dropped on a secluded beautiful sandy beach.After soaking up the sun and enjoying the view, they then take their positions on the line and charge back downwind, pushed on by a blustery 15 knot wind with a nice 1 metre swell to surf the whole way back.

While only new to the paddling calendar, every September Hamilton Island hosts the opening leg of the Men’s Health Series with numerous events over the three days. Included in the program is a 20 kilometre ocean paddle race featuring some of the countries top surf ski and OC1 paddlers.

The race is designed to make the most of the prevailing weather in the region. South East trade winds blow against a strong in-coming tide creating extremely favourable surfing conditions. In some parts the tide movement is over 4 knots, throw in a 1 metre chop at this tide and you now have a two metre breaking chop.

Where the islands are close and with only narrow passes in between, the water resemble a fast moving river with stop waves.While the best waves are in the middle of the channel it is not necessarily the best place to paddle.

This brings in another facet to the race.Tactics come in to play by trying to avoid the moving water while still making the most of the following seas. So now not only do you have to be able to paddle and surf, but you must also be able to read the conditions that are being played out over the race course.

Perfect conditions greeted paddlers for the event recently.The winds were around 15-20 knots and had been blowing consistently for three days prior.The tide was doing what it was supposed to and the field was red hot.A blend of experienced ocean paddling veterans and some young fast newcomers would make for some interesting racing.

The barge dropped all the competitors off at one of the small islands just East of Lindeman Island.

The field consisted of OC1s, OC2s, Skis and Double Skis.

Standing on the beach looking North,

the ominous Passage Peak stood out like a beacon to the participants and lead them to the eventual finish at Catseye Bay on Hamilton Island.

Outriggers were the first to leave the pleasant surroundings of the small island with the surf skis following thirty four minutes later.The gap between the two starts was supposed to be less but being the numskull that I am, I had left my paddle on the dock at Hamilton Island and had to wait for one of the escort boats to bring it to the start. It’s funny how naked you feel prior to the start of a race without your paddle.

As it turned out the paddle made it to the start.While the skis were waiting on the beach, Aaron Kirby, Jake Taylor and Darran Moohin were locked in a pretty fierce battle for first in the OC1s hooking into some of the steep swells being kicked up by the incoming tide.

The skis got away with the youngsters

taking the lead early.Wollongong’s Dave Smith and Manly’s Murray Stewart were the early frontrunners with Matt Rees, Jono Chalmers, Cade Barnes, myself and National Champ Dave Kissane following closely behind.

The experience of the older paddlers came to the fore at Pentecost Island.

Using the island as a blocker to the tide, the veterans snuck along the side of the island out of the moving water, while some of the younger

competitors took the full brunt of 4 knots of current out wide.

Meanwhile up front, the North Queensland trio of Moohin, Kirby and Taylor were still working out who was going to take out the OC1 category.

From Pentecost to Perseverance Island the conditions mellowed slightly, with long easy to ride swells hurtling the paddlers along at around 15 kph.As we drew closer to Perseverance, the seas start to kick up once again.

Kissane, Stewart and myself led the

skis around into the channel between Hamilton and Whitsunday Islands.

It’s at this point that everything really jacks up with the narrow passage compacting the fast moving water and creating breaking waves in the middle of the channel.The key for the competitors at this point is to find the place where the water is moving least but still taking advantage of the downwind.

As the skis were starting to catch the outriggers, Kirby kicked away from his rivals and I made the correct directional decision and did the same to mine. Coming back on the same line at Fitzallan Island and with just over a kilometre to go, I had a clear lead over Kissane with youngster Murray Stewart skirting his way into third.

Kirby hung on to take first in the OC1s with Sydney’s Brad Gaul taking out the lifesaving ski category.Tania Moohin cleaned up the Women’s OC1 while the team of Bill and Siani won the doubles category.

For competitors looking for a truly unique experience, this race is a must do with a huge international contingent planning to compete at next year’s event.

For more information on this race and the series go to www.menshealthoceanracing.com.au or call 0400389730.

Viking Kayaks

Easy to use by everyone everywhere Viking Kayak For your nearest stockist visit our website www.vikingkayak.com.au or email us vikingkayaks@bigpond.com or free phone 1800 00 42 40

Sea Kayak

Words and photography by David Williamson and Ben Woodcock Hello, Ben and David here (in one piece) We departed Koumac, a town on the Northern tip of New Caledonia, with mixed emotions; we were well prepared and keen for the journey but nonetheless still hesitant about the outcome of the trip.After completing the formalities with the French customs, we jumped in the boat and took off for Australia.

We only capsized the boat once throughout the whole journey and that was on the third night.We didn’t go in because the weather was bad or because the boat couldn’t handle the conditions, she was very stable with the inflatable float bags on the sides. No, we went in because Dave and I got a little creative with our change-overs.You see, we had this brilliant idea of trying to do a change-over without getting wet!

It was night-time and as the moon had not yet risen, it was pitch black.We both had our little head torches on and shuffled around in the cockpits until we were facing each other.After pushing some of the more important items on

the deck out of the way, we got down on our stomachs (this was to try to keep the weight low) and started to crawl.We were very aware that our movements needed to be synchronised if this little manoeuvre was to be successful.When we reached the half way point, Dave and I just looked at each other and started laughing our heads off at the ridiculous situation, and that’s when an unusually large swell decided to roll through.Anyway, the boat wasn’t upright for long, she went over in a jiffy! Dave was on the non-swell side and he went in the water with the sail on top of him, I was on the swell side so I had further to fall. I landed on top of the sail and creamed Dave underneath, then rolled into the water.We both emerged with sail cord everywhere and our lifelines all twisted and tangled, still pissing ourselves laughing.The experiment was over and we were resigned to just getting wet 4 times a day (unless we needed some comic relief). Its safe to assume that the idea of changing

without getting wet never discussed again.

The first five days were interesting, as both Dave and I weren’t really sure what to expect in the initial stages of the trip.

Neither of us had ever spent an entire night at sea in a kayak before (if you could help it, who would!).We found the hardest thing to deal with was not being able to see the waves and swell at night, you could hear breaking waves and feel the swell but couldn’t anticipate and react until after the fact.We did get used to it, but a 2-metre breaking wave hitting you randomly in the dark was always interesting!

You might think that sleeping in the front cockpit of a kayak would be uncomfortable, very wet and sporadic, it was but I can tell you that when you’re tired you WILL sleep anywhere! We knocked out the front bulkhead of the boat and you could just squeeze in and lay down inside the front cockpit with your head resting on the rim of the cockpit.We manufactured a spray deck

to use as a shield from the swell and breaking waves, this deck was permanently attached to the combing and had a zip down the centre so we had easy access in and out with a minimum of fuss in case of an unexpected capsize.

Our routine was also hard to establish.

Initially we had planned to change positions every 3 hours between the front and back cockpit as we were operating continuously - 24 hours a day.

As the first two days unfolded, even in the warm waters of New Caledonia, hypothermia and exposure to the saltwater began to affect our bodies.

Once we were out there, it became very apparent that our bodies could not stand being immersed every 3 hours and the person in the front didn’t really have enough time to drain, let alone dry out a little and try to sleep.

So we changed the cycle to 6 hours on 6 hours off, which meant we were only getting soaked from head to toe 4 times a day (yeah).This gave us enough time to relax and sleep in the front and the navigator in the rear cockpit could just maintain enough concentration to navigate and steer the craft until changeover.

The thing we did not take into consideration and in hindsight really could not do anything to change is the toll of saltwater on our bodies. I’m no fish!!!!!! And neither is Dave, but we were wet 24 hours a day for most of the trip.

This was something that took considerable time getting used to and resulted in a many problems for our bodies.When we arrived at Loop Island, we were finding it extremely painful to

paddle as we had a severe rash under our arms.We had been using Body Glide (a sports lubricant) to try and reduce the friction but it still felt like your underarms were on fire.The extent of the damage was not evident until we reached land, took off our eight layers of clothing, and revealed what looked like chicken pox all over our torsos! It was at this point that we realized that we needed to take more care of our bodies while at sea and make an effort to strip down during the day to try to release some moisture from our skin.

We only stopped on land to rest 3 times throughout the journey.The first was on Loop Island in the Chesterfield Island Group, which is about one third of the way across.We landed on a sand cay that was about 50 meters across and covered in birds.We evicted some of the locals, managed to get our tent up and stayed for a day and a half to relax and attempt to dry out! With sea turtles laying eggs on the beach next to us and small sharks cruising the shallows of the reef, it was a pretty idyllic place.We also stopped on Kenn Reef where there was another sandy cay.This one was a little smaller than the last, about 20 meters across - we only stayed for four hours.

Interestingly, we actually didn’t reach any of our landing sites or negotiate any of the major reef hazards during the day!

Chance had it that night fell each time and we were forced to enter or pass through completely in the dark, which tends to make life a little interesting!

Nonetheless, with no choice, we managed quite well.We only had two dive torches that gave us a 10 meters field of vision while plotting lat and long

on the GPS. Finding a sandy cay that lies about 1.2 metres above sea level, is no larger than 20 meters across, surrounded by reef breakers and is semi submerged at high tide is not a walk in the park in the middle of the ocean after paddling non stop for 5 days.

Anyway, once we had taken all that time to find our little piece of DRY paradise, why would we leave after only four hours I hear you ask? Well, we arrived at Kenn Reef could only rustle up the energy to throw down a tarp and crash on the beach. Little did we know the island was crawling with bird lice (and very hungry ones at that).We only noticed the lice when, after about an hours sleep, I put my torch on to get some water and the tarp we were sleeping on and our sleeping bags were teeming with life.We cocooned ourselves inside the sleeping bags until just our noses were outside and tried to sleep some more.When the sun came up after three hours, it was too hot to be in the sleeping bags but not hot enough to deter the lice. In the end, we decided that we were more comfortable and could get a better sleep laying in 4 inches of water, banana shaped in the boat at sea (yes, that’s how bad it was!).

So back into the trusty boat we went.

Toward the end of the journey we also took refuge on a sand cay within Sumarez Reef.This sand cay was the biggest we would encounter throughout the expedition but proved to be the hardest to reach.We had paddled most of the way to Sumarez Reef, were only about 17 nautical miles away when we noticed the GPS was playing tricks (or so we thought).This vital piece of navigation equipment was telling us that

21

when we stopped paddling and were not using the sails, we were heading backwards at a rate of two knots (approx 4 kmph)!

This meant that either we were caught in a tidal race that extended more than 17 nautical miles out to sea and 30km away from the nearest reef or we were sitting in a permanent ocean currant running at 2 knots (4kmph).The scary thing was that neither of these was marked on any charts!

We had three ways we could deal with the situation; the first was to sit back, relax and wait until the “tide” changed and then make a run for it but if it didn’t change and if it was in fact an ocean currant we might get to see what Fiji was like at that time of year.We would also be way out to sea and have to cover the ground again, not an inviting prospect!

Another option was to use the currant and ferry glide (face the boat into the currant, paddle and sail (if we could) then angle the boat to the side so that as we maintained our ground we slowly moved sideways and hopefully out of the currant). Once again, who knows how wide the currant was and if we were even in the peak of the flow, we might move into an area of higher flow and go backwards even faster! Again not an inviting prospect.The last option was to suck in our ever shrinking guts and paddle like shit straight toward our destination until we got there, hoping like hell a ripper wind was brewing and going to rocket us into the sand cay.

This little predicament led us to the next as Dave had decided to get a 4 day

weather forecast from the bureau of meteorology in Australia via the satellite phone.This way we would at least know if we had some wind assistance arriving to help our cause.We called the bureau guy, told him where we were and our intention, and the fact that we were calling from a kayak in the middle of the corral sea (to which they usually replied either “that’s nice”, or “ya bloody what!”).

We also mentioned that we were presently going backward in an uncharted currant and could do with some wind assistance.Anyway, the guy asked us to call him back in 10 minutes and when we did he asked us “do you want the bad news or the bad news?”The bad news was there was a large depression moving into the area and we should expect 35 - 40 knot winds coming from the South west by 12:00 the next day (fantastic, a headwind as well!!).

This was just great.The storm, along with the currant we were fighting, would put us in about the Solomon Islands for lunch in a couple of days.The other bad news was that the area of low pressure was, as far as he could gather, going to be in the area for at least three days!! This information therefore made the small issue of reaching land, or at least some sheltered reef, a tad more pressing than it was previously.

All other options went out the window, at least for the moment. So… right then the paddle like shit to the sand cay option was swiftly adopted and implemented.As we both began to paddle again, we mulled over some calculations of speed vs time before the storm hit. It became

apparent that if one of us stopped paddling to have a drink, go to the toilet, or eat dinner we were not going to reach our refuge in time.

We continued to paddle together for over 4 hours non-stop and at full effort to try to make some headway while there was no wind opposing our path.This was a frustrating dilemma as no matter how much effort you put in, the currant was always putting in more and it would never tire. It reached the five hour mark and I (Ben) openly admitted that I only had another 2 hours left in me before I needed to stop, revive and refuel. Dave reckoned he had maybe 3 hours left in the tank, but we both knew even that was not going to be enough.

We had to have a 10-minute break, so we stopped paddling and Dave fired up the GPS unit.With no sails up and both paddles resting on the deck, we threw down food and water like maniacs, attempting to put back in what we had taken out over the past few hours.That was when the call came from the back (Dave)… ”We’re still in the water…”This meant that the currant was actually a tide and it had reached slack water (the time between the flood and the ebb where there is very little water movement). I just about choked on my soggy muesli bar and let out a few profanities, this was indeed good news for us, death was no longer so imminent and we at least had a chance of beating the storm.

We continued to paddle for another 4 hours, taking a 2 minute break every 20 minutes and making more progress in

22

that 4 hours than we had made for the previous 9! Very relieved, we drew closer to the cay until we could see the light of the beacon marking the cay’s centre.We had been fighting the current continuously for 9 hours and still had another 5 hours of paddling to our destination (the longest continual paddling day I’ve had so far). Once again, we negotiated the reef breaks and bomeys at night, touched our tender heels on sand and promptly fell to our knees to do our traditional landing crawl for a while until the legs decided to work again.We were ecstatic that despite everything we had reached land and refuge.With incredibly weary muscles, coffee and a warm meal were the first priorities; after all, we thought we had bloody earned them!!

The next day about three o’clock the first thunderheads rolled in, it looked amazing but I think you can only appreciate the true beauty when you are semi-dry, warm, and safe.We survived the storm and we departed the island with the wind still pushing 30 knots but at least from a direction that we were able to use to push us toward the Great Barrier Reef and nearer to our destination.The only problem at this point in time was that the wind was not from an angle that would head us to Yeppoon (just above Rockhampton) our intended arrival point.We had decided before we left Sumarez Reef that our new destination was Mackay, another 300 km North of Rockhampton.

The leg from Sumarez Reef to the Great Barrier Reef was relatively uneventful

and with the strong winds, we flew along, surfing the swell for 2 days straight.We still found ourselves being affected by the strong tides surrounding the reef system though, which we calculated to be an 18-hour tide cycle and could find no documented evidence of, well certainly nothing on the charts we had!

Yet again we were forced to navigate through the Great Barrier Reef East to West at night.With accurate plotting and carefully monitoring our latitude and longitude, we emerged from the Great Barrier Reef unscathed and had an almost clear run to Mackay.

With Mackay in our sights and friends and family waiting, we became anxious to reach the mainland and see our loved ones.The only dilemma was there was no wind and a lot of kilometres to cover before we reached Australia. So we had to curb our emotions and be patient, we knew we would get there, we just weren’t sure exactly how long it would take.This was the ultimate torture, slowly but surely we closed in on Mackay. Night fell on the last day of the trip and we started to get itchy feet, we just wanted to be there!

Negotiating the breakwater of the port, we arrived, happily greeted by family, friends, customs and immigration.

Customs in Australia had some issues arranging a procedure to enter a kayak into Australia from international waters, as there was no precedent.The emails were frantic between Mackay and Canberra to ensure all procedures were followed.As we arrived at port after hours (another night landing) we also got slugged a $150.00 late callout fee by

customs.We offered to sleep in the boat overnight but they would not allow it.

Therefore, with little compassion from our friendly customs officials, we scoffed our food while they went through the motions of entering us into the country.

After the formalities with the authorities and we got our share of hugs and kisses we missed while we were away, we then proceeded to consume (in ? an hour) the meals we had requested by satellite phone the day before.The meals where from KFC: a ten piece feed, two works burgers, a large tub of potatoes and gravy, a large tub of coleslaw, as well as a 1.25 litre bottle of soft drink, each! Where we put it all I still don’t know but I can tell you I was still felt hungry an hour later!

The emotions were an overwhelming mixture relief and excitement as we packed up our gear, then loaded the boat on the car and went to the caravan park for a quiet beer and a good nights sleep (in a real bed).

Another adventure over….I wonder what will be next?

I think I hear the Kimberly coast calling...

Trip Stats Distance: 900+ nautical miles or 1700 kilometres Time: 18 days Weather: generally good, just 1 storm Winds: Favourable from 5- 40 knots Boat: Perception Kayaks Australia’s double plastic sea kayak Food: Heaps left over Water: Reliant on desalination pump at the end

23

Va’a

Powerade Hamilton Cup 2006

By Steve West Photos Harvey Allison

The 2006 Powerade Hamilton Cup race was somewhat more laid-back and reserved than in past years in terms of the lead up, the event and the post race synopsis.While some ‘constants’ seemed to have fallen off the bandwagon, the ‘ordinary’ weather remained a constant regrettably, except for race day.Additionally, Susan Boyd who has taken over from Colin Bartley as Race Director and Event Co-ordinator, did a great job in taking on what even on a good day, is a logistical nightmare.

Australia wide, many of the sport’s diehards are naturally aging and moving into more ‘senior’ age divisions, with fewer newcomers coming in at the younger levels to fill the void – and little or nothing is being done to rectify the situation.

This of course is through no fault of the event, but is the responsibility of our illustrious governing body, which for as long as it has existed has lived by the maxim that ‘Outrigger

Canoeing is the fastest growing water sport in Australia’.While there is little to back this up, if it were true it was due indeed to events such as the Hamilton Cup, the natural appeal of the sport and little to do with the manner in which the sport was being marketed. It’s clear amongst most that ‘the sport’ has got to take a good hard look at itself as the aging process continues, before even older age groups have to be created in order to keep things going.

The Hamilton Cup has been the sports ‘barometer’ in Australia for as many years as it has been running, it is the annual ‘check-up’ on the state of outrigger canoeing in this country.

With only 60 crews across all divisions lining up for the event, this reflected a substantial decline in numbers.With over 70 crews in 2005, that’s a loss of approximately 100 competitors.

In fairness, there has been a

cumulative effect building over the past few years; rising dollar cost of attendance, regularity of inclement weather due to the time of year, course alterations, strangulating insurance and safety issues and the loss of some perennial competitors such as Outrigger Australia’s Men’s and Women’s top crews, and more recently top Men’s crews Ikaika and Cronulla.Team Hawaii’s manager, Karel Tresnak Snr, made a comment that the competition level at the event is declining but reassured me they would keep returning.

Whatever the reasons, rest assured the Powerade Hamilton Cup still has what it takes to be deemed world class.

Karel Tresnak Jnr the World’s best OC1 paddler and steerer for Team Hawai`i commented “It’s a great atmosphere if you’re into paddling, it’s the best event anywhere around the world as far as organisation.”

The Powerade Hamilton Cup is but

crew was in attendance, though not up to full strength, and fended off a strong challenge from a buoyant Surfers Paradise OCC winning in 3:34:15 [new record]. Surfers Paradise OCC came in at 3:39:50 and it was good to see North Queensland’s Outrigger Whitsunday taking 3rd place in 3:44:25.This was be the last time a crew would race under the Surfers Paradise OCC banner.After a long and successful presence, it has fallen victim to circumstance and will be moving to Southport, changing its name accordingly.

one race over the four days of competition for which prize money is handed over, the preliminary three days are devoted to OC1/OC2 events, 500m and 1000m sprints and 16km OC6 marathons.The point was again made that many paddlers felt that handing over $100,000 for a mere 42kms was too much of a ‘giveaway’.

For years now, many competitors have held genuine grievances against ‘rest up crews’ who avoid the sprint events, sometimes even the 16km events, to ‘save themselves’ for the 42km money event.

What if the prize money was won on the basis of accumulating points for competing in the 500m, 1000m, 16km and 42km? Times would also be accumulated and could be used in the event of a points ‘tie’.This would open up the odds immensely in terms of who would walk away with the money.This approach is used in Tahiti to good effect. In regards to the Hamilton Cup race itself, whoever crosses the line first would win ‘The Cup’ and have their names engraved, but they would not necessarily win the money.

count towards who walks away with the money and most importantly, create better odds for all competitors.

For the first time, the event was staged on Saturday instead of Monday, allowing paddlers to party hard after the race, recover and be back at work

by Monday morning.

For the second year running the ‘new’ course was used.All of the 2005 winners consequently established new record times. Light winds and strong currents greeted the paddlers on race day which opened up the possibility of more new records. Lisa Curry’s Mooloolaba Open Women’s

In the Open Men’s division,Team Hawaii’s only serious ‘overall lead’ challenge came from Mooloolaba Master Men’s crew, headed by Danny Sheard who had pulled together a cast of top level paddlers including the likes of the Kenny and Mercer brothers.Team Hawaii’s crew included five paddlers from the Outrigger Canoe Club [Oahu] (Karel Tresnak, Jimmy Austin, Kapono Brown, Byron Ho and Mike Kane), two from Hawaiian Canoe Club (Mael Carey and J.B. Guard), one from Kailua Canoe Club (Donovan Leandro), and one from California (Danny Ching), coached by John Puakea.

Team Hawai`i completed the 42km, 26-mile race in 3:02:17 to set a new course record.A similar Team Hawai`i crew set the previous record of 3:06:53 in 2005, eight of the nine paddlers from last year’’s crew returned to

When all is said and done, this could be just the shot in the arm the event, the competitors and the sport itself needs to spice things up.The benefits of this approach could encourage greater participation across all events, make every race as important as the next, raise competition levels, create a genuine build up to the Hamilton Cup race day where finishing positions

25

followed by Hamilton Island in 3:55:05 and close behind was Pittwater/River City in 3:55:05.

Another year has passed and the organisers of the event continue to deliver brilliant organisation and fantastic racing in one of the world’s best destinations for outrigger canoe racing.

Overall Results Top Ten

defend the title. Near the halfway point of the race,Team Hawai`i got stuck in a patch of ‘dead water’ allowing Mooloolaba Masters of Australia to take the lead.“We had a good six- to eight-boat-length lead on them and they shot right past us,” Austin said.“We just stayed calm and caught them eventually. But it’s incredible how much the currents come into play.”

Mooloolaba Masters finished approximately 4 minutes behind in 3:06:06 [new record] and the nearest Open Men’s challengers were Team Paddler.They are an eclectic bunch made up of Hawaiians,Aussies and Kiwis who finished in 3:10:00 some 8 minutes behind Team Hawaii, followed by a great result for Malanuka OCC Mackay in 3:14:53.

The next Master Men’s team over the line was Northcliffe OCC in 3:12:43m, almost 7 minutes behind Mooloolaba, followed by Hamilton Island OCC, a good result for them. Danny Sheard’s Mooloolaba Masters crew reflects a paradigm shift as Ron Grabbe’s original crew members and some new faces now make up a Mooloolaba’s

Senior Master Men’s crew. It is not surprising that they dominated their division, winning in 3:20:33 [new record] just ahead of the very hard chasing New Zealand crew, the Taniwha Grizzlies 3:22:19.Team Hawaii Masters came next in 3:24:45 and were somewhat shell shocked at the increased level of competition in this division. Mooloolaba Senior Men’s time put them 6th overall.

If you think their performance was impressive, consider Coffs Coast OCC Mixed crew who won in 3:21:28 and placed 7th overall setting a new record.They were followed by Mooloolaba Mixed in 3:27:24 and Northern Beaches in 3:27:56, reinforcing the fact that this division is not only expanding but the calibre of paddler and crews is reaching new levels.

Only 2 Senior Masters Women’s crews entered, both from Northcliffe and in the Golden Master Men’s, the competitors were the Barbarians and Burleigh Point OCC.The Master Women’s division was won by Team Hawaii in 3:50:20 [new record],

Team Hawai`i OM 3:02:07 Mooloolaba Masters MM 3:06:06 Team Paddler OM 3:10:00 Northcliff MM 3:12:43 Malanuka OM 3:14:53 Mooloolaba SM 3:20:33 Coffs Coast M 3:21:28 Northern Beaches OM 3:21:51 Taniwha Grizzlies SM 3:22:19 Hamilton Island MM 3:23:05 For full results of the event, go to www.hamiltoncup.com

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Surfski

Moloka’i Challenge

World Championship 2006 Kona Brewing Company - Surfski Division

Ocean paddling is so varied it’s hard to comprehend the differences unless you’ve experienced all it has to offer.

At the ‘extreme’ end of the spectrum, ocean ski paddling is the fastest of all paddle sports because of the craft, the paddler and the use of raw ocean energy in chasing ocean swells. It’s for the thrill seeker, the paddler who enjoys going fast, going far and simply going for it - all with the very minimum of equipment.

In this sport, self confidence is essential and self reliance is paramount. For the most part, the notion of ‘safety’ measures extends to making sure someone knows your approximate return time. It is in some sense more akin to a surfing mentality than it is to any other form of paddle sports. It’s all about the simplicity and the closer one moves towards this notion and the more adverse the elements, the more primal the experience.

Three men have dominated the event.

South Africa’s Oscar Chalupksy [43] has triumphed 11 times; Australian’s Dean Gardiner [35] 9 times and holds the current record of 3:21:26 set in 1997; and Grant Kenny on 5 occasions.

‘GK’s’ business interests have kept him often busy and away from competition, and one can only speculate how many other times he may have triumphed.

For Gardiner and Chalupsky, it’s been their livelihood.

The Molokai to Oahu solo event, which incorporates ocean ski and OC1’s, is the testing ground for the world’s best mavericks who enjoy this form of paddling. Over its 30 year history, it’s unbelievable to note that only five names appear on the winners list.

However, now a sixth can be added, 21 year old Durban based, South African, Clint Pretorius, who won on his firs t attempt.

In 2005, the event centred on Oscar and Herman Chalupksy [2 time winner], Dean Gardiner and Olympic medallist, Nathan Baggaley. Baggaley and Oscar Chalupsky ‘bagged’ each other prior to the event, with Chalupsky finally taking line honours from Baggaley.

This year, young Clint Pretorius had a plan to paddle and learn from the best, but went on to do much better and

won this prestigious event.This was a tremendous feat when you consider the dominance of the ‘older’ more experienced salty dogs, and may actually form the cusp of a gradual shift in dominance. Completing the 32 mile course from Kaluako`i Beach, Moloka`i, to Koko Marina, O`ahu, in 3:22:14, Pretorius commented,‘I just managed to have the race of my life’.

Because of his inexperience, Pretorius wanted to follow veteran Oscar Chalupsky across the Kaiwi Channel.‘I thought it was really cool because I thought I could learn from him and ride the runs with him. It gave me a boost just being next to him and knowing I could actually hang in there and do well.’

Pretorius and Chalupsky paddled sideby-side out in front for virtually the entire course. Chalupsky said he agreed to maintain a proper course as long as

Pretorius kept an eye out for approaching paddlers.‘We worked together and chatted away,’ Chalupsky said.‘It was very easy the whole way.’

With roughly three mile to go, Pretorius took the lead and held off a final charge from Chalupsky.‘Oscar was reeling me in right at the end there,’ Pretorius said.‘Then I managed to hold on to a wave, which pulled me just in front.’

Chalupsky finished second with a time of 3:22:42, 28 seconds behind Pretorius. Chalupsky said he made ‘a slight tactical error’ in the final stretch run, allowing Pretorius to break ahead.

It was the first time since 1991 that the surfski winner was not named Chalupsky or Gardiner. Pretorius

Official Results 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Clint Pretorius, Oscar Chalupsky, Clint Robinson, Dean Gardner, Lewis Laughlin,

used an Epic V-10 surfski, ironically designed in part by Oscar Chalupsky.

‘I think it’s good for the sport; it’s good to see some young blood coming in,’ Chalupsky said.

Australia’s Clint Robinson [33] was within striking distance of the leaders the entire race and finished third in 3:23:01.‘I was in a terrible Clint sandwich,’ Chalupsky said.

Gardiner placed fourth in 3:30:04 and Tahiti’s Lewis Laughlin was fifth in 3:34:12. Mark Sandvold of Hawai`i Kai placed sixth overall, and was the first Hawaiian finisher in 3:37:45, the best showing for a Hawaiian paddler in the men’s surfski division since 2001.‘My goal was to be in the top 10 and be the first Hawaiian guy,’ Sandvold said.‘The top five guys are

RSA (Epic V10) RSA (Epic V10) AUS (Hayden) AUS (Fenn Mako 6) Tahiti (Fenn Mako Mill)

like professionals, so I’m happy just to be near those guys.’ Not even a scare from a tiger shark could put a damper on Sandvold’s race.‘It came right up to me and then circled my (surfski),’ he said.‘It was at least 15 feet.’

Maggie Twigg-Smith [31] of Hawai`i Kai was the first female to finish on a surfski with a time of 4:27:05. It was her first Moloka`i Challenge victory.

The international contingent of female paddlers did not enter this year, including two-time defending champion Jasmin Cohen of Australia.

3:22:14 3:22:42 3:23:01 3:30:34 3:34:12

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Event

Heemoana Race, Tahiti2006

by Heirangi Nouveau

Writing the story of the 2006 Heemoana Race for my friend Steve West is an honour for me. Steve attempted the first race we organised in 2001 and wrote an article covering the event.At the end, Hawaiian paddler Jim Foti of Lanakai commented, ‘Never since Molokai ‘95 had we seen big seas like that. For overseas teams, it’s a simple process of flying into Tahiti and just heading down to Teahupoo [choe`poo] to do the race.The logistics are really simple, the expense minimal and to cap it off, what

an awesome course!’

The Heemoana race is about chasing the big South swells that are born thousands of kilometres away in the frigid waters of the Antarctic.These are the same swells that create those big waves for Teahupoo’s world famous surfing ASP contest, the Billabong Pro.The race covers 60 km and is a changeover race with 9 men paddling. It begins at Teahupoo where the only road around the island comes to a dead end.The race ends at the other end of Tahiti, in Punaauia, to

Photo by Gerard Verdet the West.

In the past, the era of the early 1990s was dominated by Faa`a (Lewis Laughlin,Tuura Mairau etc...), followed by the Pirae era of the late 90s (Hantz Salmon, Rene Avaepii etc...).Those phenomenal teams were in fact made up of a core of paddlers who are now aged between 35 and 45.These paddlers were respected by all paddlers in French Polynesia, not just because they won all the major races in French Polynesia but also because they have beaten their

Photo by Yanick Place

Photo by Yanick Place

Photo by Yanick Place Hawaiian cousins on their home waters, in the Moloka`i to O`ahu race.This generation of respected paddlers lead the way for about a decade. Now young-blood has arrived, they are aged between 20 and 25 and, when mixed with only 1 or maybe 2 of these ‘old men of the sea’, these new teams are unbeatable.

That’s the case now with Shell Va`a, whose paddlers are mostly aged around 25 and Karyl Maoni (5 time OC1 world champion) as one of the last survivors of the Faa`a era.Although Shell was the favourite for the Heemoana Va`a race, the yellow va`a struggled for about an hour, man-to-man with the blue va`a of Team OPT, each of the va`a taking the lead as the peperu steerer surfed waves.

Just a couple of years ago, you would see Shell and Pirae competing against each other, with paddlers in both teams having been raised to a high level of paddling excellence through their years spent with Faa`a.The psychological and physical

training they received with this team was far beyond what other teams had ever experienced.

Now it’s Shell battling for glory with Team OPT, whose young paddlers were never a part of the Faa`a nor Pirae dominated years. For these young paddlers, the experience of battling against such big guns with over 50 teams way behind them is something that will be carved deep into their memories in the same way their Tupunas ancestors once carved Ti`is* with stone. It is a memory which will remain with them throughout their lives.

A large measure of adrenaline was added to the cocktail, even though Shell ultimately took the lead and Team OPT was never threatened for 2nd place, they

need to finish with not only the fastest time, but also with the widest margin, as if accumulating points and time.

Behind these two teams, some va`a were smashed on the reef of Teahupoo and Taapuna.These two famous reef passes are well known to surfers and better suited to 7’ surfboards than 40’ va`a.While coming close to the reef means the distance is shorter, it is dangerous and risky.

In the junior division, the rules were slightly different as team were composed of 12 paddlers.All the other elements of the race the distance, rough seas, big winds and the reef were the same as for the open divisions. Interestingly, the junior race was won by the oldest Tahitian Club still in existence,Teva, which was the 5th

paddled hard to reduce the time difference with the leaders. Likewise, Shell paddled hard to finish with the fastest time possible in the same way as “contre la montre” style cycle racing ensures that you

of gods or ancestors, carved in stone or wood.

registered club back in the 1960s.Today there are almost 300 va`a teams in Tahiti. * Ti’i: Tahitian name for Tiki, representation

Photo by Gerard Verdet

Photo by Gerard Verdet

Of Men and Myths

Photo by Gerard Verdet

French Polynesia’s love affair with the va`a and all that it embraces is omnipresent throughout its islands.As their official national sport, it is nothing short of an obsession. One cannot fully comprehend this sport until being immersed in the Tahitian va`a experience by competing in one of their big, long ocean races. Of my eight or so trips to Tahiti and from talking story with the locals, there are few if any ‘easy’ ocean races in Tahiti.

The races are always complicated by the tropical heat and humidity, massive seas or dead calm, and without exception, long.

There is a myth which suggests that Tahitian padding is always in flat water and that as paddlers they lack rough water, surf skills. I have just two words for that,‘Utter Rubbish!’Take the Heemoana Va`a race, it follows the same giant ocean swells which pummel the reefs of Teahupoo, flat it certainly is not.

If you are serious about your paddling, I urge you to consider an ocean race in Tahiti – the Heemoana Race, held each year in July, should be one of them. Ed. Photo by Yanick

L’édition 2006 de la Heemoana race L’édition 2006 de la Heemoana race n’a pas déçu tant par le spectacle offert que par le nombre de participants (50 équipes au départ).

En effet dès la sortie de la passe de Teahupoo, réputée pour sa vague imposante dans le milieu du serf international, les va`a qui s’étaient rapprocher trop du récif ont du affronter les déferlantes, projetant certaines équipes sur le récif.

Le duel annoncé entre les 2 formations de Shell Va`a et Team OPT ne se faisait pas attendre, la première d’entre elle rattrapant la seconde à coup de série pour ensuite se livrer LE combat physique et psychologique, en quasi man-to-man, avec les 2 pirogues côtes à côtes en plein océan!

La lutte allait durer plus d’une heure avant que Shell ne prenne définitivement la tête de la course.

Les juniors de TEVA s’imposaient eux aussi dans leur combats avec leux du Team OPT. Contrairement aux équipage seniors hommes composé de 9 rameurs et faisant donc des changement à 3, les juniors pouvaient changer à 6. Cependant ces jeunes étaient confrontés aux mêmes difficultés (houle, vent, récif à proximité) et devaient ramer la même

Clinic

Choosing the Right Kayak Paddle With prices ranging from $100 to $1000 and a wide variance variety of designs, it’s no wonder purchasing a paddle can be a confusing issue.A $100 kayak paddle is neither a precision instrument nor a thing of beauty and anyone who tells you different . . . well. In contrast, a top-line stick can certainly be all of those things.Too often purchasing the right the paddle isn’t given enough emphasis, but realistically, how else are you going to get from point A to point B? Some factors affecting your choice of paddle will include; 1.The type of craft you will be using; SOT, Ski, Sea Kayak.

2.Your paddling attitude; occasional, moderate, full on / lifestyle paddler.

3.Your height and body strength, ie if under 5’5” you may require a shorter than average paddle, if well over 6’ you may require a longer than average paddle.

4.The width and height of your craft.

A wide or tall craft will often need a longer paddle to effectively reach the water.

Consider also; 1. Blade template - [shape.]

2.Total paddle length.

3. Materials used to construct the paddle.

Blade Template Blade shapes can be long, short, narrow, wide, feathered, unfeathered, symmetrical, asymmetrical, spooned, dihedral and of a ‘flat’ or wing design.

A wide blade with larger surface area

can provide greater acceleration, but also greater resistance, requiring more effort than a blade of smaller blade area.This can be an important factor for the infrequent paddler.A long, narrow blade will take more strokes to cover the same amount of ground, but the paddler will expend less effort with each stroke.

Typically, touring or recreational paddles are long, narrow and symmetrical. Some paddlers find asymmetrical paddles reduce twisting on the paddle shaft while stroking, tending to even out the amount of water on each side of the submerged paddle.A spooned paddle includes a curled or cupped face which ‘scoops’ the water and adds power to the stroke, while a dihedral paddle has a raised ridge down the middle of the face that helps direct the flow of water from the paddle.

‘Winged’ Blades The wing blade [also called ‘propeller’ blade] is shaped with a curved lip to provide the blade with optimum grip on the water and ‘lift’

while channelling and releasing water efficiently at the exit of the stroke. It forces the paddler to use the larger muscle groups of the body, rotating around the spine, generating ‘torque’ through this leverage and encourages ‘good’ technique.While ski paddlers and flat water sprint kayakers embrace the design, it is less common amongst sea kayakers and SOT paddlers. Sea Kayaking requires a greater variety of strokes, braces, and rolls and therefore a ‘flat’ blade is generally more popular, though with practice the benefits of the winged blade can be enjoyed.

‘Wing and propeller paddles are more efficient at holding water, which makes for faster paddling, easier rolling and encourages much better forward paddling technique,

Image Above: Paddles from left: . All paddles pictured are asymmetrical in overall shape: (1) flat plastic blade with centreline rib, fibreglass shaft; (2) plastic spoon blade, fibreglass shaft; (3) fibreglass blade, fibreglass shaft; (4) graphite blade, fibreglass shaft; (5) carbon blade with dihedral face, carbon shaft; (6) carbon wing blade, carbon shaft. Note ‘drip’ rings on shafts.

33

which is something we all try to achieve with our paddling, whether it be recreational or racing. There is a place in the sea kayaker’s arsenal for a wing or propeller paddle.’

Lawrence (Gages) Geoghegan, NSW Sea Kayak Club

Most SOT paddlers would benefit from the extra power of a wing blade and the stability it offers throughout the stroke, especially with narrow beamed SOTs.The paddle is designed to enter near the hull then drift out sideways during the power-phase.

Blade Size The larger the hull surface area of your craft, the greater the drag and , therefore you will generally benefit from a larger blade surface area to help haul it around.While this seems simple logic, this need be balanced with the relative strength of the paddler; a bigger blade may ‘hold’ more water, but also demands more of the paddler.A blade with large surface area is good for quick acceleration and bursts of speed; a smaller blade good for all-day touring.

Generally speaking a larger / heavier paddler with greater upper body strength will choose a larger blade, though the weight and width of the craft needs to be factored in; a heavy, strong paddler paddling a fully laden tandem kayak may prefer a smaller blade, than the same paddler in an unloaded single kayak.

It will depend on how much resistance you are encountering, and how much you can tolerate and for how long. Going down a blade size is like gearing down on a bicycle, allowing you to maintain a faster cadence and stay at a similar speed while experiencing less fatigue.

Ski paddlers are at the cutting edge of paddle technology. Their need for speed and the demands ocean

ski paddlers face requires a blade shape and shaft type that will deliver the most efficient forward stroke possible. Differences in the curvature of the ‘winged’ section of the blade, the surface area, the angle of offset of blades and the degrees of flex are key elements which a high performance ski paddler wants. Spending big on a high performance ski paddle is a ‘given’ in the same way the yak fisherman may spend up big on his rod while opting for a compromised paddle.

Feathered Paddles ‘Feathering’ is a concept that originated in aeronautics where the ‘stalled’ propeller would turn edgewise to the wind to lessen the drag. In the context of the paddle, the opposing travelling blade is angled to offer the least amount of resistance, cutting through the air with its leading edge.This is achieved by ‘offsetting’ the two blades by an amountanywhere from 85 through to 45 degrees.

Feathered paddles require the paddler to roll either left or right wrist; consequently these paddles are manufactured as either left or right hand models. Like a surfer who is ‘goofy’ or a ‘natural’ which wrist you prefer to ‘roll’ has little do with being left or right handed, so try beforehand.

The degree of offset blade angle is relative to the nature of the craft and environment paddled. 50 degrees or thereabouts is a good offset for beginners and general recreational paddling.

An adjustable paddle can offer the flexibility to adjust the paddle from non-feathered [blades parallel] to feathered. Once mastered, it becomes a very natural movement and offers performance benefits.

Paddle Length Kayak paddles are manufactured between 200-220cms from tip to tip, suiting most paddlers, though wider SOTs may require longer paddles of up to 230cm.The trend has been downward in recent years.

Yak fisherman and recreational

kayakers usually adopt a low arm ‘relaxed’ paddling style and more often than not their paddle is usually described as ‘recreational’ or ‘all purpose’.This style of paddling means a paddle on the longer side.A more ‘vertical’ paddling style with top hand placed higher and the blade close to the hull on entry demands a shorter paddle and is more prevalent with ski paddlers.

Adjustable models are available and offer up to 15cm extension, beneficial helpful if your kayak is on the chubby side or if you are super tall, and they are adaptable as your paddling style alterschanges.

Material Plastic bladed, aluminum shafted paddles represent the cheaper end of the market, but are often robust.

FiberglassFibreglass models are generally a step up and carbon-fibre are the business end of technology.

Critically, the material used in the paddle’s creation will directly affect issues of weight, flex and ultimately ‘feel’.AluminumAluminium shafts are stiff and generally on the heavy side.

Plastic blades tends to warp under pressure; fiberglassfibreglass and carbon blades are much stiffer.

Fibreglass shafts will have varying degrees of flex, while carbon, though they can be super rigid, are generally designed to have some degree of flex to cushion the body, especially when paddling over distance.

Bottom Line I love that ‘try before you buy’ adage, the irony being most retailers don’t make provision for what seems an essential selling tool.Those retailers that do are to be commended for doing so. If you can, do it.

When in the market for a kayak, SOT or Ski, ensure you budget for a paddle, at least commensurate with the quality, cost and performance of the craft itself. Indeed, go so as far as to cut back on the bucks on the craft and ensure you ‘spend well’ and wisely on your paddle. If it’s just a new paddle you’re after, apply the same principals.

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Regional Hawaiian State Championships Written by Melody Benton Photos by Ropati/Pacific Paddler It was a typical warm summer morning on the Island of Oahu, but the air of excitement was anything but typical at Keehi Lagoon.The biggest and most awaited event of the year in sprint racing was about to begin.

Over 3000 paddlers representing 62 clubs from around the state of Hawaii raced in beautiful, hand carved Hawaiian Koa canoes. In the true spirit of aloha, some of the clubs shared their koa canoes with other clubs who didn’t have their own.

As a past Beach Boy (Girl) from in the late 70’s and into the 80s, I remember when some of our crew’s were nearly impossible to beat.We held gGold in many events and won the treasured Akahi Medal year after year.The Akahi Medal was given out at the end of each year to the best crew of the season in their division by Hui Wa`a.

We Beach Boys had it made; we had the best wave riders as our coaches and steerers.

The Beach Boys Club was THE BEACH BOYS.Those men you see working in front of all the hotels up and down Waikiki Beach giving rides to the tourists and catching wave after wave.

It’s lovely to see that the ohana, (IT) family still prevails with the clubs. I was worried that I would not know anyone after the 20 years I had been away and living in Australia. Boy was I wrong. I seemed to spend all my time running from tent to tent. Some

people have changed clubs but the important thing is that they are still paddling and loving every minute of it.

Senior Men Tui Tonga make History This was Tui Tonga’s first year as an official club.With their Senior Men’s crew just nosing out the Hawaiian Canoe Club Men’s Senior Crew at the finish, they made history.They were even at the turns but Tui Tonga put on a surge on the last ? mile.The crew of Nate Hendricks,Andrew Penny, Kafoa Halalatu, Lyle Palakiko, Nick Agorastos, and Bruce Ayau completed the course in 11:04:55 to edge out Hawaiian by .54 of a second. What a boost for a new club!

The Beach Boys Girls make their own History The Beach Boys Women’s team made history that day by winning the prestigious Women’s 1 ? mile Senior race. It was the first time the Senior Women’s Event was won by the Beach Boys Canoe Club as well as a crew from the Na Ohana O Na Hui Wa`aAssociation.

The Beach Boys Senior Women’s crew has not lost this race in Hui Wa`a competition since 2003 but had never done better then 2nd at the states previously.The crew of Kelsa Teeters, Erin Offenhauser, Dana Gorecki,Amy Elmore,Andrea Messer, and Susan Brown completed the course in 12:40:25 to edge out Hui Lanakila by four seconds.

Beach Boys were trailing Hui Lanakila until the final turn with only ? mile to go.

I had placed myself at that final turn watching the race with a Hui Lanakila club member, Kuumomi Ho, who was only 13 when I first saw her race.

Watching this history making race with Kuumomi, knowing that her own daughter had raced in the girls division was a delightful experience.

We both watched as the Beach Boys put on a final surge against the wind to pull in front.

Well done girls! You made my day! All the Waikiki Beach Boys did well, both the men and women crews.

The Youth are the Future I saw so many children and the winning clubs will tell you that they could not have done it with out them.

The Hawaiian Canoe Club scored 111 points in the 13 youth races, including 15 point victories from the girls 15, girls 16, and girls 18 crews.

AAA division (more than 18 crews) 1.The Hawaiian Canoe Club, Maui (315 points) 2. Lanikai (269 points) 3. Kailua (247 Points) 4. Hui Nalu (244 points) 5. Outrigger (200 points)

AA division (9-17crews) 1. Puna, Big Island (162 points) 2. Kai Opua, Big Island (149 points) 3. Hui Lanakila, Oahu (147 points) 4. Kaneohe, Oahu (143 points) A division (8 crews or less) 1.The Big Island’s Keauhou for a second straight year (96 points) 2. Keahiakahoe, Oahu (86 points) 3. Keaukaha, Big Island (78points) 4.Waikiki Surf Club, Oahu (76 points) The Hawaiian Canoe Club’s sixth win is second only to Outrigger’s Canoe Club’s record of nine consecutive titles from 1984-1992.

Aloha was the feeling of the day. New and old friends went out of their way to make me feel welcome.

Mahalo my friends.

Northern Beaches Oceanracing Series

Japan’s OC Club Championship

Congratulations to Mike Clempson, Brett Greenwood and their respective Surf Clubs for running what has been a fantastic ocean paddling series to date.

It’s great to see these guys pushing the sport in the right direction.

Japan held its inaugural national championships from Chigasakibeach, Shonan on December 3rd, with the attendance of 9 clubs and 21 crews in total.

Only 6 OC6 are available in the area, and crews were separated into 4 categories/heats including Ladies, Mix, Novice, and Open. Each heat were 10km mid-distance.

Overall Results 1. Outrigger Canoe Club Japan 2. Chigasaki Outrigger Canoe Club 3. Shonan Outrigger Canoe Club 4. Kuroshio-Soh 5.Team Teikei 6. Ohana Hoe Outrigger Canoe Club 7. Kamakura Outrigger Club 8. Holokai Outrigger Canoe Club Kansai 9. Outrigger Canoe Club Fukushima The sport is beginning to take hold here and more racing events are planned for next year. Overseas interest is welcomed.http://outrigger.jp

WA Ocean Paddling Dave Hunt and the crew from SLSAWA have concluded an awesome 7 event series in which our series was the grand finale.Ash Nesbit won the Men’s and Natasha Leaversuch the Ladies.

Both these competitors won trips to a NSW based Mens Health event. Reece Baker won the ski from Oceanpaddler.com in a lucky draw.

oceanswims.com oceanswims.com has started a point score for ocean swimmers. Now swimmers will have a series on which to gage their performance over a range of swims throughout the summer. For more info go to www.oceanswims.com

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