Another week with four solid training
sessions, and a few more aches and pains to contend with. Things are moving
along and I am getting into the swing of 6-men canoe paddling once again. The
last time I raced an OC-6 was in the Moloka`i Hoe, held in October of 2008.
Since then, I have mainly paddled OC-1
and OC-2 and gotten into long-distance standup paddle boarding (SUP), all of
which do not require the same precision as paddling OC-6 (which is what we call
a six-person outrigger canoe, compare to OC-1 or OC-2, with, as you might have
guessed, one or two paddlers).
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| Early morning SUP warm up in Pauoa Bay
Our coach Kulani Lavea uses various
techniques to help the crew get synchronized, including the mounting of a tiny
camera on a post to either the front or back end of the canoe. This means, as
everyone jokingly says, that you either comb your hair or check your make-up,
as you are captured either from the front or the back. The purpose of the video
is to make subtle corrections to one’s stroke technique, but also to look for
blend of the five paddlers in the canoe (the sixth person is the steersperson).
Outrigger Canoe Paddling, and in
particular club paddling, is one of the quintessential activities in our state
to not only perpetuate Hawaiian culture as it exists today (alive and well, I
might add), but to also teach life’s lessons to the young people of Hawai`i.
There are over 50 canoe clubs in the state, spread over 6 islands. These clubs
are organized in outrigger associations, one each on the Islands of Hawai`i,
Kaua`i, Moloka`i and in Maui (which covers the islands of Maui and Lana`i), and
2 associations on the
Regatta
If you think this is confusing, it
gets a whole lot more confusing when you consider the tactics that a coach has
to employ in order to get as many points as possible throughout the season, in
various categories, with a finite number of paddlers who can paddle a maximum
of two races per regatta, and who can only paddle in their age-group or a
younger category (I suppose because you slow down with age (?)), but not “move
up”. On top of that, you deal with paddlers who are not always able to make the
regatta due to work or family obligations, and you start to understand that
running a successful canoe club during regatta season takes a huge amount of
knowledge and skills, far beyond just the physical aspects of paddling.
Paddling coaches, all of whom are volunteers and spend countless hours of time
and limitless energy for the cause, deserve a big Mahalo for what they are doing.
Within the
canoe, there are very specific roles to be fulfilled by six paddlers in six
seats. The roles are different for a short regatta-race compared to a
long-distance race. During regattas, most races take place on a quarter-mile
course, so depending on the length of the race, there are one or several 180
degree turns involved.
Seat One is
called “Stroker”. This paddler, many times a smaller person, sets the pace and
everyone else follows that pace. This is the human metronome, going faster to move
the canoe on top of a wave, and slowing down while surfing to preserve energy.
Shown here in Seat One
Seat Two
behind the stroker paddles on the opposite side and the primary responsibility
of this paddler is to mimic the identical stroke on the opposite side of the
canoe and therefore set the pace for everyone behind who paddles opposite.
During regatta-turns, seat one and two stabilize the canoe near the turn-flag
so that the steersperson can swing the back-end of the canoe around and do it
in the least amount of time. While this sounds fairly simple, it actually
requires a finely-tuned process between paddlers one and two, who counter-steer
on the right side and then pull the canoe around on the left, primarily by
severely hanging over the side of the canoe, paddles sticking in the water.
Seat two always talks to seat one and offers words of encouragement and advice
on stroke length and speed, as seat one can be a lonely place and one that
carries the burden of the team.
 
Turn sequence
Seats Three
and Four are called the “powerhouses”. These are typically occupied by the big,
powerful paddlers who find plenty of room in the center of the canoe and push
the canoe forward with every stroke of their massive blades. Seat three
typically calls the “hut-ho”, which signals to everyone in the canoe the rhythm
and timing of switching sides. In regattas, one normally switches sides every
12 to 14 strokes, while during long-distance racing the intervals can be a bit
longer and also depend on the ocean swells a canoe encounters, as you never
switch sides on the way “up” a wave, but rather on the way back “down” on the
other side.
In regattas,
it is important to have all of the paddlers paddling on the correct side of the
canoe as you approach the turn-flag, as you want to have as much speed as
possible going into the turn and not lose too much coming out. Regatta races
are won by seconds and not minutes, so every inch and every stroke counts. Seat
three and four are also the crew members that have to bail water out of the
canoe in long-distance racing when it starts to fill up and gathers at the
deepest point, which is in the area of those seats (ankle deep is the general
rule when you start to worry). While you want to get a lot of the water out,
you don’t want to be without your paddler for too long, so bailing a canoe is
again a finely tuned process, where seat three would announce “three bailing,
four counting” and then proceeds to bail water, while seat four would take over
counting duties until three is back in the canoe and paddling (which is
announced as “three is back in”).
Seat Five,
behind the powerhouses and in front of the steersperson, makes sure the stroke
is in sync with the rest of the canoe, and additionally assists the
steersperson with steering duties (mainly in open water long-distance racing)
when the water gets so strong that the tail of the canoe breaks out of its
track.
Seat Five
Seat Six, the steersperson, is also the
kapena (captain) of the canoe. This is the paddler who knows and reads the
water and currents really well, who watches all five paddlers as they push
through the water and gives advice and suggestions on how to find some faster
way to get from point A to point B. The steersperson always has the last word
and one never argues with that person, no matter what happens. The hierarchy in
the canoe has to be maintained, and while everyone might have an opinion on how
to paddle, only one opinion counts, which is that of the captain. Any disputes
or differences in opinion can be argued over after the race, with a cold beer
in hand (but not on the beach, that would be illegal).
What is my seat, you might ask? Right
now, we are switching between all the seats, and everyone gets time stroking in
seat one, following in two, paddling hard in three and four, and following in
five. Coaches do that to see in what configuration the canoe moves the fastest,
which is not always the most obvious selection. I like to paddle in three and
four, as one is able to apply the “biggest” stroke, extending your shoulder far
forward and ripping the paddle backwards with full force. However, if truth be
told, my build is not that of a successful powerhouse, so most likely I will
find myself in either seat two or five. Too early in the season to worry about
that, though.
Besides the distribution of
responsibilities in the canoe, good energy and spirit is essential; it is what
is referred to as mana. All successful canoe teams have a great spirit in the
canoe and support each other from beginning to end. During a six-hour race
(like Moloka`i Hoe), almost every paddler has a moment of weakness, but with the
help of fellow paddlers, you can always overcome those moments and contribute
to the success. This is one of the reasons why teams get together before they
climb into the canoe, hold hands and say a pule (prayer) or oli (chant).
Until the next time,
mÄlama pono, a hui hou!
Chris
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