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Start of the season – small boats

/ Peggy Coulombe

Eight Na Leo O Ke Kai paddlers took to the waves in San Diego on Saturday, Jan. 25 at the 30th anniversary Hano Hano race. In a short course that had more than 400 paddlers, our own Laura Baack and Amy Hartle came in third of all OC2s (out of 35) and first in women’s OC2. Joining them on the course were Na Leo President Betty Flores and husband Richard, in their very first Hano Hano race. The long course, with winds gusting between 20 and 25 mph, was moved inside of the jetty. More than two hundred paddlers raced two rounds of the short course. Ceci Ng and Andy Thomas came in second in master’s coed OC2 and Alicia Lin Kee and Hisano Tasedan finished third in master’s women’s OC2. Fantastic turnout and efforts by all our clubmates! Also, thanks to our Na Leo board, coaches and paddlers for working as volunteers for January’s Rock and Roll Marathon to help raise money for a new unlimited canoe for the club.

Na Leo Happy New Year

/ Peggy Coulombe

The leadership team and coaches for Na Leo O Ke Kai would like to thank everyone for a wonderful 2024! We closed out the year with a bang, racing at Another Dam Race in Parker, AZ (photo below!), which we’ve attended since it was started, working on the canoes, and participating in the Na Leo Thanksgiving Fundraiser imu, as well as volunteering for the AZ Ironman, as a fundraiser. Coach Richard and Betty Flores hosted the end of season party for the club, family and friends, and Malie Kawamoto and Na Leo families hosted a party for the keiki. We are thankful and looking forward to all the shared adventures ahead in 2025. A big welcome to our new 2025 board and coaches! Thankful for you, your good mana and generosity.

Last Race of the Season! Na Leo ‘O Ke Kai represented huge this weekend with the Keiki’s Double Hull Short Course, the first ever Relay Race (20 Miles), we had a mix crew of 12 entered, a mix long course crew, 6 of our Na Leo paddlers hopped in with Oceanside’s Triple Hull Party Boat and 4 of our Na Leo paddlers hoping in with an NAC crew and a Texas crew! Everyone paddling hard, good mana and with plenty Aloha! Mahalo Coach Richard for keeping us together as one this weekend!

Reconnecting with Hawaiian roots

/ Peggy Coulombe

In August, September and October, paddlers with Na Leo O Ke Kai and Team Arizona joined hands to represent Arizona’s Ohana Va’a on four journeys: The Molokai Hoe, the Na Wahine O Kei Kai crossing, Queen Liliuokalani Race and the International Va’a Federation World Sprint Championships hosted by Hawaii (see August blog). For most of our Arizona paddlers this was a homecoming. The women and men who undertook to cross the Kaiwi Channel were blessed to be carried by the Ho’ola, a koa canoe shaped by master builder Bobby Puakea, with the generosity of the Puakea Foundation of Hawaii. One of the toughest races that many had undertaken, with unexpected challenges, it was also the most spiritually rewarding experience for all. We are thankful that all our hearts in AZ could take these four journeys with them (livestream!) from Moloka’i across the channel to O’ahu, and on Big Island, from Kailua Bay to Honaunau, and in Hilo Bay, and share their connection with home.

Good luck in Hawaii, racers!

/ Peggy Coulombe

Na Leo O Ke Kai will have a big presence on the Big Island this August and September. The International Va’a World Sprint Championships are being held in Hilo Bay Aug. 13-23 with more than 1800 competitors coming from around the globe. The U.S. Mainland will send 207 people, and our own Team Phoenix (led by Na Leo O Ke Kai IVF coaches Alicia Lin Kee and Andy Thomas) will take 24 racers in men’s 40s and women’s open, 40s, 50s and 60s. And one of four women in the U.S. to race open V1 will be Laura Baack. All have been training since before U.S. National’s qualifiers in 2023, so best of luck to everyone who has committed to training and competing at this elite level. The races will be live streamed on Facebook and the IVF website by Ocean Paddler TV.

In addition to World Sprints, Na Leo O Ke Kai paddlers will be representing at the Queen Liliuokalani Races in Kona that run on Aug. 29 to Sept. 2. Racing in the mixed masters iron race will be members of Na Leo (Eric, Kaitlyn, Ryan) and Team Arizona (Ilona, Kui, Stacia). In the 9-man relay race, our Na Leo women (Justina, Lucy, Ash, Michelle, Adrienne) will the joined by guests from Team Arizona (Hedy), Oceanside, Imua and Big Island. In addition, Na Leo members Amy Thomas, Julie Ling, Betty Flores will race in an open women’s iron crew and an open women’s double hull with others from CA and Alicia Lin Kee will race with her Molokai crewmates. Best of luck to everyone undertaking the 18 mile journey. Live feed: https://www.facebook.com/queen.liliuokalani.long.distance.canoe.race.2023 by Ocean Paddler TV or you can sign up for a free account: https://espnsports24.com/queen-canoe-race/

We are very proud of all our Na Leo athletes!

SCORA racing in May and June

/ Peggy Coulombe

Na Leo O Ke Kai racers have been taking their skills to California. Our crews represented at Crystal Pier (Hano Hano), Marina del Rey (Kahanomoku Klassic) and San Diego (Iron Champs) in keiki, short course and longer course races and supported Makapo adaptive paddlers. Check out our photo galleries!

Marina del Rey fun!

Iron Champs fun! Three short course crews, two long course coed crews and keiki/juniors crews:

Canoe blessing and Havasu Heat

/ Peggy Coulombe

Nā Leo celebrated one of the founders and core members who helped found the club, including Louise Navarro, Diane Escalante, Art Keanini and others. New members – many met at the Aloha Festival – and OGs gathered for the canoe blessing and paddle out for Lono Navarro, held in conjunction with the Nā Leo’s Open House at Tempe Town Lake. Lots of Aloha to close out the month of March, and open April’s first race of the year, Havasu Heat! Nā Leo took crews to race short course and long course, including “Boto” men’s crew (with Melissa!), “Team Phoenix” wahine going to World Sprints in Hilo, and the “Baby Goats,” Nā Leo’s breast cancer survivor crew. All took first place, but most importantly, had a wonderful time shared with Arizona’s Va’a Ohana. And if you are wondering what’s coming up next, don’t forget our Kalua Pig Fundraiser. Get your orders in by April 17: $10 per 8 oz. bag, cooking in traditional Imu (Hawaiian underground oven). We do it right! Email orders to: NaLeoOKeKai@gmail.com, with subject line: Kalua Pig order. Can pay by Venmo (@NaLeoOKeKai) or Zelle (NaLeoOKeKai@gmail.com).

Ocean adventures

/ Peggy Coulombe

Na Leo O Ke Kai paddlers traveled to California in Feb. to meet up with Oceanside OCC, who generously loaned canoes and shared wonderful mana. These experiences contribute to our paddlers’ ocean skills and sets everyone up for competition in the 2024 SCORA races series (photo gallery below).

In addition to building distance and ocean skills, Na Leo paddlers are in month six of training to represent the mainland U.S. for the International Va’a Federation World Sprint Races in Hilo this coming August. Na Leo club member Alicia Lin Kee serves as coach for Team Phoenix (an all Arizona group that brings together competitive paddlers from Na Leo O Ke Kai, Team Arizona OCC, AZDBA and others from Havasu OCC, Oregon and California). Team Phoenix racers qualified last Oct. and we have Na Leo paddlers in the USA elite crew, in addition to Team Phoenix representing in club crew in women’s open, 40s, 50s, 60s and men’s open, 40s and 50s. Team Phoenix continues Na Leo O Ke Kai tradition over the last decade of representing the USA internationally with IVF (including a silver medal win in V12 500M sprints at IVF in Rio de Janiero in 2014).

Na Leo O Ke Kai and Oceanside OCC paddling adventure
On the water with Na Leo O Ke Kai and Oceanside OCC

New Season starts Feb. 4

/ Peggy Coulombe

Aloha and Happy 2024. The New Year started off with a bang and a birthday. Diane Escalante, one of the OGs of Na Leo, turned 80 with a big celebration that brought together generations of paddlers, friends and family and a few other OGs to celebrate her: Auntie Louise Navarro, Bobby Mahoe and Art Keanini.

Na Leo also launched a new approach to the keiki program, combining the keiki outrigger crew with the keiki dragon boat crew, a partnership that brings all the kids together as a group to do both sports. Their first paddle out day was a hit!

Na Leo individual paddlers also kicked things off at the Hano Hano Challenge, a SCORA winter series race hosted in San Diego’s Mission Bay. Amy and Laura took first in short course, ahead of all other women’s OC2 crews. Andy (OC1), Ceci and Peggy (OC2) took on the 12.5 mile long course and survived. Good times!

Join us at our Feb. 4 new season kick off to find out about lots more to come!