Quick apology for my writing apathy as of late, but the good news is I have a great experience to share. I just returned home from Hawaii after competing in the 2008 Molokai Hoe, an annual outrigger OC-6 race from the island of Molokai to the beaches of Waikiki, covering a whopping distance of 42 miles. Let me tell you, this was definitely not one of the easier things I've done in my life, quite the contrary.... However, one thing is for sure it was an experience.
First things first, the company I was able to share at this prestigious event was simply an honour. Amongst our team were Olympic champions Andreas Dittmer of Germany, Martin Doktor of the Czech Republic, Attila Vajda of Hungary, as well as Canadian national greats Tamas Buday Jr., Kyle Jeffery, Ian Mortimer, coach Peter Buday and yours truly. Lastly, we acquired steersman Paul McNamara to complete our crew.
Upon arriving in Hawaii the warmth and palm trees put an immediate smile on my face. However, I have to admit the proposition of racing 42 miles in a boat I had never once practiced in, as well as making open ocean switches was slightly daunting at first. However, the first morning when we got in the boat, I knew instantly this was the type of race I would enjoy. After jumping into the warm Pacific waters a few times I was in the swing of things, and despite my asymmetry from a lifetime of paddling on the left side I was managing alright with the periodic left and right side paddling switches.
After a few days of practice and discovering what the island of Hawaii had to offer (snorkeling and cliff jumping were atop this list), we took a short flight to the island of Molokai in easily the smallest plane I have ever flown in, and landed at an equally small airport. However, armed with our newly acquired "aloha spirit" we were ready to take on anything. The scenery on the island was breathtaking, and as we neared the race we all grew excited to get the show on the road. I had come to Hawaii with a small set of poker chips, and they got plenty of use. First time player Andreas Dittmer quickly picked up the game of no limit texas hold 'em and within a day was beating everyone on the team with an unreadable poker face.
The day of the race finally arrived and we were revved up to challenge the other 105 crews who started the race. With everyone arriving very early in the morning, and the sun rising as we started out, the setting was perfect. The mass start of 106 crews across a span of a km or so wide was full of adrenaline. Two called back starts by the officiating crew later, and we were off, frantically trying to pace with the leaders. Within an hour we could see very few crews, and the waves were extremely sloppy and tough to ride. In the end we managed 21st place in a grueling 5 hours and 28 minutes.
Would I do it again? Definitely. It was a great experience and despite some incredible bouts of pain during the race, including some pretty violent stomach sickness at the halfway point, it was really amazing, and the 21st placing left me hungry with a challenge to improve upon that finish. The highlight of the race was probably heading in to the finish about 30 minutes out, when Ian Mortimer and Martin Doktor curtailed a lack of energy by shouting with every stroke completely energizing the crew and simultaneously driving us forward. After 5 hours the feeling was amazing, and the power and drive that emerged from the team's exhausted bodies was a really cool reminder of some of the champion mentalities in our boat. All in all, awesome time, go to Hawaii tomorrow... do it.
Well thanks for reading, and as always keep it real.
Andrew
