Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 2, 1 February 1988 — Dedicated to Youths and Canoe Paddling [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Dedicated to Youths and Canoe Paddling

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By Deborah Lee Ward, Assistant Editor Ka Wai Ola O OHA It's the end of a full day of work for Gardner Kaaihue Brown, pier coordinator for Servco Pacific, supervising incoming shipments of new cars. He jumps into his car and heads, not for home, but for the seashore. He'll go to one of several different locations on Oahu, where high school students of the Na Opio Canoe Club Association are launching their canoes for their daily paddling practice. For over 15 years now, Brown has been a leader in actively promoting the ancient sport of Hawaiian outrigger eanoe paddling and in generating student involvement at the high school level. Though he modestly steers away from recognition for himself, he has been a dedicated adult coordinator for two youth eanoe paddling groups — Na Opio Canoe Club Association, and the ILH (Interscholastic League of Honolulu).

In 1974 he helped form the state's first recognized high school eanoe club at Kamehameha Schools, and by 1979 there were 13 schools with eanoe clubs, who later formed the Na Opio association. Na Opio, as it is usually called, now has 10 eanoe clubs with 400 paddlers representing both puhlie and private high schools. Teams meet at Kailua Beach, the Ala Wai Canal, at Magic Island, Haleiwa and Poka'i Bay. Another 150 youngsters from a dozen private schools participate in the ILH eanoe paddling program. While the majority of students in the eanoe clubs are Hawaiians, Brown says all ethnic groups are represented in the clubs. Gardner Brown grew up in Hilo, the son of baseball player and Little League eoaeh "T una" Brown . His early canoeing began in boyhood when he would help his grandfather set fish traps. He graduated from Hilo High School in 1941 and served 24 years in the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Hawaii, Europe, Korea and Japan, retiring in 1969 as a master sergeant. Brown first got involved with Hawaiian eanoe

paddling when the three youngest of his six children — Nahaku, Adele and Paul— joined school teams. The older children grew up while the family lived overseas. Canoeing has since become a way of life that he shares with many adults and youngsters who support this ancient sport. A former paddling eoaeh, he now keeps busy scheduling races, handling administrative paperwork, and working with the other adults who also vo!unteer their time to support this youth program. Canoes used in the program are generously "loaned" by major adult eanoe clubs, whose season begins in Apnl. Often young paddlers go on to join these clubs, bringing with them knowledge of scheduling, financing, fundraising, budgeting, advance planning, organization, cooperation and initiative. Brown is quick to point out that the youths run the Na Opio program, electing their own officers, forming committees and making their own decisions. Eaeh club is basically self-sufficient and handles its own finances, though it may get some donations from loeal corporations for awards. He has strong feelings about these youngsters, saying, "These are kids that may be pushed aside in school. But here we give them an opportunity to

express themselves. People are surprised how well kids ean run a eanoe program." "What we have done is to give them a sense of dedication, competitiveness, coordination, timing, and discipline, with the optimum goal being 'ohana.' This is canoeing — it's not 'do your own thing.' It takes six people to move a eanoe and they have to work together. We try to help them feel unafraid to try. We provide guidance. But they make the decisions." At the close of eaeh practice session, the clubs bless their canoes. When they finish, everyone pitches in to bring the canoes out of the water to rest on old tires on the shore. Then, without prompting, they run their final laps before heading to the showers to wash off. Waiting parents assemble, and everyone's gone by 6 p. m., as dusk descends upon the empty park site. Gardner Brown's white hair gleams in the twilight as he surveys the resting canoes. "Through our Hawaiian culture we have a different approach for youngsters to learn to deal with responsibility. They have to work as a team, discipline themselves. We have one of the most natural sports for youth . . . the kids love it out there." And so does Gardner Brown.

Gardner Brown, foreground in white, and two others watch eanoe teams race on a rainy dayat Ala Wai Canal.

Members of the Puiwa Haloa Canoe Club, led by eoaeh Kevin Mokuahi, join in a pule together before a competition.

Canoeing builds teamwork. Here a club launches its eanoe into the Ala Wai Canal.

With every last ounee of effort, crews paddle hard to the race finish on the Ala Wai Canal.

Team members cheer on their crews at Ala Wai Boat House pier.