Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 7, 1 July 2013 — Shaping young lives through paddling [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Shaping young lives through paddling

By Sarah Paeheeo For Larry "Unele Bo" Campos, hoe wa'a (eanoe paddling) is more than just a pastime, it is a way of life. "I love the sport, it's in my blood," laughs Campos, who currently serves as both president of the Hawai'i Island-based Kai 'Ōpua Canoe Club and race eommissioner for the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association. "It's a life lesson," he continues. "It taught me the sense of competition, it taught me how to be humhle, it taught me that you don't always win, it kept me off the streets, it kept me in the water, it kept me healthy and I had great coaches. You don't forget these people, and you want to emulate them throughout your life because they touched you so mueh." Campos' dedication to eanoe paddling began at an early age. Originally from Kailua, O'ahu, Campos joined Lanikai Canoe Club (then under the direction of

the late George Perry) at 7 years old. He later paddled with Kai Oni and Kailua eanoe clubs before settling in at his current position with Kai 'Ōpua after moving to Kona in 1999. According to Campos, the strong support system the eanoe club provides ean help shape a child's future for the better, whieh is why he remains an advocate for growing the sport among younger generations around the state. "It becomes a family, an 'ohana," Campos explains. "When I was growing up in Kai Oni Canoe Club, all the older people always watched out for the kids. You have your men, your women, your kūpuna who all paddle, and then they eome and they watch the kids paddle, and they want to mentor the kids, and that's what these kids need." One way Campos and the other Kai 'Ōpua coaches try to steer their young voyagers toward better habits is through nutrition, and they have replaced sugary snacks and sports drinks normally found at practices

and meets with fresh fruits, granola bars and water. "We're creatures of habit because fast food was the easy way out, but now we try to teach them to make better choices," Campos says. "It's just a matter eating fresh, try this and try that. And I have kids now telling me I eat wrong, so that's a good sign!" The elders also remind young paddlers that, as stewards of the 'āina, they must respect not only their kūpuna and fellow crewmembers, but their implements as well. "We teach them that you must mālama your eanoe, you have to honor your paddle," Campos says. "You're children of Hawai'i - what an honor to race in koa canoes, what an honor to be in the water and what an honor to learn about your culture and heritage." As president of Kai 'Ōpua, Campos helps put on perhaps one of the greatest examples of eanoe culture in the world - the Queen Lili'uokalani Long Distance Outrigger Canoe Races. The race originally began in 1971 as a warm-up to the 38-mile Moloka'i Hoe; today it is the largest long-distance outrigger eanoe race in the world and features its signature 18-mile single-hull six-person eanoe race for men and women crews, as well as double-hull, oneperson, two-person and stand-up paddleboard races. This year's race is expected to draw more than 2,500 competitors from Hawai'i, the U.S. continent and beyond, with some paddlers coming from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Tahiti, Italy, Brazil, Costa Rica, Canada and the United Kingdom. "The beauty of seeing 150 canoes line up in Kailua-Kona on that morning and watching that many people eome from all over the world to paddle this race - it's just an amazing thing to have, that melting pot together," Campos says. "It just sends chills up my back. I'll never get tired of watching it." Another major draw added to the competition in recent years is the Ali'i Challenge. Based on popular reality TV competitions like Survivor and The Amazing

Race, this grueling 17.5-mile open-ocean/land-navigation course tests 12-person crews with obstacles based on Hawaiian history, games and more. Also new to the lineup are three teen divisions for the single-hull long distance eanoe races, whieh aligns perfectly with Unele Bo's mission to get more young people out and active in the seat of a eanoe.

"That's my whole goal, to get the kids involved (in eanoe paddling) and to let them know that this is part of their past and their heritage and that it's a great sport," says Campos. "Onee you get them into the eanoe and get them paddling, they love it." ■

Sarah Paeheeo, an 0'ahu-based freelance writer, is aformer assistant regional editorfor MidWeek.

Queen Lili'uokalani Long Distance Qutrigger Canoe Races

The 42nd annual races kiek off Saturday, Aug. 31 with the Wa'a Kaukahi (single-hull canoes) beginning at 7:30 a.m. at Kailua Bay. An awards presentation follows at 3:30 p.m. at Kamakahonu Bay. Events continue throughout the Labor Day weekend as follows: Saturday, Aug. 31 • Torchlight Parade, 6:30 p.m., through Historic Kailua Village, with a concert and traditional Hawaiian lū'au to follow at the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. Sunday, Sept. 1, beginning at 9 a.m., Kailua Pier • Wa'a Kaulua (double-hull canoes)

• 0C1 (one-person) and 0C2 (two-person) races • Stand-up Paddleboard Race. Boards available for rent at Kona Boys at Kamakahonu Bay. • Teen (16 and under, 18 and under, and mixed 18 and under) single-hull eanoe races Monday, Sept. 2, beginning at 9 a.m., Kailua Pier • Ali'i Challenge Priortothe competitions, Hannah Kihalani Springer leads a free cultural walk of Historic Kailua Village, Aug. 29, 9 a.m. to noon. Participants will meet at Kamakahonu Beach next to Kailua Pier. Forfull event information and registration, visit www.kaiopua. org.

Larry "Unele Bo" Campos, center, with the Kai 'Ōpua Canoe Club 1 8-year-old boys crew, or as he affectionately calls them, "his babies." - Courtesy:Amy Young/Kai 'Opua Canoe Club

As president of Kai 'Ōpua, Campos helps put on perhaps one of the greatest examples of eanoe culture in the world - the ōueen Lili'uokalani Long Distance Outrigger Canoe Races. - Courtesy pboto