Team IMUA Wins Outrigger Race Dana Nine Man
PADDLING / OUTRIGGER – Dana Point, CA
The paddling Club, Team IMUA won the 9 man outrigger race in Dana Point, California and finished 7th out of 45 teams the following weekend on Oahu for the 2009 Hawaii Paddleboard Championships aka Duke’s Race where none of the Hawaiian teams expected them to be anywhere near the top 10. The team paddles in an assortment of Hard Kore and Kore with G12 and some C12 lenses.
“We battled hard with the local teams, at times within the top 5 spots. Local knowledge on the Makapu’u Point and through Hawaii Kai, allowed the local teams to out surf us in the swells. We pulled in more teams going into Waikiki finishing 7th overall.” – Ruben Ruiz
In outrigger canoe racing there are three seasons; first the IRONMAN season, long distance race of about 12 miles. The IRONMAN races have the same six paddlers for the duration of the race. The sprint season where teams race less than 2-miles or about 2000 meters. This race is the first race of the 9MAN races. Where at all times there will be six paddlers in the racing canoe, and three paddlers on a fallowing power boat. Racers will change in and out of the canoe from the water while the canoe is moving. Fresh paddlers will do a pull-up, from the water into the racing canoe while at the same time, the paddlers preparing to rest will jump out of the canoe. Changes take place on intervals of no less than 5 min and no more than 30. Racing canoes will lose valuable time making frequent changes, but could stand the risk of running tired in a race that is 2-6 hrs long.
In this race Team IMUA, the winner battled with team California for more than half the race before opening to a lead of three minutes. Lanakila, Dana Point, and Hui Waa battled for third place for three fourths of the course. This was the first time IMUA has won a nine man race in 20 years! The team from Hui waa traveled 500 miles to compete with So Cal’s finest and came in Third overall second in their division! Check out this video to get a glimpse of this amazing experience of endurance.
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