Kai ‘Opua regatta draws 1,200 paddlers, honors island canoeing legacy
More than 1,200 paddlers filled Kailua Pier for Kai ‘Opua’s King Kamehameha Day regatta, where six women toppled an undefeated Keoua Masters crew.
Kai ‘Opua turned Kailua Pier into a gathering place for West Hawaii paddlers Saturday, staging a 46-event King Kamehameha Day regatta on the permanent quarter-mile open-ocean course outside Kamakahonu Bay. More than 1,200 competitors, ages 8 to 81, raced koa wood canoes in an event that blended hard competition with a holiday tied to the island’s public celebrations.
The day’s most striking result came in the women’s race, where Danielle Benke, Nicki Lacey-Enos, Kalei Pasciuta, Bree Wee, Leah Winkler and Naomi Zimmer upset an undefeated Keoua Women Masters 40 crew. The win mattered in the regatta points chase, but it also reflected the kind of teamwork and training that keeps paddling central to life on the Kona coast, where club crews measure themselves against rivals and against their own history.
The regatta also carried the weight of remembrance. Kai ‘Opua honored Lawrence “Uncle Bo” Campos through student scholarships and paid tribute to Auntie Mele Kunewa Kekai, whose place in the club’s history still resonates with paddlers. Legacy club member Lori Honl described Kekai as someone who would “bleed blue,” a phrase that captured the loyalty and identity that have long defined the club. Formed in 1929, Kai ‘Opua remains one of the oldest outrigger canoe clubs in Hawaii and says it offers racing for everyone from keiki to seniors.
The race also fit into a broader Kona paddling comeback. Moku O Hawaii’s 2026 schedule showed Kona-hosted regattas on May 16 and May 23 before Kai ‘Opua’s June event, part of a concentrated early-summer stretch that brought racing back to Kailua Bay. Clubs had also been working in January to restore the Kailua Bay Regatta Course, with Keauhou Canoe Club president Bill Armer saying the clubs supported reconstruction so regattas could return to Kona.
Crews were not only racing for points on Saturday. They were also chasing qualification for the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association state championship, set for Aug. 1 at Keehi Lagoon on Oahu. The regatta landed during statewide King Kamehameha Day observances, with state offices closed June 11 and celebration events scheduled across the islands, including a floral parade on Oahu on June 13. In Kona, the holiday was marked not by ceremony alone, but by a living paddling tradition that continues to draw multiple generations to the water.
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