Images Provided by Lesley Downie Photography : lesleydownie.zenfolio.com
One of the best things about living on Maui is the active lifestyle that comes naturally here, which is one of the reasons why retirees opt to buy Maui real estate. It’s a great place to get in shape and stay in shape while soaking up the health benefits of clean air and ocean water. This week, we’d like to highlight a group of Hawaii folks who are doing just that, while taking fitness to the next level along with their remarkable paddling skills.
Hawaii paddlers took home several medals at the 2016 World Sprints, an international paddling competition that was held this year in Queensland, Australia. Hawaiian Canoe Club of Kahului, Maui, earned third place for boys ages 19 and under in a 1,000-meter race, which they completed in 4 minutes, 45:27 seconds. Tahiti won the gold, and Aotearoa (New Zealand) won the silver.
Images Provided by Lesley Downie Photography : lesleydownie.zenfolio.com
As for Hawaii’s master paddlers ages 50 and over, five total medals were won. The Island Masters select crew of Hawaii women ages 60 and over scored the gold in a 1,000-meter, six-person race, which they completed in 5 minutes and 43:22 seconds. Keahiakahoe club of Oahu and Keauhou club of the Big Island teamed up to earn first place in the category of women ages 70 and over. Theirs was a 500-meter, six person race with a turn, which they completed in 3 minutes and 06:43 seconds. Panamuna Australia came in next, followed by Hawaii Canoe Club.
In the men’s races, the Outrigger Canoe Club of Oahu won second in the ages 70 and over category. They also ran the six-person, 500-meter race with a turn. Coming in second was Noosa Australia and third place went to Canada.
The next World Sprints will take place in 2018, and Tahiti will host. You can find out more about the competition if you visit vaaworldsprints.com. In the meantime, we can celebrate the prowess of Hawaii’s finest paddlers, and if you need help with your Maui real estate search so you can join in on all the outdoor activities here, you’ll find our contact information at the bottom of the page. Mahalo!