North Shore Newsby Noah Grodzin
On a gorgeous first Saturday of June, with a jam packed Hale‘iwa Beach Park filled with outrigger clubs from around the island Manu O Ke Kai won the Hale‘iwa Regatta, the first Regatta held in two years due to the COVID pandemic.
Manu O Ke Kai the canoe club that Uncle Randy Sanborn started in 1984 is still going strong and thriving in 2022. With Uncle Randy’s wife Aloha Sanborn in attendance, led by Moku Sanborn along with Club President Dave Fuga, head coach Tavita Maea, and Coaches Robert Pactol and Lili Taliulu, the club not only hosted the Regatta it also outright won the overall competition.
Manu O Ke Kai is one of 19 outrigger canoe clubs on Oahu and has been an active family run club for almost 40 years. Raising generations of traditional paddlers as well as bringing new and inexperienced ones into their ’ohana. The club oversees paddling for everyone from juniors all the way up to ages 60 and over. Recently in May of this year the club completed the construction of a brand new Hale. The Hale built by the club members themselves along with efforts from the community and extended ‘ohana is a great testament to the clubs spirit and their respectfulness and love for the land that they are able to call home. Manu O Ke Kai preserves tradition as well as continuing on traditions and building their story.
Robin Lee recently donated a brand new Bradley Lightning racing canoe to Manu O Ke Kai Canoe Club, in remembrance of his daughter ToryAnn Nakayama and lifelong Waialua resident George Smith, III. Club members proudly paddled “ToryAnn” in the season-opener regatta at Hale‘iwa Beach Park on June 4, the first regatta that has been held sinceThe canoe carried the club to its 22nd consecutive regatta win, a shining example of how generosity, teamwork, and honor contributed to the success of Manu O Ke Kai. “ToryAnn” will help perpetuate the Hawaiian tradition of outrigger paddling for generations to come.