Spirit of Aloha Racing (SOAR) won the 2010 Canadian Outrigger Racing National Series in Vancouver Aug. 14.
Two crews entered the challenging 10.25-km short course iron race. SOAR Elders (Tammy Hartman, Manfred Hartman, Sonya Bergen, Ron Dickinson, Merrily Corder and Greg Smith) took the overall win in a time of 1:00:10. Just 14 seconds behind were the novice crew of Mana Kai (Selina Williams, Dayton Skei, Brenda Webb, Birgit Breuer, Bill Drinkwater and Ken Peterson) finishing second overall and first in their class.
This win by the novices earned them the championship, which they have been dominating all year. The series is based on a point system for participation and placement for five races.
Bergen said she is very proud of the club's overall standing in this year's racing schedule, considering this is a new club.
"Everyone trained very hard this past year working on stroke technique, blending and overall fitness level in all sorts of weather conditions," she said. "There was real dedication, and it paid off. The outrigger community no longer wonders who we are; they now know we are a small club with big clout."
On Sunday, Aug. 15, novices Robbe Drugmand and Skei placed first overall in their heat with a time of 50:00 in a 10-km small boat race. Considering they only paddled two to three times in a small boat, their win was well deserved and gave SOAR three first place finishes for every race entered.
- Submitted
