I had a chicken skin phone call with Wendall DeVera from Tri Paddle Maui last week. He was calling to tell me how his Hawaiian Canoe Club’s 60+ Men’s Master’s Crew did in Molokai this year and to tell me how much the crew liked the Paea paddles that they used. Now this is an amazing bunch of men. They finished in a record time for the 60+ division at 5:52:30. As Wendall said, “Not bad for a bunch of Old Futs!”
This crew has won Moloka’i in their division for 4 of the last 5 years. They won back to back in 2014 and 2015, came in 2nd in 2016, and were division winners again in 2017 and 2018.
Wendall and I were talking about this crew and how tight there are – and of course the role this plays in them kicking okole every year. It’s so inspiring to paddle with friends that you have known for years. The relationships that are built, the trust that develops, and the lifelong friendships that occur when you paddle outrigger is something that is not easy to find as an adult. You will do anything and everything for your crew and you know that they would do the same for you. And this doesn’t just apply to the times you are on the water, it washes over into your personal life and enriches it more than can be defined by words. Or maybe it can be defined….. with two simple words, “chicken skin.”
The Crew from left to right:
Kevin Ledesma, Jerome Kalama, Tom Guerin, Wendall DeVera, John McCandless, Pia Aluli, Lex Rass, Frank Zajac, Mark Kazgerten Biggie Lara, Missing Lou Dionese & Tomas Schlotman.
Wendall, John, Pia, Biggie and Lou have done this all 5 years, Jerome, Lex and Adolph Helm (injured this year) for 4 years. We are all good friends and great teammates, we all adapt, adjust, relax and paddle.
Pia (70), Biggie (69), Wendall (68), Lou (67) and Tom (65), will have to grow up next year and move to the 65 division.
- Meg Chun and Wendall DeVera
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