KSM high school academies principal, Ms. Jay-R Ka’awa, placed third in her division in an outrigger canoe and paddleboard race for the Maui Canoe and Kayak Club today, Jan. 7, 2012, in Kihei.

Conditions were hot with no breezes. At the start of the race, Kihei waters looked like a lake, flat and motionless.

There were two separate races, a short course race and long course race. Both of the races started at Kihei Canoe Club.

All of the paddleboard participants competed in the short course race with about a five-minute lead before the outrigger canoes. Ms. Ka’awa was one out of the 33 stand-up paddle board participants.

Ms. Ka’awa was participant #140 finishing with a time of 1:23:11 in 3rd place for the SUP woman’s unlimited division.

“The race was grueling. There was no waves or winds, which I’m not used to since I do Maliko runs. This was my first Kihei run,” Ms. Ka’awa said.

The five-mile, short course race ended at the restaurant Sarento’s on the Beach in Kihei.

For the eight-mile, long course race, participants started at Kihei Canoe Club and paddled to the Kihei boardwalk. From there, paddlers battled it out back to Sarento’s.

The turnout was a success for the Maui Canoe and Kayak Club season opener and is expected to grow throughout the rest of the season.

“I plan to do more races this season. My goal is to do the Kaiwi channel [Moloka’i to O’ahu] and the Pailolo challenge [Maui to Moloka’i],” Ms. Ka’awa said.

At the end of the race during the award ceremony, race participants enjoyed lunch provided by Sarento’s restaurant.