Kanaka Ikaika Racing Association 2020

Kanaka Ikaika Racing Association (KIRA) is Hawaii’s premier all around paddling organization dedicated to promoting and perpetuating ocean paddle sports in Hawaii since 1977. An organization by paddlers, for paddlers, we encourage a lifelong healthy lifestyle that will support paddle athletes at all levels to foster competition, sportsmanship, and develop confidence. KIRA supports and promotes health and wellness of our community while helping to maintain and perpetuate our island culture and heritage, as well as to help preserve, protect and enhance Hawaii’s coastal environment.

2020 At a glance

  • New sponsors: Welcome SHARKSKIN PADDLING & DIVE GEAR, and HAMMER NUTRITION.
  • EACH RACE IS OPEN TO ALL PADDLE CRAFTS, even if there is a “series” race emphasizing a different craft on the day. You can still paddle any craft you choose.
  • POAI PUNI OCEAN RACING SERIES: Combines points of discipline specific racing. Take your best 4 out of 7 scores and add up the points for the winner.  It is the umbrella for the multi discipline MAUI JIM WATERMAN SERIES.
  • MAUI JIM Waterman Series will return for its 7th season of multi discipline racing. Enter as few as 2 different discipline/events to rank in the Maui Jim Waterman Series
  • KAI WA’A Kualoa Challenge will be an OC-2 emphasized race.  Again, race what you like, but bust out the OC-2 on this day!
  • KIALOA Competition returns: A different division will be chosen each race with a male and female division winning KIALOA.COM gift certificates.
  • ANCHOR SYSTEMS HAWAII Kailua Bay Bash. Start and finish at Lanikai Beach. Headquarters and parking will be inside Lanikai at Lanikai park.  Kailua offers every ocean condition in one triangle course.
  • The MAUI JIM Oahu Coastal Relay is the first MAUI JIM OCEAN RACING SERIES (MAJORS) event of the year. 2020 will add 2 short legs to the race so each paddler will now have 3 legs.  Overall distance remains similar to the past.  Visit mauijimmajors.com.  It will be on Sunday March 22nd.
  • The State Race title sponsor will again be OUTRIGGER ZONE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. The course will, weather and surf permitting, start again from Waimanalo beach and go around Rabbit Island before heading down the coast and finishing at Kaimana Beach. Saturday April 04.
  • The 45th annual MAUI JIM Molokai Challenge will be on Sunday May 24th. The finish will again be at the KONA BREW PUB at KOKO MARINA CENTE
  • The PACIFIC HONDA RACE FOR HAWAII’S FUTURE will be held the day after the state race, on Sunday August 02 and will again be from Hawaii Kai to Sand Island. This is a change race for either all juniors, or for crews that mix juniors and adult to “share knowledge”. The main rule is that you have to have junior paddlers in the canoe.
  • Na Wahine Ikaika will run for the 7th year on Saturday, Oct. 03. This is a Hawaii Kai run just for women.
  • 2020 will be the 28th annual LANIKAI COLD PACK CLASSIC on Saturday, December 12. This is a short, fun race in Lanikai which has a separate race for the keiki (skill level pending – it’s open to all juniors).  It is free for kids 18 and under.

DIVISIONS

Top 3 default to open in each craft category. 4th place becomes 1st place in one of the age groups (or board size category for SUP and Prone). IN MOST RACES KIRA HAS
CATEGORIES FOR THE FOLLOWING DIVISIONS in both long and short courses:

  • Surfski-1 and Surfski-2
  • OC-1; OC-2; OC-3; OC-6.
  • V-1
  • SUP and Prone paddleboards are short course only:
    • Stand Up Paddleboards: 14’ and under – no rudder and Unlimited. If there are more than 3 x 12’6” boards and 3 x 14’ boards, we’ll make a 12’6” division.*
    • Prone Paddleboard: Stock and Unlimited. IF there are more than 3 Unlimited and 3 stock 12’ boards per race, we’ll make 2 divisions.*
  • Long Course categories
    • OC-1 Male and Female:  (18 & Under)   19-29,  30-39,   40-49,  50-56,  57-63,  64-69, 70+
    • OC-2: Female Open,  Men Open,  Mixed Open
    • SURFSKI Male and Female: Jr. (18 & Under)   19-39, 40-49,  50- 59,  60+
    • Surfski-2: Female Open, Male Open,  Mixed Open
    • V-1 Rudderless Canoe: Female Open, Male Open
    • OC-3: Open (men, women or mixed – 1 division)
    • OC-6: Female Open, Male Open, Mixed Open
  • Short Course categories
    • OC-1 Male and Female:  (18 & Under)   19-29,  30-39,   40-49,  50-56,  57-63,  64-69, 70+
    • OC-2: Female Open,  Men Open,  Mixed Open
    • SURFSKI Male and Female: Jr. (18 & Under)   19-39,   40-49,  50-59,  60+
    • Surfski-2: Female Open, Male Open,  Mixed Open
    • V-1 Rudderless Canoe: Female Open, Male Open
    • OC-3: Open
    • OC-6: Female Open, Male Open, Mixed Open
    • SUP Male and Female: 14’ rudderless,  Unlimited (see above)*
    • Prone Paddleboard Male and Female:  Stock, Unlimited (see above)*

POAI PUNI OCEAN RACING SERIES:

The Poai Puni Ocean Racing series is for discipline specific racing. To rank in the Series, we take your best 4 finishes of races you have completed in the same craft (V-1 counts towards OC-1 points, but OC-1 does NOT count towards V-1 points) and tally your points. However, you need to race at least 3 of the 7 series races (Races #1- 7) to have a final ranking. Tie breakers will be determined by statistics of head to head racing, and if still a tie, the Outrigger Zone State Race will determine the winner. There are short course points and long course points. The top 3 winners in the long course for each individual paddle discipline (OC-1, Surfski, SUP and Prone Paddleboard), male and female will earn free entry to the Maui Jim Molokai Challenge on May 24.

MAUI JIM WATERMAN SERIES:

Multi-craft racing series

Returning again is the MAUI JIM Waterman series, which is a 5 race series within the POAI PUNI Ocean Racing Series that utilizes a different paddle disciplines during each selected event to determine the best all-around waterman/woman. There are 5 disciplines: OC-1, Surfski, SUP (14’ rudderless), 12’ Prone Paddleboard and V-1.

Points

The point designation will be based on your overall finish in the designated craft division for the day. There are 5 races in the Waterman Series, of which paddlers will earn points for their best 4 finishes. The point system will be as follows:

1st place = 100 points
2nd place =98 points
3rd place = 97 points
4th place = 96 points
5th place = 95 points
6th place = 94 points
Etc…

At the end of the series, add the points from each race entered (minimum 2 and maximum 4), and the paddler with the most points win. Men and Women will be scored on their own point scale. You only need to enter 2 waterman events to qualify points.

Prizes

Each MAUI JIM Waterman race will have a cash purse for the top 3 male and female finishers. Also each race will have a hot spot along the course where the first male and female paddler will win a cash bonus, however, to earn the hot spot bonus you must finish the race. There will be cumulative series points to determine the overall series winners.

MAUI JIM Waterman Series – Purse for each race

1st Place Hotspot: $50.00 $50.00
1st Place Overall (End of Race): $125.00 $125.00
2nd Place Overall (End of Race): $100.00 $100.00
3rd Place Overall (End of Race): $50.00 $50.00

EACH RACE IS OPEN TO ALL CRAFTS, however, if you want to vie for the Waterman points, you should participate in the designated water craft for each “Waterman series” race. The designated races are:

  1. Race #1 Sunday, Jan. 05. MAKAILUA: Makai Pier to Kailua, (Surfski)
  2. Race #2 Saturday Jan. 18. KIALOA TO KAIMANA: Hawaii Kai–Kaimana Beach (SUP)
  3. Race #4 Saturday Feb. 08. KONA BREWING CO Pokai Bay Pound (V-1)
  4. Race #6 Sunday March 01. SHARKSKIN – Hawaii Kai – Magic Island (OC-1)
  5. Race #7 Saturday March 14. OAHU CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunset to Haleiwa (Prone)

RACE FEES and REGISTRATION.

Listed prices below are for pre-registration.

Late/beach registration will add $7.00 per paddler for races # 1-7, 10 and 13, and $10.00 for races #8 and 9. Race #11, the Maui Jim Molokai Challenge late registration is an additional $45.00 with no beach registration option.

  • Poai Puni Ocean Racing Series races (races # 1-7, 10 and 13)
    • Fee is $38.00 per person
    • OC-3 cost is $33.00 per person with pre-registration
    • OC-6 cost is $198.00 per crew with pre-registration
    • JUNIORS (18 and under) are $13.00 with pre-registration. Use discount code: KIRAJR
  • MAUI JIM Oahu Coastal Relay
    • Single and double adult entries, fee will be $50.00 per person
    • OC-3 cost is $45.00 per person with pre-registration.
    • OC-6 cost is $45.00 per person with pre-registration.
    • JUNIORS (18 and under) are $25.00 per person with pre-registration.
  • OUTRIGGER ZONE State Race
    • Single and double adult entries, fee will be $50.00 per person
    • OC-3 cost is $45.00 per person with pre-registration
    • OC-6 cost is $45.00 per person with pre-registration.
    • JUNIORS (18 and under) are $25.00 with pre-registration.
  • MAUI JIM Molokai Challenge
    • BEFORE April 29:
      • Solo adult entry fee is $230.00 per person.
      • Solo juniors are $115.00 per person.
      • Relay adult entry fee is $200.00 per person.
      • Relay juniors are $100.00 per person for relay.
    • Late entry is an additional $45.00 per person.
    • Entry fee includes:
      • Meal ticket at Kona Brew Pub and the SHAW and PARTNERS awards banquet at the LOTUS Hotel.
      • Free Kona Brewing Co. beer tickets
      • Event shirt, Scott Hawaii slippers and other goodies.
      • Raffle ticket to win Maui Jim sunglasses and other great prizes.
  • PACIFIC HONDA RACE FOR HAWAII’S FUTURE
    • $150.00 per crew pre-registration. $240.00 on race day.
  • Race day/late registration fee is always an additional $7.00 – $10.00 per paddler.
  • To streamline and make efforts for both KIRA and its paddlers more cost effective we are suggesting and encouraging the following
    • KIRA is offering a PRE PAY option for the entire Poai Puni Season in advance for $285.00/adult and $135.00/junior (18 and under). This gets you entry for Races 1 – 7 plus Race #9; The Outrigger Zone State Championship. You will receive a personal code to register for each race. Click here to sign up. Entry fee for an individual race has gone up to $38.00.
    • NEW INSURANCE PROGRAM: Every paddler is encouraged to “join” the ACA (American Canoe Association).  The cost is $25.00 for the year and it covers your insurance for all KIRA events, and any ACA insured event in the nation.  Go to https://www.americancanoe.org/general/register_member_type.asp and choose “COMPETITION INDIVIDUAL” to effect your 2020 membership today.  Otherwise it will cost $5.00 each race in addition to entry fees.

Register online through www.kanakaikaika.com or at www.flpregister.com.