Hui O Hee Nalu Independence Day race set to go on Sunday

NORTH SHORE—Ocean lovers of all ages and walks of life will celebrate the Fourth of July while competing in the Hui O Hee Nalu’s annual Indpendence Day paddboard race on Sunday. The contestants, a variety of paddlers ranging in age from barely in the double digits to those over 60 years-old, will either paddleboard or stand up paddle (SUP) the four-mile stretch from Sunset Beach to Waimea Bay.

In 2009, the event boasted a whopping 402 paddles across all of the divisions. This year, approximately 200 contestants signed up at early registration at the end of June, with many more expected to turn up for beach sign up. Approximately 10 percent of the pre-registered contestants are paddleboarders and 90 percent are stand up paddlers. To discern between to the two types of boards, the paddleboarders will begin at 11:00 a.m. with the SUP race beginning soon after at 11:15 a.m.

The event features a variety of divisions, including the parent and child division for both paddleboarding and SUP contestants. During the 2009 event, two women, one over eight months pregnant and one five months pregnant, both completed the SUP race. Two men with disabilities, one with polio, were also able to complete the race. To pay homage to the Hawaiian culture, a wooden board division has been added, known to be challenging because of the weight of the solid wooden boards. No hollow boards are allowed.

The 32-year-old race was opened up to stand up paddlers in 2007, a decision that resulted in a significant increase in the number of contestants.

Awards will be given for the top three places in each division with various prizes to be awarded to winners. The Hui O Hee Nalu, also known as “Da Hui,” will be donating a portion of the competitors entry fees to Hawaiian language immersian schools.

Although early registration has passed, beach entrants will be accepted with no late fee. Beach registration begins at 8:00 a.m. on July 4 at Sunset Beach. Additional parking is available at Waimea Valley for $5. Waimea Bay Lifeguards’s 3rd annual Keiki Ocean Challenge will take place after the race.

For more information, visit http://www.dahui.com/.