I've checked the forecast for Memphis and it looks like they'll be having Fahrenheit highs in the 60s for the rest of the time I'm in Hawaii. Hmm... should I ask for my money back? At least the water here in Hawaii is a lot warmer than the Mississippi at this time of year.
Hawaii is certainly a beautiful and fascinating place, very different from any other place I've ever been. But mainland Americans like me are led to believe in a certain stylized version of it that's not entirely accurate. You know what I'm talking about: you picture yourself whiling the day away in a hammock between two palm trees, sipping the milk from a coconut through a straw, the entire landscape bathed in sunshine, a gentle ocean breeze caressing your skin...
I'm told that in fact the weather here is often like that during the summer months, but right now it's rather unsettled. At just about any moment it's raining somewhere on Oahu, especially up along the Koolau Range. And the wind from the northeast is pretty persistent. This week we've had stronger winds than normal, according to my cousin; but I think 10-15 miles per hour is pretty standard. And while the air temperature is generally pleasant, it's not always quite warm: at this time of year, the highs average around 78 or 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't find myself yearning for a swim in the ocean until it hits the mid 80s or higher.
But... that's okay. All that matters is that the weather is not bad, and there are all kinds of fascinating things to occupy my attention.
A really, really cool thing about Hawaii is (a) outrigger canoe racing is an official high school sport here, and (b) it's on TV! The 2016 state championships took place on February 6 on Ke'ehi Lagoon, and my cousin recorded the telecast of it so that we could watch it during my visit. Athletes competed in OC-6 for state titles in girls, boys, and mixed. Kamehameha Schools of Kapalama claimed the girls title; Punahou was the winning boys' boat; and Seabury Hall won the mixed title. It was fun to see the teamwork and camaraderie among the athletes as they pursued excellence in a craft that's been practiced in this part of the world for thousands of years.
As for my own paddling, my biggest nemesis so far has been adjusting to the change in time zone: Hawaii is four hours behind Central Time. Wednesday morning I was feeling particularly sluggish and unenthusiastic as I paddled in Hickam Harbor. The wind was really blowing and I was skittish about venturing far from shore. I'd planned to paddle for 80 minutes, but ended up quitting after 50.
Yesterday morning I woke up feeling a bit groggy again, and my whole body felt stiff as a board. I drove over to Ke'ehi Lagoon, where the outrigger championships had taken place, and did a long, slow round of stretching and warming up before doing the February strength routine in the park pavilion there. The short power-oriented exercises seemed to give me a jump-start. By the time I was putting my boat in the water I felt awake and enthusiastic again, and I eagerly paddled out onto the lagoon to see what I might see on the way out to the Pacific.
Mind you, I didn't paddle entirely like a champ. Once I was out on the open ocean I found the water choppy and confused, not really the clean downwind run that a surf ski paddler craves, and my paddling felt tentative at times. Paddling by myself in a borrowed boat doesn't exactly inspire fearlessness in me. I could tell the wind was starting to pick up as I headed over toward Waikiki, so I turned back and looked for the channel marker that would lead me back into the lagoon.
All told, I was satisfied with the session and just happy to be in an interesting place for a while. As I paddled across the high school championships course back to the beach, I tried to treat it with the reverence it deserves.
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