Polynesian Hot-Rod
Ancient art for the new century

by T. Ilihia Gionson

John Kekua isn’t just building koa canoes in his Pana‘ewa workshop in Hilo—far from it. He’s imbuing majestic trees with a new life, crafting crafts that dedicated paddlers will swiftly and gracefully propel through the water. He’s setting the foundations for Polynesian outrigger canoe paddling to be a sport on the world stage. And perhaps most important of all, he’s teaching the next generation his art.

Outrigger canoe racing has been around for centuries in the Pacific. It was a natural extension by cultures that used canoes for fishing and travel, including the epic journey to Hawai‘i from the South Pacific. The first modern canoe clubs were formed over a century ago, and the first governing body was formed in the 1950s.

Koa is the premier wood for racing canoes, but the prettiest koa isn’t always the best for canoe building. The curly grained koa popular with furniture makers can’t stand up to the immense constant pressures of a canoe, from the weight of the paddlers to the crashing waves. The best canoe koa is yellow, bland, straight grained, and hard.

A koa tree takes the better part of a century to grow to the height required by a canoe maker. A tree’s life doesn’t end once it is cut down, though. “A canoe is a living thing,” Kekua said. “A tree is a living thing. You make it into a canoe, it’s still living.”

Even with modern tools, transforming a log into a canoe takes at least three years. The work can be done faster, but every step of the way the wood needs to dry, settle and adapt. A lack of patience during construction can cause many headaches down the road with cracks and splits in the wood.

So why go through all this trouble to build a koa canoe when fiberglass models are cheaper and faster to make, and easy to come by?

“Riding a fiberglass canoe is like riding a Chevy,” Kekua said. “Jumping in a koa canoe is like riding a Cadillac.”

Kekua learned the craft from master canoe builder Bobby Puakea, a Hilo native now living on O‘ahu. Their second collaborative project was Makani Kai, a koa racing canoe built for Keauhou Canoe Club. The canoe accumulated an impressive record of wins, and soon, every club wanted a canoe just like Makani Kai. Kekua and Puakea agree, though, that every canoe is different. “It’s the feeling that you put in,” Kekua said.

Kekua’s canoe building and repair operation in Pana‘ewa is a partnership between himself, Puakea, and Gary Puniwai. “Bobby [Puakea] is the teacher, and Gary is the engineer. I’m just the grunt,” Kekua humbly chuckles.

When he isn’t on the water or in his workshop, Kekua is the president of the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association, the governing body of competitive canoe racing in the islands. He’s also the Hawai‘i representative to the International Va‘a Federation, the worldwide governing body.

The IVF, which held the 2004 World Sprints in Hilo, is pushing to make outrigger canoe paddling an Olympic sport in the next decade. Part of a sport being accepted into the Olympics is having a firm set of agreed-upon rules and regulations, Kekua said. The majority of the projects that have come through his workshop are modifications to existing canoes to meet HCRA regulations.

Canoes racing in statewide HCRA events must be made of koa, weigh 400 pounds and be 45 feet long. Of the canoe paddling governing organizations on the islands, only O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island’s require koa canoes in their races.

Though the tools of the trade have changed over the years, one tradition of canoe building hasn’t: there’s no substitute for learning by doing, and learning from a master at the craft. Kekua found his teacher in Puakea, and the duo has a pair of foundations that focus on, among other things, educating the next generation in canoe building.

The Kekua Foundation’s mission is to teach youth about canoe life—from the mountain where it grows to the sea where it sails. Kekua teaches that there’s more to canoe building than going at it with a saw. A Kekua Foundation group spent a recent weekend in the mountains planting native plants, including koa, and maintaining the forest.

The Puakea Foundation, based in He‘eia, O‘ahu, focuses on perpetuating Polynesian canoe culture. Kekua and Puakea take turns visiting each other and participating in each other’s programs. The duo actively assists canoe clubs and other organizations in not only getting canoes, but also making sure that the canoe will be a good fit. Puakea counsels canoe clubs to be sure they can support a koa canoe.

There are other canoe builders in the islands, but not many are interested in the educational aspect of the craft. “If you’re in [canoe building] to make money, you’re in the wrong business,” Kekua said. “We’re just trying to help.” Puakea added, “We do it for the next generation.”

There’s a lot more to what Kekua, Puakea and Puniwai are doing than simply building the vessels. Trees are given new life as gorgeous canoes. The sport of canoe racing gets a boost. And in teaching the craft to the next generation, another one of the world’s great traditions is being preserved. As Puakea notes, “It’s part of our heritage, and part of our culture. We love what we do. Bottom line.”

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