Poksai, Hong Kong take distance honors

With the sprint races behind them, the region’s top paddlers returned to the Saipan World Resort on Sunday for a shot at one of the most challenging and beautiful events of the weekend during the 8th Annual Micronesian Cup’s long distance haul.

After leaving the Susupe shores, a total of 23 international men’s and women’s teams pulled water all the way to Managaha, where they circled the smallest island in the Marianas before returning for a thrilling finish in front of the appreciative crowd.

The men were the first to challenge the course as a dozen canoes departed on their roundtrip course, but none was a fast as the Hong Kong Island Paddling Club’s boys who returned in 1:41:37.71.

The HKIPC paddlers didn’t even have a chance to check in to their hotel rooms Saturday morning before paddling in the sprint races, but a full night’s rest paid dividends as the Hong Kong squad bested the second place Saipan Outrigger Canoe Club by more than a minute.

The local boys performed admirably on the course with a 1:43:52.71 finish followed by Guam’s Animun Tasi Metgot, who placed third at 1:44:46.45, and fourth place Haggan at 1:46:19.31.

The hometown paddlers of Fatu’ul also produced a strong time when they reached the beach in fifth place at the 1:48:21.31 mark to beat the seven remain teams, including Lantau (1:49:35.45), Imua Guahan (1:51:14.00), Animun Tasi Adahi (1:51.37.71), HKIPC 2 (1:53:22.60), Animun Tasi (1:59:43.08), Haggan II (2:04:49.01), and HOCCK (2:12:55.11).

The women performed just as admirably as Poksai took the long distance title with a roundtrip time of 1:57:10.14 to beat the HKIPC Grape squad by more than a minute. The two teams were the only women paddlers to cross the finish line under two-hours, as the Grapes were greeted by a cheering crowd at the 1:58:14.28 mark.

After securing a first place finish in the 500m and a second place finish in the 1,500m on Saturday, the SOCC women placed third in the distance event with a time of 2:03:33.74, while another team from the HKIPC held off charges from the Guahan Flyers and Animun Tasi Metgot to finish fourth at 2:06:04.15.

The Flyers took fifth at 2:06:23.08 to edge the Metgot paddlers (2:06:42.24), while the SOCC II squad took seventh (2:07:13.73) followed by Manelu (2:08:33.60), Animun Tasi Adahi (2:17:07.42), Imua Guahan (2:17:48.84), and Haggan 4 (2:45:50.65).