PORT Macquarie will be represented at the world’s largest and most prestigious outrigger canoe race in Hawaii this Sunday 13 October.
After two years of dedicated training – including hundreds of kilometres on the water and thousands on the road – Wes Byrnes will take on the legendary Molokai Hoe on 13 October, the first-ever contestant from Port Macquarie.
“This is effectively the world championship of our sport and from the time I was introduced to the sport I’ve wanted to compete in this event,” Byrnes said.
“It’s a 72km race from Molokai Island to Oahu, finishing at Wakiki Beach in Honolulu.”
Byrnes, the head coach of the Port Macquarie Maroro Outrigger Club, will be paddling in a masters crew from Sydney’s Northern Beaches club, which took out the men’s masters event at the Australian championships off Hamilton Island in June.
“We are going to give it our best shot in Hawaii, but we’ll have the Tahitians standing in our way and they’ve taken the master men’s title for the past three years, so it’s a huge challenge,” he said.
“There will be more than 100 crews in the field and we’ll need to finish the race in just over five hours to give ourselves a chance.”
Byrnes has been balancing his coaching commitments in Port Macquarie with a gruelling training schedule in Sydney for the past two years. In the last three months alone, he has covered about 5300km on the road and paddled a staggering 720km.
But he has no doubt the sacrifices will be worth it.
“Just to be given an opportunity to compete in this race is an awesome feeling,” he said.
“One of the things I often think about is getting to that point of exhaustion, but then seeing all the other boys continuing to put the work in, knowing that they’re just as tired.
“I’m not sure what to expect in the race, but I do know there will be plenty of ‘gee-ups’, extra efforts and a big adrenaline rush, followed by a heck of a celebration. I can’t wait.”
Byrnes said he had appreciated the support of his club mates over the past two years.
“To pursue this dream, I’ve had to regularly compete as a member of this Northern Beaches crew in local regattas, often against my Port Macquarie team-mates,” he said.
“I’ve had unbelievable support from these guys and I’m extremely proud and grateful to be leaving this week with their best wishes.”
The Molokai Hoe began in 1952 and has been dominated by Tahitian crews in recent years.
In the past two years, the Port Macquarie Maroro Outrigger Club has competed at events in Takapuna, New Zealand, and the Cook Islands.
