The 44-strong Lahainaluna High School team has 11 returning athletes, including members of the varsity girls’ crew that reached the state semifinals last year.

LAHAINA — Count Courtney Asato as one of many that call Hanakao’o Beach Park — also known as Canoe Beach — their second home.

Throughout the summer months of the club canoe paddling season and during the winter months when the high school teams compete, Coach Court and her mates lead the charge that carries the traditional Hawaiian sport of canoe paddling forward.

She was introduced to paddling by her aunties — Grace and Hope Kanemitsu — some 20 years ago and continued on in her involvement with Napili Canoe Club.

She now begins her second season as head coach of the Lahainaluna High School program, so the busy canoe club home base for Napili, Lahaina and Kahana Canoe Clubs has become an integral part of her daily life.

Coach Court is joined on the Luna coaching staff with what amounts to a who’s who for West Side paddling. All club paddling stalwarts and coaches, they include Bear Keahi, Kanoe Delatori, Theresa Marzan, Adam Quinn, Geoff Bogar, and Del Lafountain.

There are 44 student-athletes on the Lahainaluna roster for the 2022-23 season, and 11 of them are returnees from last season’s Covid-interrupted season. That experienced group is led by the varsity girls’ crew that qualified for the state championships and reached the semifinals last year.

The Maui Interscholastic League season begins on Dec. 10, and runs through Jan. 28, with five regular season regattas, a make up regatta if necessary and the Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Championship regatta this year sponsored by the Interscholastic League of Honolulu on Oahu. Most of the MIL regattas will take place at Kahului Harbor, with the Jan. 7 competition scheduled for the West Side at Canoe Beach.

“Our strength comes from the experience that most of the kids have from paddling with the club teams during the summer,” explained Asato on a busy practice afternoon at Canoe Beach last week.

The positive energy is readily apparent as the Luna and Maui Preparatory Academy teams go through their dry land practice exercises and then head into the water aboard the polished canoes from the Lahaina and Napili clubs.

“We are grateful to Napili Canoe Club for their support of the team and to the school for purchasing the paddles for the kids last year,” added Coach Courtney.

“We are so thankful to the volunteer coaches, the parents, the community for all of the support they provide the kids. In turn, the student-athletes give a full commitment and energy to the program. We have the continuity this year,” she concluded.