AVAILABLE
NOW!
Where
to get it? Click here or SUBSCRIBE
TODAY!
Manny Kulukulualani: Paddling To The Top
By Alison Stewart
In the midst of performing cancer research full-time and having an avid diving and surfing lifestyle, Manny Kulukulualani still makes time to claim his third-in–the-world rank as a one-man canoe paddler. He recently earned this honor at the Kona Brewing Co. Moloka'i World Championship when he finished the 32-mile course in 3 hours, 52 minutes and 37 seconds.
Kulukulualani has been paddling since he was nine years old. “My mom had me involved in everything when I was growing up,” he recalls. “I did everything from playing ukulele, piano, basketball, soccer, baseball, football . . . anything you can think of, and paddling was just one of the things I did. Plus, I paddled a lot in high school.”
Competing in both six-man and one-man competitions, Kulukulualani began getting competitive with paddling when he joined the Kalihi Kai Canoe Club in 1999, but now paddles with Hui Lanakila. “We're in the six-man season right now, but we haven't been doing so well this year as a club,” says Kulukulualani. “We're in Regatta time now, so just about every weekend we have a race somewhere.” At the time of this interview, he estimated there were another 15 races to go for the six-man season.
“I have so many races a year for both types, it's hard to count them all,” Kulukulualani says. “The last one-man race I did was that Moloka'i one. I've done a total of four of those races so far. In this past one, I finished third, and that was the best I've ever done.” Amid the two types of paddling, he is busy training all year, with maybe a week-long break in between the two overlapping seasons.
The hard work definitely pays off. “I've won in both types now,” he recalls. “But, to me, winning in the six-man competitions feels way better than winning in the one-man competitions. It just feels 10 times better to be with your boys in the canoe when you win! The most memorable race I had was on Fourth of July last year because our president and founder Leighton Look was part of our crew.” Look was sadly paralyzed last year from a severe case of the bends (decompression sickness) after diving. He is now going through a rehabilitation program in Colorado.
Despite the mishap of Kulukulualani's co-paddler and friend, he continues to train hard. He pushes his training up a notch for the one-man season. “Sometimes I'll put in 12-14 hours a week, and that's minus the warm-up and warm-down time,” he says. “That's a lot. It's hard to fit that all in with work. Any competitive paddler will tell you that the hardest thing is finding the time to train in order to beat the next guy. It's all about who has the most time in the water. It's hard to be able to hold a full-time job and be competitive for the top position,” he adds.
With Kulukulualani's degree in biology from the University of Hawaii, previous research background, and most of all, his passion for the cause, he works for ‘Imi Hale, performing cancer research for Native Hawaiians. ‘Imi Hale is a program that is federally funded by the National Cancer Institute, and aimed at reducing the burden of cancer among Native Hawaiians. ‘Imi Hale promotes cancer awareness with Native Hawaiian communities by providing research education and training to increase cancer prevention.
“I used to work in a lab before, but the work I do for ‘Imi Hale isn't lab research, it's more polling for research development and intervention programs,” Kulukulualani says. “When we look at the tumor registry, we'll see that Hawaiians have the highest incident and mortality rates on almost every cancer site there is.” ‘Imi Hale also works with all five Native Hawaiian healthcare systems across the islands and the research approach method is culturally tailored to the communities.
“My most memorable project with the organization was the Molokai Ohana Day we put on,” Kulukulualani recalls. “We went over there and provided free screening for the whole family, and educated people on the different types of cancer. Prostate cancer is common among Hawaiians, and some of those guys didn't even know what a prostate is . . .that is an example of the educating we did there. Hawaiians are a very social people, and the oral-to-oral interaction we had with them was key in recruiting folks to spread the awareness,” he added.
Kulukulualani's passion for cancer research truly comes from the heart. He lost his father to lung cancer, and that gives him good motivation at work. When his father was first diagnosed with the cancer, it was also around the time he began getting competitive with paddling. It provided a healthy outlet to the stress at the time. Since then, the paddling stuck, and he has gone far with his apparent dedication.
Kulukulualani claims to not be a fast learner in school or in sports, but you would never know it since he demonstrates the opposite with all that he has accomplished. “I was never a fast learner in anything,” he states. “I've always had a hard time in school. I did well, but I always studied harder than the next guy. It's the same with paddling. I always have to train more than my buddies, otherwise, I can't keep up with them.” In addition, he aspires to be a family practice doctor. “I've been out of school for awhile, and I've just been putting off medical school,” he says. “I have some friends who are just finishing off their (medical) internships, so it's good to get the scoops from them.”
This humble Saint Louis School graduate is not only smart and an ocean canoe paddler champion, but Kulukulualani is probably the only person that surfs using a boogie board. “My friends tease me because I surf on a boogie board,” he laughingly says. “I never made the transfer. I just stand up on the boogie board and surf the waves like that. I grew up a Sandy Beach boy, and in the shorebreak, they won't let you ride a hardboard, so I've always used my boogie board. I have never used a surfboard to surf.” When having conversations about surfing to people, and they find out he surfs at “Spots,” they are often confused when he tells them that he uses a 46 (referring to his 46-inch boogie board). It never ceases to get a reaction from people.
Forever a Sandy Beach boy, Kulukulualani was raised on that side of the island in Kuluiouou (near Hawaii Kai) and still lives there to this day. “I try to get out there (Sandy Beach) as much I can, but I hardly see it these days because of paddling,” he says. “When I could walk, I was already in the water. I learned to dive and fish out there too. I love that area!”
His love for the ocean helped him beat the pain after suffering recurring contact sports injuries that kept him out of the game. Even with a chronic shoulder injury, paddling has proved healthy for Kulukulualani. “I will do anything in the ocean, but I like diving the most,” he says with a smile. “My favorite thing is to go diving and spear fishing. Any chance I get, I'm diving, which includes free diving and snorkeling. Sometimes I even like it better than paddling because it's a whole different thing, a different state of mind. When I'm paddling, it's hard work, it's not fun. But when I'm diving, it's more relaxing and my mind is relaxed because I'm not trying to beat or race somebody. Most of all, I think diving is the best time to talk to God.”