KAILUA-KONA — A major aspect of canoe paddling is connecting the past and present, and there might not be an event that represents that better than Kai Ehitu’s Papa Kimitete Regatta.
The regatta is named after Kai Ehitu club founder Bernard Pierre “Papa” Kimitete, who passed away in 2002 but still had a large presence during the races.
“A lot of clubs have come and gone, but we are still here,” Bernard’s son and Kai Ehitu head coach Richard Kimitete said. “Looking down, I think my dad is proud. We always knew we would stick around, but I don’t think we realized how big our club would get.