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Focus on water safety: Kahulu will bring experts together Saturday at Matapang

“Kahulu incorporates the widest variety of water-based activities in a single event, giving it the potential to be the most comprehensive water-safety program on Guam to date. Seeing so many of the aquatic enthusiasts come together for this event is a true testament to the interest and concern we all have for water safety,” said Dan O’Keeffe of Greater Pacific Aquatics and the Guam Watermen’s Club.

Amid a large and unfortunately growing number of incidents, close calls and casualties in Guam’s waters — in the first-of-its-kind ever — key members and participants from several of the Guam’s main water-sports activities are rallying together this Saturday around their mutual and most important concern.

From 10 a.m. until sunset this Saturday, Kahulu: Guam Water Safety Outreach will take place at Matapang Beach Park in Tumon. Water-sports enthusiasts and concerned citizens from around the island are invited for an exhibit of some of Guam’s ongoing efforts toward promoting water safety awareness, situation prevention and water rescue.

Certified lifeguards from around the island will engage the audience with key concerns and precautions for all beachgoers, while for more specific water activity, assorted water-safety presentations and water-rescue demonstrations will be delivered in segments from the Guam Watermen’s Club, Greater Pacific Aquatics, Guahan Napu Inc., K-38Micronesia, and the Micronesian Paddlesports Racing Association.

“This whole event has the potential to bring positive change in the community not only in recreational boating safety, but all genres of water activities in providing educational and training opportunities to those who seek knowledge,” said John San Nicolas, of K-38Micronesia.

Larger concern

In what was originally scheduled to be Guam’s first stand-up paddling race event initiated by Guahan Napu and the Guam Watermen’s Club, the key organizers, in the process, decided that water safety was a larger concern and instead expanded the effort to assemble Guam’s growing stand-up paddle community into an invitation to other water activities to pool concerns and collaborate efforts to develop a larger-scale momentum for water safety and awareness.

“Water safety is obviously the main component of lifeguarding and needs to be emphasized for anyone going to the water: waterfall, lake, beach or pool. We’re taking advantage of this event to integrate with other concerned citizens and entities to better educate the public and go over some important issues on some basic precautions to beachgoers,” said Mike Benito, lifeguard, Department of Parks and Recreation.

Not waiting for another unfortunate incident to prompt another water-safety headline or news feature story, the event Kahulu, named initially to reference stand-up paddling, has set in its course the collaborated attempt to wake Guam’s citizens to the importance of a conscious and responsible approach for water enthusiasts and beachgoers.

In light of Guam’s enormous outrigger paddling community, and due to safety concerns that surfaced from January 2011′s paddling double-fatality incident in Tumon Bay, organizers agreed that it was fitting to hold the event at Matapang Beach, Tumon Bay’s main launching point for outrigger paddlers.

“The paddling community is thankful to the Guam Watermen’s Club for including us in this event to align all the different agencies’ and organizations’ goals for water safety. Our members are pleased to have a venue to connect with all the resources available to be able to paddle safe and paddle smart in Guam’s water. We would like to invite the general public, parents and supporters of paddlers to come out and learn about ways we practice safe boating in our galaide,” said Jeff Nantin, president of the Marianas Paddlesports Racing Association.

Stand-up paddling

To get a better understanding of Guam’s stand-up paddle population and with the potential for such racing to become a future category in the Pacific Games, Kahulu also will feature a 400-meter race exhibition facilitated by Guahan Napu for the first 50 registrants.

“We are doing a stand-up paddle race to identify athletes and raise the interest for future events to prepare our athletes should (stand-up paddling) become an official regional sport,” said Willi Byerly, president of Guahan Napu.

Despite the differences in their sports of choice, outrigger paddlers, surfers, stand-up paddlers and swimmers will elaborate on their concerns for the event’s proactive approach for a safer water-sports environment. The event will also feature different agencies involved specifically with water rescue with an exhibit of new equipment used by the Guam Fire Department rescue unit as well as different versions of water-rescue demonstrations.

Not offering any type of certifications on site, the event still strongly aims to inform and educate the public with an atmosphere of the island’s different routes through water safety as well as providing access points to getting involved with the island’s wide range of watersports.

“I would like to commend the Guam Watermen’s Club for investing their time and effort into organizing their first-ever ocean safety public outreach event for the community. As inviting as our beautiful ocean is, every year lives are lost in a water-related activity. In light of these tragedies, the need for ocean-safety awareness has become a high priority, and this event promotes the safe enjoyment of the ocean. The Guam Fire Department is glad to be a part of this outstanding effort,” said Joey San Nicolas, fire chief, Guam Fire Department.

Just before sunset, the event will conclude with a brief, inside-the-reef, paddle-out ceremony to commemorate those who have lost their lives in the water and to mark an enhanced and collaborated approach for safer water sports between different enthusiasts.

“We are inviting all stand-up paddlers, kayakers, surfers, body-boarders and everyone else interested to join us in the laying of flowers and to pay our respects to the fallen and their families,” said Andy Lee of Guam Watermen’s Club.

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With the sun barely above the horizon, swimmers anxiously awaited the ferry that would take them to Cocos Island for the 22nd International Invitational Cocos Crossing.

The contestants lined the Merizo pier, massaging their muscles and performing stretches in preparation for the race. Soon, all the swimmers were transported to the Cocos pier, and after a short explanation of the rules, the sound of an air horn signaled the beginning of the race, causing the swimmers to burst into action.

Back at the Merizo pier, supporters kept their eyes peeled for their particular swimmers.

“Ken Barcinas currently has the first-place title,” said Tsunami Swim Club secretary Maria Cruz. “He’s trying to repeat that and break his record.”

As if on cue, Barcinas and Tasi Limtiaco, last year’s first- and second-place winners, respectively, were the first to be seen. The racers swam neck-and-neck past the last buoy, and neither wanted to let up. Each stroke seemed to be even. Family, friends and coaches cheered on the swimmers from the pier.

Limtiaco claims 2nd

In the last few seconds, Barcinas took a small lead and hustled his way up the ramp to the first-place card. Limtiaco followed in second.

“Tasi’s been swimming since he was seven,” said Rob Limtiaco, Tasi’s father. “I’ve always wanted him to do this. It’s really good for the kids.”

Justin Fell, a 13-year-old student at St. John’s School, took the fourth-place title. The young swimmer said the hardest part of the race was swimming in the deep, open water. “The depth of the water was a little scary,” said Fell. “I got scared at the end because I was alone.”

For Barcinas, the scariest part was when he saw Tasi Limtiaco in front of him. “He was going the wrong way at first, but then he glided in front of me and started going the right way at the very end,” said Barcinas. “I also ripped my suit, so I was scared everything would show when I got out of the water.” Still, Barcinas managed to reach the finish line a split second faster than Tasi Limtiaco.

His time, 38 minutes and 20 seconds, turned out to be one minute slower than last year’s time. “That’s the unofficial time, and they’re saying the course was a little bit longer this year,” he explained. “I’m just happy to win this race three years in a row.”

No time for rest

Barcinas arrived from Japan on Thursday and competed in back-to-back races over the weekend before doing the Cocos Crossing. Barcinas attends Yamanashi Gakuin University in Japan. The university has an excellent swimming program, with two members of the school’s swim team participating in the Olympics this year.

“I was hoping to quality for the Olympics this year, but I couldn’t,” said Barcinas. Swimmers must meet the official Olympic standard time to be given the opportunity to join.

Tasi Limtiaco, who plans to attend Yamanashi Gakuin University, shares similar goals. “I would like to go train in college and make it to the Olympics,” said Tasi Limtiaco. “I want to thank my family, my girlfriend, my coach for their support.”

After a friendly knock on the shoulder from Barcinas, Tasi Limtiaco smiled and said: “We’re friends outside the ocean.”

Despite coming in second place for the third year in a row, Tasi Limtiaco confidently declared, “I’m definitely going to try again next year.”