Overflow parking near Wailoa Pond closed as Day 4 of races in IVF Va‘a World Sprint Championships gets underway in Hilo
The best of the best outrigger canoe paddlers from around the world will be back at Hilo Bay today for Day 4 of competition in the IVF Va‘a World Sprint Championships 2024.
There’s also been a changeup in the overflow parking situation along Kamehameha Avenue.
A total of 77 matchups in the master, junior and open classes are on today’s race card, slated to start at 8 a.m. and finish sometime shortly after 3 p.m. A medal ceremony will follow.
Keep in mind that race day schedules can change and even be delayed.
A total of 495 races are planned throughout the entire 8 days of competition, which end Friday unless additional time is needed. In that case, some race activity could happen Saturday.
You can find results from each day of competition online if you can’t make it to Hilo Bay to watch. You can also get live results at the same site.
If you do venture to the bay, however, Hawai‘i County Civil Defense advises overflow parking on the grassy area near Wailoa Pond is closed because of deteriorating ground conditions.
Overflow parking instead is available at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium, located at 799 Pi‘ilani St. Motorists should enter the parking lot from Pi‘ilani Street.
Everyone is urged to use sidewalks and crosswalks when walking between the auditorium and Hilo Bayfront. Officers from the Hawai‘i Police Department will be present to assist with pedestrian traffic.
“Good luck to all the paddlers, and have a safe event,” said Civil Defense in its message about the change in overflow parking locations.
This is the second time Hilo has hosted the IVF Va‘a World Sprint Championships. The last time was in 2004.
There are a record 2,885 paddlers participating this year, representing 27 nations. Team Hawai‘i makes up 21.5% of the field, with 621 paddlers from the islands participating.
The Aloha State has the most competitors on the water, followed by New Zealand with 589, or 20.4%.
Australia is third with 312 paddlers, representing 10.8% of the total competitors, followed by Brazil in fourth with 295, or 10.2%, and the USA Outrigger Canoe Racing Association rounds out the top 5 with 280 paddlers, or 9.7% of the total field.
The event started Aug. 13 as teams began familiarizing themselves with the course.
It’s free to watch the races in person, and there are several food and drink vendors on site. There also are merchandise vendors, and Downtown Hilo is full of shops, restaurants and other businesses to visit.
For those who can’t make it to Hilo Bay for all the festivities, you can still watch all the action live from the comfort of home.
On Facebook:
On Youtube:
On your smart TV:
Just download “Adventure Zone Sports Network” and start streaming.
For more information about the IVF Va‘a World Sprint Championships 2024, click here.
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