‘We are paddlers first’

*Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

*Source: The Holy Bible, Hebrews 11:1 (King James Version)

They stood side by side in front of their new outrigger canoe, each of them holding a paddle, waiting to be blessed.

Thomas Kalama, a Hawaiian shaman who calls himself a man of God, came to them, holding a tea leaf in one hand, mumbling a prayer. He dipped the leaf into a bowl of water held by Kirsten Garwood and splashed droplets onto the paddles of blind people.

They are part of the Orange County Makapo Aquatics Project. Makapo is Hawaiian for blind. But on the water, in their canoe, they are known as people of faith. They are known to be in unison, as well, stroke after stroke, moving toward the finish line together.

“We are paddlers first, then we are blind,” Gayle Clauson said. “Look at us as paddlers.”

Clauson, 53, a Costa Mesa resident, never expected new canoes, blessings and a trip to compete in Hawaii as part of the deal when she signed up with OC Makapo. She was surprised, yet emotional when two new canoes were presented to their group Friday at Newport Aquatic Center.

As Kalama asked for everyone to gather, holding hands to form a circle around the two canoes, a few could be seen wiping tears. When Kalama blessed the canoes, more crying came.

For the Makapo paddlers, this was a dream come true. For two in particular, this was only the beginning.

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STARTING IT UP

Two years ago, John Chavez and RJ De Rama were part of a quintet of blind men who became the first blind team to compete in the Queen Liluokalani Outrigger Canoe Race in Kona, Hawaii. Shortly after completing the 18-mile race, Chavez and De Rama formed the OC Makapo Aquatics Project.

Chavez, 48, of Fountain Valley, believed it could help blind people yearning for an activity outlet and the need to compete in a team sport. He believed that because he experienced it.

He played water polo and competed in swimming at Fountain Valley and moved on for water polo at Golden West College. Later at age 24, and after surviving a cardiac arrest, Chavez became blind. He remained active and caught on to paddling in 1999, when he was 39.

“When you’re blind what team sports can you do?” said Chavez, Makapo president. “There are none out there. With this you are a team. It requires communication, technique and timing, all the things that are involved in being on a team sport. This is what you get with this, paddling. Our goal is to be able to reach out to the blind youth and tell them, ‘you may not be able to play soccer or Little League or tennis, but in paddling you are a complete team member.’ ”

Chavez credits De Rama for his work with OC Makapo, saying it would not have grown without him, the executive director of Makapo.

De Rama, much like Chavez, possesses a positive vibe. He’s usually smiling, especially on a day like Friday, when he could feel the energy from his friends that something special was taking place. Yet, there always seems to be something extraordinary happening even during simple occurrences like practices during training at NAC.

Part of that is because they are blind, yet their unity also speaks volumes. When he talks about the blind paddlers, he speaks as if they’re his family.

“You don’t know whether to laugh or cry when you deal with this group,” De Rama said just after paddling with his teammates for their first time in their new canoes. “It’s a heartwarming feeling. It makes you feel good.

“We are looking for even bigger things. I don’t know how we can top this, but I’m sure if we can help more people this is going to be one of those steps along the way.”

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HOW THEY PADDLE

After that first Kona race, Chavez went to NAC and approached Billy Whitford with the idea of blind paddlers training there.

“That’s crazy,” Whitford, the NAC executive director, said of what he thought at the time.

But Whitford helped Chavez, too, and then marveled at the improvements.

“They’re just awesome,” Whitford said. “It’s not like they’re just a centerpiece on the mantle, they’re out here training and racing and doing awesome stuff.”

When OC Makapo team paddles, they have to make sure they are together, in rhythm, so to speak. They rely heavily on their hearing as they listen for the strokes, the paddle hitting the water, pushing through the water and coming out. Yet one false move and they might tip over. It’s happened before.

The men rocked the wrong way one time recently and their canoe flipped over. Chavez said he was more frustrated than feeling scared.

However, he knew they would all want to get back in and try again.

Usually, the canoes stay steady, even throughout an 18-mile race. There are six to each canoe, five blind paddlers and one sighted steersman.

“It’s the most amazing feeling when you’re out in the water and you’re working together,” said Patti Carpenter, 56, of Huntington Beach.

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ANDREI AND SALSA

Mark Foster couldn’t help but smile as he watched the blind paddlers use the canoes his group had just donated.

He remembers hanging out near the Back Bay with his friend Andrei and for that the place is special to him. But the area took on even great meaning Friday as the OC Makapo paddlers used the canoes.

Andrei Olenicoff, who was visually impaired, died in a car accident in October of 2005, Foster said, and a foundation was later started in his name that benefited those who are blind or visually impaired.

The OC Makapo Aquatics Project fit perfectly for the foundation, which donated the two canoes.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” Foster said of being a part of Friday’s event. “It’s awesome to actually see the boats.”

One canoe was named, “Ka Ale O Andrei,” after Andrei and the Hawaiian words mean paddling among open ocean waves.

The other canoe was tabbed, “Ka Nahu O Salsa.” Ka Nahu translates to waves that break at the beach. Salsa is a word that Andrei apparently made famous among his friends because one day he just blurted out the word when entering a room.

Hibiscus flowers and a sea turtle are painted on the canoe. NAC and OC Makapo Aquatics Project are also prominent on the boat. At the center of the canoe, a statement was painted on: Helping blind and visually impaired see their potential.

“Having our statement on the side is great to let people know what we are doing,” said Thuy Tran, 27. “That’s why I joined the team, to let people know that we can.”

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MORE HELP COMES

Kirsten Garwood was completely fascinated last year when she saw the OC Makapo men cross the finish line at the Kona race.

She also heard the men being interviewed on the radio. She was so enthralled by what she heard that she had to pull over to listen to the interview.

“I was just amazed to hear their story,” Garwood said. “I introduced myself to John and offered to steer them. Then they offered me to be their coach.”

Garwood, who has been paddling since she was a child, has put off competing to focus her attention on the blind paddlers.

She is getting them ready for the 18-mile Kona race, which is this Labor Day weekend.

She also has some support. After telling her boyfriend, Andrew Williams, about the paddlers, he wanted to help too. She steers the women’s team, Williams steers the men.

Each blind paddler said the team has improved since the coaches came on board earlier this year.

Though they broke in the canoes Friday, paddling near NAC, the day was more about celebrating than training. For Garwood, the day also had a deeper meaning. She has known Kalama, the man most people call, “Uncle,” since she was a child.

She felt fulfilled that he was a part of the day.

“I was raised in Hawaii. People like Uncle gave me a lot of time,” she said. “Standing on the beach, blessing brand new canoes and giving people maybe some freedom that they didn’t have before is huge. It’s a great way to be able to thank the community that gave so much to me when I was a kid.”

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THREE STORIES SHOW

When Ron Johnson, 45, was in high school he was told he could never compete in athletics. He responded that he would be the best fan he could be.

Still, he was without a sport that he wanted for his own. That is until the OC Makapo Aquatics Project came along.

He entered with excitement and has been enjoying his time with the group. He thoroughly took pleasure in the event Friday.

“It’s been magnificent, one of the best days of my life,” Johnson said. “It’s like a miracle, like a blessing.”

Paula Pinheiro, 40, cried during Friday’s blessing ceremony. She has tried to stay active since losing her sight a year and a half ago. She became blind from results that stemmed from an accident when she was younger, she said.

No activity has uplifted Pinheiro the way paddling has.

“I can’t believe you can do something like this when you can’t see,” she said. “It’s totally possible. Now that I’ve done this, I think it’s possible to do mostly anything.”

Anthony Ramsey, 21, feels refreshed as well. He calls paddling a stress reliever. He needs that after what he went through in February of 2007. He was involved in a serious accident while driving his dune buggy.

“I was really close to dying,” he said. “I was on life support. I had blood transfusions, I’ve had several reconstructive surgeries on my face.”

When Ramsey was recovering he went to a support group where he heard about the Makapo paddlers and how they to go Hawaii to compete every year.

“I’m real excited,” Ramsey said. “But I’ve been nervous too. It just dawned on me the distance, 18 miles. We haven’t done that long of a distance at one time. We usually take breaks. But this will be very exciting.”

Chavez and De Rama are hoping for more excitement in the days ahead.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at steve.virgen@latimes.com.