Shortly before the first event of the first racing day of the 2004 IVF Hilo World Sprints this morning, a group of concerned women paddlers comforted a stray, five-legged puppy, not 40 yards away from the event’s headquarters tent.

The rest of the day was not quite that unusual. Paddlers from Aotearoa (New Zealand), Tahiti and host Hawaii, as expected, lead the way in early heats.

Most of today’s races were at the 500-meter distance in V1 (one-man) and V12 (double-hull) canoes in the junior 16, junior 19, open, master, senior master and golden master divisions.

The first day of racing began at 9:30 a.m., two hours late due to uncooperative computers. With 95 races on the day’s schedule, likely the most ever conducted at Hilo Bay, this was a formidable challenge. By the end of the day, however, 89 of the 95 races had been completed. The remaining six will start tomorrow’s competition at 7:30 a.m., followed by 75 more V1 (single-man) and V6 (six-man) events in all divisions.

Off the water, the Hilo World Sprints Arts, Crafts & Wellness Show begins a three-day run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. In the auditorium’s parking area, shuttle buses will continue to provide free rides for paddlers and the public to and from the Bayfront, running every 15 minutes between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. (more)

South Pacific paddlers were practicing singing and dancing routines well into the night at Mo’oheau Park Bandstand, preparing for tomorrow evening’s Hilo World Sprints Cultural Program. Paddlers and some professional entertainers from the various countries and regions will share their music and tradition at Edith Kanaka’ole Stadium, beginning at 7 p.m. It will be free to paddlers and officials, but the public can share it all for a $3 fee at the door.

The Humane Society was contacted about the five-legged dog…for real.