The winner of race number 66 on yesterday’s IVF Hilo World Sprints schedule appeared as though he would be all alone at the end of his 500-meter open V1 heat. Just a few meters from the finish, a good-sized manta ray shot into the air in an adjacent lane and splashed down just as the paddler crossed the line in a time of 2:30.24.

The heat-winner was Tahiti’s great Karyl Maoni, a six-time IVF World Sprints champion, who advanced into one of Saturday’s semifinal rounds. Maoni won two of his championships as a junior paddler and four straight open titles before placing second to teammate George Cronstead at Bora Bora in 2002. Cronstead also won his heat in 2:23.13.

Maoni’s encounter was one of the highlights on the first day of racing involving 20 countries and regions.

The 11th Biennial International Va’a (canoe) Federation Championships, this year known as the Hilo World Sprints, continues today at Hawai’i Island’s Hilo Bay. A total of 349 races are included in the five days of competition with finals of all 44 events slated for Saturday and Sunday.

Participating teams include IVF members American Samoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, Brazil, California, Canada, Cook Islands, East Coast U.S., France, Hawai’i, Italy, New Caledonia, Niue, Pacific Northwest U.S., Palau, Rapanui, Samoa (independent), Tahiti, Tonga and the Territory of Wallis & Futuna.

A cultural and athletic experience, the Hilo World Sprints is hosted by the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association and the Kekua Foundation, a Hilo-based, cultural and educational non-profit organization.