NAC women head to Tahiti

A Newport Aquatics Center women’s team, consisting of 11, will

compete in the Hawaki Nui race on Wednesday held annually on the

island of Raiatea in Tahiti.

The NAC women will leave today for Tahiti and then try to come out

on top in a 28-mile race. The 11 women belong to Kalifornia Outrigger

Association. They finished third in California before entering the

Oct. 15 race known as the Super Bowl of outrigger races.

Billy Whitford, the executive director of the NAC, will accompany

the women’s team, which will be in Tahiti for one week.

The team includes: Jojo Toeppner, Heidi Alonzo, Phaedra Arellano,

Pua Scott, Ellen Netzer, Leslie Davis, Teresa Connelly, Maria

Fiddler, Elaine Kaspar, Shiela Doyle and Chaence Adair.