For a group of good old guys at the Lokahi Canoe Club, the good old days are still ahead. In an era of canoe paddling when transfers are commonplace, the men's 50-older crew has remained loyal to Lokahi. Most of them joined the club in the 1980s, and have never paddled for another club.

In an era of canoe paddling when transfers are commonplace, the men's 50-older crew has remained loyal to Lokahi.

Most of them joined the club in the 1980s, and have never paddled for another club.

"Everybody wants that instant gratification now days," said Mike Cushnie, one of the original members of Lokahi. "If you don't win with one club, they look to the next club. That's why you see so many people jumping around now.

"But this is our club. I never wanted to join anybody else."

Members of Lokahi's 50-older crew are Cushnie, Dan Ellis, Mark Inouye, Stan Nishikawa, Walter Oshiro, Rodney Ouchi and Lance Ponce.

Cushnie, Nishikawa, Oshiro and Ouchi all joined Lokahi in the 1980s. The others all have been with the club for at least seven years.

They are undefeated so far this season, thanks in part to their familiarity with each other.

"We're all experienced, so we know how to blend," said Inouye, who is in his eighth year at Lokahi. "It's a little like a basketball team, except you have six guys in the (canoe). Everybody knows their position, and sticks to their role."

The crew will put its streak on the line tomorrow at the Na 'Ohana O Na Hui Wa'a Championship Regatta at Ke'ehi Lagoon. They have also already qualified for the state championship regatta at Hilo Bay on Aug. 1.

"Actually, our times are not that fast when you compare it to other teams in the state," Cushnie said. "So we're doing good in (Hui Wa'a), but we still have a lot of work to do."

Carol Jaxon is Lokahi's coach for the men's program, and she said the 50-older crew has found success through experience.

"It's not just that they've been paddling for a long time, they've been paddling for a long time for Lokahi," Jaxon said. "They have the same stroke, they're used to paddling together, and they've all been friends for a long time. All those things make a difference."

But while the crew has stayed constant, much has changed at Lokahi Canoe Club.

In particular, an exodus of paddlers has transformed Lokahi from one of the biggest clubs in the state to a one without any youth paddlers.

Cushnie and six of his friends founded Lokahi in 1980. By the 1990s, it was one of the strongest clubs in the state.

In 1995, Lokahi placed second in the overall team standings at the state championship regatta. It remains the best showing ever by a Hui Wa'a club in the state regatta.

From 1987 to 2002, Lokahi won the Hui Wa'a championship in 15 of those 16 years.

"When you're winning, more people want to join your club," Cushnie said. "Then, I don't know what happened. There were a lot of reasons why people left."

Lokahi had more than 300 paddlers a decade ago. Now, the club has around 100 paddlers and competes in the AA division for medium-sized clubs.

The entire youth program was disbanded a few years ago due to a lack of paddlers.

"I'm not mad about it, but I'm disappointed," Cushnie said. "I prefer being a big club."

Through it all, the 50-older crew has endured.

"I'm comfortable with the guys here, so I never thought about (leaving)," said Ouchi, who has been with the club since 1980. "For me, camaraderie is a big thing. The main thing in paddling is to have fun, and we have fun here."

During Lokahi's heyday, many of the now 50-somethings were paddling in the open division. More recently, they progressed through the 40-older division.

"We got old together," Cushnie said. "But we're still here. That says a lot."

OHCRA REGATTA SUNDAY AT KE'EHI

The O'ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association Championship Regatta is scheduled for Sunday at Ke'ehi Lagoon.

Lanikai is the three-time defending OHCRA champion, and has won three of of the six regattas so far this season.

Kailua (two regatta wins) and Outrigger (one) are expected to challenge Lanikai for the overall team title.