WILL REICHENSTEIN
Father. Husband. Paddler.
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Moloka’i Relay Champion 2011 & 2015
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2nd Place M2M 2014
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2nd Place Gorge Downwind Champs 2018
Will has been a part of Kai Wa'a almost since the beginning, going back to the shop days when all of our canoes were made by hand, one by one, here on Maui. Some things may have changed over the years (like the length of Will's beard) but one thing that has stayed the same is Will's passion and commitment for the sport of paddling, and for canoe design. Now doing amazing things of his own down in Southern California, be sure to check out The Wa'a House to see how he's been keeping busy these past few years.
GET TO KNOW WILL
AGE: 33
HOMETOWN: Costa Mesa, CA
DAY JOB: Designer and builder for E.R. Canoes inc.
WHEN YOU'RE NOT PADDLING YOU'RE: Building canoes, being a father and husband, planning the next race trip.
MORNING OR EVENING PADDLE: Mornings, on the water 5:15am don’t be late.
FAVORITE RUN: Kahakuloa run, Maliko to Flemings
Drano lake to White Salmon (thru Swell City).
FAVORITE RACE: Favorite OC1 race is Kailua to Kualoa, I love the run and it's just a good time for me. Moloka’i solo.
FAVORITE PRE-RACE MEAL: Uncle Ron’s spaghetti and deep fried papio’s .
FAVORITE HYPE SONG: Bad Habit - Offspring
I Want to Conquer the World - Bad Religion
DREAM PADDLING RUN/ADVENTURE: V1 downwind from Point Venus to Mo’orea.
V3 sailing canoe Hawaiki Nui.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED: Surprise surprise it comes from Kai, and it isn’t a direct quote but a small bit of what I’ve learned from him over years. If you want to succeed in whatever it is you do, you simply have to work hard and hustle. You can’t expect anyone to do that hard work for you.
YOUR ADVICE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF PADDLERS: Don’t be afraid to change your environment when it comes to training. Mix it up with different groups or paddlers you don’t typically train with, because the best racers can be comfortable in the most uncomfortable situations.
