Keani Reiner (1952–1994) was a Hawaiian surfer and

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

. Keani Reiner and her crewmate Penny Rawlins were the first women to sail on a long-open ocean voyage aboard

Hōkūleʻa ''Hōkūlea'' is a performance-accurate ''waa kaulua'', a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. Launched on 8 March 1975 by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, it is best known for its 1976 Hawaii to Tahiti voyage completed with exclusiv ...

on the return trip from

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

Hawai'i Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

in 1976. She was also a part of the first all girl crew to complete the Na Holo Kai Sailing Canoe Race from

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

in 1990.

Early life

She was born in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

on March 20, 1952, of Blackfoot indian and

German ancestry , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

. Reiner completed her graduation from

Punahou School Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through twelfth grade, 12th grade. Protestant missionar ...

. She was a member of the Outrigger Canoe Club. Keani sailed her own catamaran at the age of 7, which was built by her father.

Career

In the 1970s she settled on the island of

. In 1976, Keani Reiner and her crewmate Penny Rawlins were selected as the first two women to sail on Hokulea, a contemporary, traditionally designed, double hulled Polynesian sailing canoe, across the open ocean from

. She sailed along with other crew members including Snake Ah Hee, Andy Espirito,

Kawika Kapahulehua Elia Kawika David Kuualoha Kapahulehua (July 13, 1930 – May 17, 2007) was a Hawaiian sailor who was the first to captain an ocean-voyaging canoe from Hawaii to Tahiti in modern times. Background Kapahulehua was born on Niihau, Niihau, in 19 ...

, Mel Kinney, Kainoa Lee, Kimo Lyman, Gordon Piianaia, Leonard Puputauiki, Penny Rawlins,

Nainoa Thompson Charles Nainoa Thompson (born March 11, 1953, in Oahu, Hawaii) is a Native Hawaiian navigator and the president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. He is best known as the first Hawaiian to practice the ancient Polynesian art of navigation sinc ...

, Makaala Yates and Dr. Ben Young. In a personal communication, her crewmate Penny Martin said, In 1990, Keani was a member of the first all-girl crew to complete the Na Holo Kai Sailing Canoe Race from

in 1990. She was also a certified

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. Keani Reiner is described as one of the pioneer women who showed the way and prepared the place for other women on board the traditional

canoes A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

of modern times.

Personal life

Keani Reiner was married to John Kruse from 1980 until her divorce in 1988. She married Glenn Schot on June 2, 1990, in Hanalei,

Death

At the age of 42, she died of

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

on September 25, 1994. She was survived by her sister, Shea Reiner,husband Glenn Schot and her son Kepa Kruse.

References

External links

A short summary of Keani Reiner's historic voyage aboard the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule'a in 1976.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reiner, Keani 1952 births 1994 deaths American female surfers American surfers Female sailors Sportspeople from Honolulu American people of German descent Native Hawaiian sportspeople Punahou School alumni 20th-century American women 20th-century American people