This may not be Hawaii, but the Northern California Outrigger Canoe Association sure can make it feel that way.
For the past 29 years, members of the club have been racing their traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoes and making life-long friends at the same time. The NCOCA offers anyone a chance to compete, regardless of skill level.
The Summer Sprint Regatta Series championships will be held at Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area in Pleasanton on July 28. There will also be races this Saturday at Quarry Lakes in Fremont and July 21 at Leo Ryan Park in Foster City. The sprint races range in length from 250-2,000 meters. The participants and their families arrive around 6:30 a.m. to compete and watch the all-day event.
One of the 21 teams in the NCOCA is the Kilohana Outrigger Canoe Club. Based in Fremont, the club was founded in 1987 by a group of eight friends that shared a similar interest. Since then the club has become one of the most competitive in the NCOCA and has won numerous state championships. The club’s mission is to spread the Hawaiian culture through the ancient sport of Hawaiian outrigger canoeing.
Today the club has 80 members and 60 active paddlers ranging in age from 5 to 74 years old, 12 of which are Pleasanton residents.
The club’s head coach this season is Chris Wong, who previously served as a member on the club’s board of directors before taking over the head coaching position in 2006.
“There is a physical benefit, but the one thing is it’s a complete team sport where everybody has to be working in complete unison,” Wong said. “You get the same thrill a surfer would when he catches a wave. It’s like the guys who compete in marathons because you need a combination of strength and endurance. Then there is the dynamic portion where you actually get to surf like surfers or wind surfers do.”
Beginning on Aug. 4 the Summer Long Distance Series will test the paddlers’ stamina when the teams compete in a tournament with a self explanatory title, Alcatraz ‘Round the Rock. The long distance series consists of races ranging from 5-12 miles long and will continue through October.
When attending one of these events it quickly becomes apparent that canoeing is not the only thing that goes on. During the 35-plus races held throughout the day family and friends barbeque, visit, play volleyball and just hang out. The meets are very similar to that of a track meet, although most of the time participants get to hang out and watch. When their event is finally called upon, the six-man paddling team competes to win the prized trophy.
The meets are not all fun and games however. Each race is competitive. The 21 teams in Northern California compete at all different skill levels and age groups, each working toward the same objective of bringing home a state championship.
Paddlers meticulously care for their canoes. The sleek fiberglass rafts are each given a name, birth record, provenance, history and mana. Mana is a canoe’s spirit, which is contributed to by each paddler that has sailed aboard that vessel.
For more information about the Northern California Outrigger Canoe Association go to www.ncoca.com, or contact president Marilyn Steele at 916-998-2419. And for more information on the Kilohana Outrigger Canoe Club go to www.kilohanaocc.org, or contact president Bernie Bernal at 736-3944.
