Teams

Aikane Pride Hawaii is comprised of paddlers from Oahu canoe clubs: Healani, Kamehameha, Keahiakahoe and Waikiki Yacht Club, and were specifically united for the 2013 Hawaiian Airlines Liberty Challenge. These men are a combination of competitive and recreational paddlers who have participated in prior Liberty Challenge races as well as outrigger canoe events throughout Hawaii, the US Mainland and the world. Aikane Pride members for 2013 include: Rudy Briones, Dan Garcia, Allen Hanaike, Jake Moore, David Shamblin and Joe Watson.

Alo O Samoa Outrigger Canoe Club was originally established as a men's team back in 2001 to prep for the World Sprints 2002 in Bora Bora.  Women were added in 2003 when the club realized that it is easier to form a mixed team for off-island races.  Alo paddlers will be flying up from Pago Pago to reunite with two former members who currently paddle with New York Outrigger.  This crew  started paddling together in 2007.

'Team AUSS13' is a paddling cohort of long-time Australian friends who just love crossing off 'bucket list' holiday destinations that include the pre-requisite of packing their outrigger blades for almost all of the past decade.

Drawing together from three different clubs from the southeast region of Queensland, Australia, this 2013 crew has been racing together in multiple yearly events namely the Gold Coast Cup, Fiji International, Rarotonga's Vaka Eiva, Na Wahine O Ke Kai, and World Sprints. The team's experiences have not been limited to outrigger racing. Their draw to competition has also seen podium success at two World Dragon Boat Championships in China and Malaysia.

 

Legendary surfer and diver Lorrin “Whitey” Harrison founded the club in 1972. Lorrin’s passion for outrigger canoe paddling and his lifelong commitment to the community of Dana Point make up the foundation of Dana Outrigger.

The club has about 100 active members. The core of these paddlers consists of highly motivated and dedicated working professionals with full-time family and career responsibilities. We have novice club members, as well as some members who have paddled for two decades or more. Ages range from young teens to paddlers in their 60s.

The club’s elite members, as well as the coaching staff, are comprised of international and national level athletes from various paddle sports, swimming and water polo. These key individuals have competed in, and earned numerous medals at events such as the Olympic Games, the United States Olympic Festival, Pan American Games, the World Canoe/Kayak Championships and the United States Canoe/Kayak National Championships.

 

 We are paddlers from the Big Island of Hawaii. We have paddled many races together and enjoy sharing our culture with everyone we meet. Most of us have been in or on the water since birth.

Kana Lui Miami was started in September of 2004. The Club was formed to promote the sport of outrigger canoe racing in Miami, Fl. Our club is based at the Miami Rowing Club in Key Biscayne. Our club is comprised of paddlers of all ages and skill levels but one thing we share in common is the passion for our sport while fostering the Aloha spirit of an extended and strong Ohana.

Keauhou Canoe Club is located at Keauhou Bay, whose name means "a new beginning". The club was founded in 1980 as Kauikeaouli Canoe Club, named for the birthname of Kamehameha III who was born on the site. The bay has long been used as a site for sport and recreation, from the mile long holua leading down to the bay to the big water surf break off the cliffs to the north of the bay. The mission of the Keauhou Canoe Club is to educate our youth, our membership, and the community at large about Hawaiian culture, values, and traditions and to promote competitive and recreational outrigger canoe paddling and other water sports in historic Keauhou Bay.    

Team Na Wahine o Kailua is a crew compiled of women who paddle for Lanikai Canoe Club, Kailua Canoe Club, New Hope Canoe Club and Ka Mamalahoe Canoe Club.  Malia Maldonado, Michi Wong, Paulette Rowe and Barb Van der Kamp have all paddled together on a regular basis for the past several years but we are happy to have recently met Lori Ahull and Grisel Saez and we welcome them to the crew.  We all share a passion for paddling and are all very excited to participate in this years Liberty Challenge. 

Marina del Rey Outrigger Canoe Club (MDROCC) is a member-run 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization with a long and rich history in the ancient Polynesian tradition of outrigger canoeing. Paddling, which was brought to California several decades ago, has developed into a competitive and widely popular sport worldwide, and MDROCC is proud to be a part of the tradition in California. Our club has been based in the Marina for 40 years and is one of the two original founding clubs of KOA (Kalifornia Outrigger Association), which is now Southern California Outrigger Racing Organization (SCORA).

Niumalu Canoe Club was founded by Peter and Teo Chow in 1996 to perpetuate the sport of Hawaiian canoe paddling on Kauai. Paddling is a long-standing tradition in the Chow family, which they eagerly share with new and seasoned paddlers.Niumalu Canoe Club is open to men, women and keiki (children) who wish to challenge their mind, body and spirit while learning about the culture of Hawaii.

Pacific Reach Paddling Club is located in Vancouver, BC  Canada.  Our Training grounds are at the scenic waters of False Creek, English Bay.  Our core members have been involved in Marathon Canoe and dragon boating since the early 1990’s, transitioning deep into outrigger in the last decade.  We have competed in past IVF World Outrigger Sprints, and the recent 2012 World Sprints hosted in Calgary, Canada.  Over the years we have enjoyed travelling to a variety of National Iron races and really enjoy the challenging races Hawaii has to offer.  This will be the 2nd time Pacific Reach will be coming to race in New York.   We encompass a big Paddling/Sailing social Club with our paddlers ranging from novice, Recreation, to Competitive levels, based at Kitsilano Yacht Club, Kits Beach.   We welcome all paddlers to come visit us when you are in Vancouver!

Panama Outrigger Club's mission is to promote the sport of Outrigger Canoe paddling in the Isthmus of Panama through education, training, team building, and by organizing competitions in the open waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. We strive to provide our athletes with the opportunity to participate in national and International competitions and reach their full potential as paddlers. Our vision is to become leaders and role models in the community and to participate and achieve our goals with purpose for the greater good of the sport and society. Panama Outrigger Club is founded by Panamanian Cayuco paddlers that are passionate about paddling and wish to further our understanding, share our knowledge of the sport and train together. POC is for everyone who believes in our vision. Our purpose is to work together to elevate the competitiveness and take this opportunity to develop outrigger canoe paddling in Panama and surrounding areas. We are interested in driven athletes and those who can contribute to the mission. There are a number of ways to get involved: as a member, supporting member or sponsor.

Royal Canoe Club first entered an outrigger race in 1987 – when members participated in the Molokai Hoe Outrigger Canoe Race. We made our first canoe in 1988 – a Malia from a boat brought over to the UK by Toots Mindeville and now also have a 1990 from New Zealand. The club has competed in Liberty in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008. All of this year's team members are more usually seen competing in dragon boat races within the UK or internationally, with some members also taking part in SUP competitions.  Three of the team took part in the 2008 Liberty Race and wanted to come back again but for most of the team, this will be our first ever outrigger competition.  

Team Kamanu is a revolving crew of paddlers from throughout Hawai'i.  The one requirement is that everyone needs to either be an employee or team rider of Kamanu Composites.  Team Kamanu has won the last three 'Eono iron Moloka'i races.  This is the first time that the team will be traveling abroad together to race.  The 2013 Liberty Challenge crew features paddlers from Lanikai, Outrigger, Manu o Ke Kai, Primo, and Pu'uwai Canoe Clubs.  The crew consists of: Justin Watts, Mael Carey, Manny Kulukulu'alani, Alfed Van Gieson, Makana Denton, and Luke Evslin.

We're a group of like minded people who have come together to do the Liberty Challenge. Two of our team are mainly rafters (their team is Patrick's Gulpers) and they race super rafts, a similar type of paddling to outrigger canoe but the boats aren't quite as streamlined!! The rest of us are a mix from the Royal Outrigger Club and OCUK (Outrigger Club UK). Amongst the six of us we have done a variety of paddling events from raft races, dragon boat world and european championships, OC1/OC2 races, va'a world sprints (2012) and the 22 mile Great River Race which is run in London every year.

“There is nothing — absolutely NOTHING — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” - Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows

The lake is amazing, every week it gives us different conditions to deal with and that’s the fun of paddling – learning to work with what mother nature provides. It can be as calm and smooth as glass but other days it whips up quite a ride.
Paddling can feed your competitive edge, be your meditation, be your way to relax and/or your optimal workout.

Come experience the ohana at Wai Nui O Kanakā.