Paddle Articles

Why Change Season is Outrigger's Best Paddle Time!

Change Season Outrigger CanoeChange season. 9-man season. Whatever you call this amazing time of year for outrigger paddles, it marks the best part of the season in our opinion. And so we wanted to express our enthusiasm for all of you entering in to the dungeon of awesome because this part of the year is what truly makes you a bad-ass paddler.

Why? Because everything is fluid and you have to adapt and overcome. Traits that the best paddlers find themselves able to do. You have to be a pro out there and roll with whatever happens. What you might ask it so unique vs. sprints or long distance season? What makes it so fluid? Glad you asked!

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Misfits in Monterey - SoCal Takes a Trip North

Monterey Bay Hoe Wa'a Outrigger Canoe RaceCali Paddler is thrilled to have Si Mendoza share with us some recent fun he and his crew had during a trip up north to explore the Memorial Day Hoe in Monterey Bay. If you haven't heard of this race, consider this a chance to learn more and be inspired for a trip to awesome-land.

How did I NOT know about this for all these years?!  An extended holiday weekend full of paddling in different divisions with different water crafts over two days in a beautiful city with delicious pubs?  Um, yea – I’ll take two of them please!

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MBX 2015 - Whattacrew Novice Team Tackle the Crossing

Monterey Bay Crossing - Iron Novice Crew[Join Jocelyn and this novice group (nicknamed "Whatacrew") as they take on their longest race yet, the Monterey Bay Crossing. After an amazing season, this ended up being the final bang to go out on!]

This past weekend "WhattaCrew" faced their biggest challenge yet. A full novice crew, who decided to take on the Monterey Bay Challenge, Ironed the entire 26 miles. As I sit here, not sure how to even start describing the entire experience from beginning to end, I go back to the first day we were all tossed into a canoe together and knew immediately this was about to be one EPIC ride! Let me tell you how we earned our vacation...

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Memoir of a Voyage: Moku ‘o Keawe to Mokupuni ‘o Maui - Journey to my Roots

Cali Paddler Explorations Big Island to Maui
In the darkness of the early morning, with a sliver of moon and an army of stars watching over us, we carefully set our canoes on the water at Kawaihae Harbor on the northwest side of the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. The time had come for thirty five paddlers from around the world, many of us total strangers who share a passion for Hawaiian Outrigger Paddling, to embark on a long awaited voyage from Moku ʻo Keawe (Big Island, Hawaiʻi) to Mokupuni ʻo Maui (Island of Maui).

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Hawaii - Aloha and Honor (A Cali Paddler's first time racing in Hawaii)

Cali Paddler Kona Queen Liliuokalani
Good luck everyone who is racing this weekend in honor of Queen Lili`uokalani. Knowing that you are all about to embark on such a special and fun race, I wanted to dust off and share my first time racing in Hawaii, and hope that you all have the same magical experience I did. Then be sure to bring that amazing back home to California with you, so we can continue to pay respect to our paddling heritage and share with other Cali Paddlers how amazing an impact our sport can have.

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An OC6 Paddler on Race Day

Something special is about to take place! But are you really ready to experience it?
This coming Saturday marks a very special day for outrigger canoe paddlers in California. With logistics being figured out, alarm clocks being set, and paddles set by the front door, it will certainly be on everyone’s mind as we get closer. Race season for many will begin. And for the first-time paddlers, so will your paddling career!

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Cali Paddler Connection: Kai Ko'o Paddles

Kai Ko'o Paddles

Introducing the first of our "Cali Paddler Connection" series, where we introduce you to the companies and individuals in California that offer amazing products, services, stores, and share with us paddling history in our amazing state.

Kai Ko'o Paddles (Steve Barnes & James Gonzales)
Cali Paddler's Greggy, went on site with Steve Barnes and James Gonzalez of Kai Ko'o Paddles, a San Diego based Outrgger Canoe and SUP paddle maker. Greggy dove in to what makes them tick, and they let us know what it means to be a Cali Paddler to them.

 

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Born Again as a Paddler

Outrigger Canoe
I grew up near Mission Bay, in San Diego, CA. I spent many days of my youth near the ocean, in the ocean or on the ocean. Lot’s of sand found it’s way between my toes, into my ears and onto the floor of the car. We used to go to the beach and bay regularly to swim, bodyboard, make sand castles and later cruise the boardwalk as a teenager. My Dad took my brother and I fishing on Mission Bay numerous times.

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A paddler begins

One day….My best friend introduced me to the sport of Outrigger canoe, he used to talk about it all the time. I have always loved sports but I had never paid attention that outrigger even existed. His passion for the sport got me interested and I decided to give it a try one day.

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