Paddle Articles

The following submission was made as an entry to win a OC1 from an amazingly generous donor, who wanted to see the canoe truly enjoyed, rather than turn a profit. Entrants were asked to submit an essay answering the following:

• Part 1: “Describe how paddling has changed your life.”
• Part 2: “How do you plan to use this canoe, and perhaps someday pass it along?”

< View all entries

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Aiden Cargo, California

Whether they know it or not, everyone who partakes in or is associated with a sport has their life changed by it. My values and character wouldn’t be what they are today without paddling. The things in my life I currently value most are religion, family, and my sense of self-worth.

I used to hate sports, and I liked to think that I had some sort of disadvantage at them having asthma, leading to my hate for the idea. Without much motivation to do anything outside of my only two physical activities, my mother decided to sign me up for a paddling club by the name of Ke Kai O’Uhane and I agreed. Nervous to start, as I am with all new experiences,  I went to the beach and was greeted by the coaches who were delighted to have a new Keiki paddling. I had a tendency to value lazy, relaxing time over physical experiences and disliked the idea of paddling at first, not wanting to paddle or help clean the canoe after. My values since then have grown into better respect for my elders and figures of authority, even if they aren’t part of my blood family.

As soon as I started paddling, I was starting to take a strong interest in the sport. Although eight year old me was getting tired and was only there because of my mom, I decided to stay because I enjoyed learning about the tradition and was quickly surrounded by friends who I became close with. When I started my second year, I started in seats three and four in the canoe, which were quickly explained to me as “power seats”. Transitioning to my third year in the sport, one of my friends started paddling and they were quickly placed in the aforementioned power seats and I was placed in seat one. With this new position, I started working harder to be able to paddle in every seat. The next year I stayed in my seat and raced normally, at the end of the season, I started in long distance wavechaser races with my friend in an OC-2.

Throughout my five years of paddling with my club and various different crews, I have grown in personality; becoming more understanding to what seemed like simple rules such as the importance of respecting people that have any level of experience in any hobby or sport since I was in their position when I started. I learned this fairly recently when I was out with new paddlers, and the person in front of me was having trouble with timing. As much as I wanted to keep telling them to keep in tune with the person in front of them, one of the coaches advised them and I was able to keep paddling, although cautiously. This taught me that I should try to help new people, but respect that they are new and not as experienced as I am.
Now I am thirteen years old, learning to be a steersman and helping new paddlers in my club. With the canoe, I plan on practicing and using it to share the love of the sport I feel with others in my club, specifically more interested paddlers close to my age. My ultimate goal is to share my irreplaceable care for canoes and paddling with the other paddlers and will use this canoe to achieve it. Without paddling, I wouldn't be who I am today, and my character would be close to none.

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< View all entries

The following submission was made as an entry to win a OC1 from an amazingly generous donor, who wanted to see the canoe truly enjoyed, rather than turn a profit. Entrants were asked to submit an essay answering the following:

• Part 1: “Describe how paddling has changed your life.”
• Part 2: “How do you plan to use this canoe, and perhaps someday pass it along?”

< View all entries

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Patrick Tsai, California

I’m Patrick Tsai, and I live in San Francisco, CA. I was born in New York City and
lived there until I went to the University of Michigan to study electrical engineering. I just graduated and moved to San Francisco in August 2018 for a job. Rowing was a big sport at my university but I didn’t try it out due to heavy course loads. After I moved to San Francisco, I had some time to spend on new activities and knew no one, so I decided to try dragon boating since it was a team sport and up to that point in my life, I had done mostly solo sports like tennis, swimming, and cycling.

My first taste of dragon boating was a novice event in September 2018, at the Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival. I had joined a group called TAP (Taiwanese American Professionals) to try to get to know at least a few people in the San Francisco area, and when I heard they were going to enter the competition as a team, I searched up on YouTube what dragon boating was about. From the videos I saw, I thought it was absolutely insane how every paddler on the boats were in sync. It looked easy on my computer monitor, but little did I know how tiring it could be when practiced with TAP, and that technique was key to going fast. When competition time came, I found dragon boating to be exhilarating. The calm before the storm when the boats are lining up to begin the race, the call out shouts when the horn sounds, the visual communication with teammates to make sure the stroking is in sync, the eyeing of other boats to see if we were falling behind or catching up were all things I can still picture in my mind. For some reason, my mind tends to remember in great visual detail moments that really moved me or had an impact on me, and the first competition race is one of those moments aside from memories of a car crash, going skydiving, and hitting my head on a door frame while running when I was a kid (an injury that I needed stitches for). There were some members from the Ripple Effect dragon boat team also competing on the novice team, and after the competition, they reached out to the rest of the novice team asking if anyone was interested in joining the team, so I went to one of their practices and I’ve been there since then. I’ve been on the team for about nine months now, practicing on the weekends, doing community service with team members, and feeling the same rush I felt during the novice event during race weekends with the team.

I can say for sure that dragon boating has shown me what grit is, and what encouragement can do for physical endurance. When I swam or cycled, fighting through the burn of muscle fatigue was something I thought I was mentally prepared for, but the burn from dragon boating was like no other. I was giving it my all, arms aching from paddling, and yet there were still a hundred or two hundred meters to go and the boat in the next lane was sailing past us. But the shouts of encouragement from teammates to make it to the end, the calls from the steersperson that they “need more now,” and the sight of the entire boat still keeping in sync and paddling fast keep my body paddling past what I thought was possible. I can also say that I have never been in a group as diverse as the one in Ripple Effect. In school, everyone is around the same age. In TAP, everyone is Taiwanese. But in Ripple Effect, there are high-schoolers, new graduates like me, retirees, nurses, software engineers, math teachers, parents, people about to buy their first house, people renting for the first time, the list could go on. There are people from all walks of life in Ripple Effect.

Ripple Effect has also given me a sense of community in the San Francisco Bay Area. My teammates are also my close friends, and I know many people on a deeper level than I ever have in a group setting. We spend time with each other on the water paddling, as well as off the water going to events around San Francisco, volunteering with various organizations such as the Food Bank and Salvation Army to assist low-income and homeless people and to try to do good in San Francisco, and watching Game of Thrones. It takes time and repeated interactions to make close friends, and Ripple Effect has created the time to create those bonds. If someone was to ask me what the best parts of living in San Francisco were, I would definitely point to Ripple Effect as one of them.

The self-proclaimed mission of Ripple Effect is “ohana,” a term from Hawaiian culture that means family and emphasizes respect and cooperation between members, and that nobody is left behind. People who join quickly make friends within the team, as I did, and during practices are given advice by the coaching staff who tirelessly volunteer their time. An term often thrown around in Silicon Valley is diversity, and plenty of news articles pop up saying that more diverse teams perform better. I didn’t understand this concept until I joined Ripple Effect and I met people very different from me in upbringing, occupation, interests, and thought process. Coming up with different ways of explaining paddling technique, choosing public events to go to and enjoy as a team, and planning barbeques is easier when people have differing skill sets and viewpoints. Recently we wanted to host a surprise prom for a team member who is a senior in high school and missed her senior prom to go to our yearly team retreat because she thought the retreat would be more fun. One person made a corsage to go on her arm after another person asked if she’d let Ripple Effect be her date for the night, someone else handmade prom signage, another person brought their disco ball, yet another smoked the dancefloor. I’m not sure another team could pull this off.

Besides our team outings, Ripple Effect trains hard and tries to provide equipment so members can paddle their heart out. We have an ergometer that provides good training and warm up and a solid coaching staff for both on-water and off-water activities. What I believe we are missing is an OC. Every two months or so, the coaching staff holds something called the Ripple Effect Fitness Challenge, or REFC, that tries to measure a paddler’s fitness across several dimensions. The REFC includes push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, an 800m run, a 500m erg time trial, and when we have access to an OC-2 generously provided a high school team coached by a longtime member Henry, a 300m OC-2 time trial on the water. I love doing the OC-2 time trial since I believe it is the closest I can get to measuring my performance on the water without rowing an entire dragon boat solo. Recently, the high school team that owns the OC-2, Galileo, has been ramping up their practices and usage of the OC-2, so despite our close connections with them we haven’t been able to get access to it. For the June REFC, we don’t have the OC-2 time trial for that reason.

I’ve spoken to other people on the team about getting an OC, and all of them including coaching staff agree that it would be really great to have one. And so I am entering this contest not to win the OC-1 for myself, but to give it to Ripple Effect. The OC would allow team members to train on equipment that more closely resembles the dragon boat environment. A number of Ripple Effect members also coach high school dragon boat teams in the San Francisco area, like Henry, so it also gives paddlers on those teams access to the OC. We often see Galileo’s OC-2 on the water being paddled. It would be great to have another OC so paddlers on our team and other paddlers coached by our members have access to another form of paddling.

I’ve greatly enjoyed my nine months on my dragon boating team and plan to stay for the long run. Obtaining an OC would let us appreciate paddling and the sport of dragon boating more, and would open up more opportunities to paddle to those on our team and the younger paddlers being coached by Ripple Effect’s members. I think this would be a great addition to the community service that Ripple Effect already does, and I hope this will give more paddlers we impact a stronger sense of community and greater self-development like the one I felt after I joined Ripple Effect.

If one day Ripple Effect ceases to function as a team, I’m sure the people on the team, myself included, will make sure that our resources are distributed back to the dragon boat community, including the OC if we win it.

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I was born and raised in New York City. I liked playing sports, especially ball sports like tennis and kickball, and also swam. I didn’t try rowing or paddling until after I moved to San Francisco for a job after graduating from college. I joined a dragon boating team called Ripple Effect shortly after I moved here, and now I paddle on the weekends with them!

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The following submission was made as an entry to win a OC1 from an amazingly generous donor, who wanted to see the canoe truly enjoyed, rather than turn a profit. Entrants were asked to submit an essay answering the following:

• Part 1: “Describe how paddling has changed your life.”
• Part 2: “How do you plan to use this canoe, and perhaps someday pass it along?”

< View all entries

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Daven Ng, Florida

I take a deep breath and move my paddle through the water. A rush of adrenaline fills my body as I feel the boat come to life and lurch forward. To this day, this action still gives me the same burst of feelings.

Paddling is seen as an obsolete sport. Most do not understand or realize its existence. More often than not, you will find people who confuse paddling for rowing! However, despite being very different from traditional sports, I truly take pride in what I do. I never hesitate to represent the community, the teams, and the amazing accomplishments our community has achieved. Just asking my friends, many of them can confirm that my conversations are 90% paddling related. This community has helped me develop so much that I often find it hard to not talk about it. As a leader on my team, I get asked the questions: “What motivates you to do what you do?”, “How did you come into this sport?”. Often, I find it hard to give an answer. I feel that my passion and love for this sport cannot be summarized in words. Even through this essay, I struggle to capture the true essence of how I feel and how this sport has changed me. However, my time throughout this sport has not always been this way. In fact, my dedication and commitment to paddling have stemmed from my own series of ups and downs throughout my life. Despite all of that, I truly believe that paddling has changed my life and helped me develop into a better person.

Sweat dripped down my face as I hoisted the basketball up, hoping that it would fall into the hoop. My hopes were followed by the dull thud of the ball ricocheting off of the rim and bouncing off into the distance. Up until eighth grade, this was how many of my previous attempts at sports had gone. Being an awkwardly proportioned, uncoordinated teenager, I felt as if I had no chance in sports. Everywhere I turned, I saw my peers excel at physical activity, while I struggled to get down the basics. Eventually, even my coaches had started to give up on me after years of little to no improvement. The mentality of failure and “not being good enough” plagued my mind and influenced my loss of self-confidence and motivation to become an athlete. This evolved into hours, days, weekends, and summers plastered in front of my computer screen. By request of my mother to find a way to get me active and out of the house, my cousin, Frederick Au, a prominent figure in the dragon boat community, recommended trying dragon boat. He coached a high school dragon boat team from San Francisco. Reluctantly, I accepted his offer as an opportunity to get myself into shape. Little did I know, the sport that I initially disliked and avoided would open a world of possibilities for me.

It was the Spring of 2015. I spent my first year on the team beating around the bush, trying to find ways I could avoid coming to weekend practices. Racing season was upon us and although I still did not feel as if I truly belonged on the team and in the sport, I decided to try my first race. Our first race of the summer was in Alameda: The 2015 CDBA Sprints. Not thinking much about it, I went through with the directions given to me and prepared for my first race. I had no idea how much this one small race would change me. Prior to that day, I had never spent an entire day with my team. However, this one race day with them made me feel as if I had known them my entire life. As we spent the day together, I realized how our social barriers were breaking down. They made me feel so included and at home. Essentially, my love for paddling did not stem from the pure action of moving a boat, it stemmed from the community. That day, I realized that what this community had was precious. I was able to see how diverse, generous, and helpful everyone was. I was ashamed for being so ignorant for the past year and vowed to commit myself entirely to this sport. Looking back, I would like to tell that young, shy, stubborn freshman who was scared of commitment due to his past failures that he had made the right choice.

As I continued to paddle and grow within the community, I began chasing other endeavors. I worked for and earned a spot on the USA U18 and recently the U24 teams to represent the United States in the World Championships of Dragon Boat. I became the male captain of the Galileo Celestial Dragons, and more recently I decided to open my perspective to the world of outrigger canoe. All of these experiences were fueled by this sport and more importantly this community. Trying to write the best answer to this prompt is difficult. There are so many factors and aspects in which this sport has changed me. However, if I were to choose the most prominent answer, it would be the very first lesson I was taught as a paddler: Paddling is a greater connection to people all around the world. You may not know them now, but this sport connects you in so many ways. As you continue to pursue your passion for paddling, you will truly understand how deep these connections are and how much it has taught you. To this day, I stand by the statement that paddling is one of the most inclusive and open sports in the world. Although we have various sub-categories such as outrigger canoe, dragon boat, and more, this sport allows for an almost seamless transition between all types of paddle sports.  This is truly a sport where aesthetics, physicality, and brute force are not hailed as determinations of ability, and I believe that is why many people devote their lives to it.

I find it serendipitous that the Okalani site is only a couple hundred meters from where I raced my first race. It was at Okalani that I truly learned the importance of sharing and caring for one another. When I first joined, Huy Do and Joseph Gapuz, two prominent members within the Outrigger community, offered their resources with no hesitation. They allowed me, a complete stranger and rookie to outrigger canoe, the ability to use their boats, paddles, and more. They, along with my other mentors, are my role models because of how benevolent and caring they are. Without them, I would not find myself trying to win this boat to give back to the community. If I win this canoe, I plan to utilize and care for it and more importantly, teach others to care for a canoe as well. As summer approaches, my time to train and paddle is much more abundant. This OC will come into my training for races in Thailand, Long Beach, Vancouver, and much more. I also plan to allow anyone at the club and anyone I know to use the OC. I believe that time on the water is special and it is my duty to share the gifts that I have. I want to inspire those around me and help them to open their perspectives to something new or allow them to get the water time they need. I truly see the OC, not as a way to get faster, but a bridge to connect paddlers to their passions. We often take for granted how lucky we are in such a loving and caring space like this. I want my teammates and my peers to know and understand the importance of promoting a community that places others before themselves.

My life was changed the second I started paddling and the list of ways that paddling has changed me continues to grow as I invest more time into my passion. As I approach my future of paddling and spreading the same love and kindness of this community, I hope that my list of ways that paddling has changed my life never ceases. I genuinely love what I take part in and the ways paddling influences my life continues to evolve daily. I will always look forward to giving back to the community and teaching others. As I look to the future and envision myself paddling throughout my life, I hope I never find a solid and concise answer as to how paddling has changed my life.

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My name is Daven Ng. I am currently attending Campolindo High School and will be finishing up my senior year this June. I’ve been paddling for five years. I started in dragon boat and have recently ventured into the outrigger canoe scene. For the past five years, I’ve been paddling with Galileo Celestial Dragons, a high school dragon boat team from San Francisco and for the past six months, I’ve been paddling with Okalani Outrigger Canoe Club in Alameda.

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< View all entries

The following submission was made as an entry to win a OC1 from an amazingly generous donor, who wanted to see the canoe truly enjoyed, rather than turn a profit. Entrants were asked to submit an essay answering the following:

• Part 1: “Describe how paddling has changed your life.”
• Part 2: “How do you plan to use this canoe, and perhaps someday pass it along?”

< View all entries

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Dylan Geiger, Florida

It all started with just that one day. My family and I were on vacation at the beach when out of nowhere my dad shows up with this large surfboard looking thing on the car and what seemed to be an unusually large canoe paddle to go with it. I was a bit skeptical because at the time I was still trying to learn how to surf but I tried it anyway. From that point on, I was constantly out on the water and that was largely, possibly solely, due to paddling.  At that time, being on the water itself wasn’t a big deal or attraction to me.  Paddling slowly changed that.

However, once we moved down to Florida in 2013, this hobby quickly developed into a passion. I began to understand that paddling was more than just a paddle and a craft and began to connect it to the water, the wildlife, the community, and more. I started to explore paddling more and about four years ago I was introduced to the world of Outrigger Canoe. My OC experience started with my Dad and I learning to paddle OC-2 and then racing in the Chattajack race together that year.  I picked up OC-1 shortly after that and recently OC-6 as well.  Over the past four years, I have been able to create a healthy and steady balance of SUP, OC, and surfing.

Paddling has deeply influenced my relationships in my life. One way that it has done so is through my relationship with the water. Growing up, I was never really connected with the water. However, it wasn’t until I picked up paddling that I really began to develop a passion and an understanding for the water. When we moved to Florida, I had access to the ocean, rivers, canals, lakes, springs, lagoons, pretty much every kind of body of water you could imagine. I began to appreciate it for what it was instead of taking it for granted. It was no longer the water allowing me to paddle, but paddling allowing me to be on the water instead. During the school year, I am always very busy with schoolwork, as well as other aspects of my life. Paddle training is normally my only way to get out on the water, which makes me appreciate it all the more.

Paddling has also influenced my relationship with my family. As a result of our busy schedules, we don’t always get to spend as much time together as we would like. However, paddling is a common bond and interest that everyone in my family shares.  It has become the easiest and most natural way for us to spend quality time with each other, largely because of the flexibility and variety it provides. While my dad and I train, my sister and my mom can take the dogs out and go for a leisure paddle. After, we can watch the sunset and eat dinner on the water. Paddling and being on the water can relieve us of our daily stresses and we can just be in the moment as a family and relax.  Paddling has definitely become a center point or common bond for our family.

As well as impacting my relationships with the water and my family, paddling has impacted my relationships, and how I interact, with other people as well. Through paddling, I have been introduced to a community of wonderful people. The paddling community is extremely supportive and I feel that I would be not even half the person I am today without their help. I have made countless friends with everyone I meet at races and more just by seeing new people on the water or meeting new paddlers through old friends. Also, paddling has given me better social interaction skills as an indirect result. Because I am always meeting and greeting people at events, I am constantly talking and socializing (mostly with adults). In my opinion this has made me a better person and better communicator because I am having fun, yet mature, conversations with people that are older than me. I am learning and becoming more comfortable instead of being the shy and awkward kid I used to be.

Lastly with the relationships, and how they are influenced by paddling, is my relationship with myself. Prior to paddling, I was trying a multitude of sports, as all kids should, to try and discover one I really enjoyed. I picked up lacrosse, and thoroughly enjoyed playing it. I continued to play it after I picked up paddling, so I ended up balancing paddle training and lacrosse practice at the same time (which were both afternoon ordeals). I ultimately ended up only focusing on paddling as a sport, despite pressure and negative connotations from friends and peers. Paddling has provided me an outlet to grow not only athletically and physically but spiritually, emotionally, and mentally as well.  In comparison, lacrosse and other sports I played provided some but not all of these opportunities for personal growth.  The “moral” of the story is that I went with what I enjoyed more over what others thought and, in the end, I am far happier than I would’ve ever been if I had stuck with lacrosse or a different sport. Today, I am content with who I am because of my decision to pursue my happiness and my passion and the means by which I’m achieving said happiness.

That was how paddling has impacted my life, so now we move on to what I would do with the canoe (that rhymes)! As I mentioned above in my “About Me” paragraph, I own a kid specific paddle business that focuses on getting kids out on the water paddling and being active. As of right now, I use stand up paddleboards to teach them and we do all sorts of things with them. After teaching them the proper techniques and safety precautions, we move on to fun stuff and how to actually enjoy paddling. I try to introduce it to them slowly, so the kids don’t become overwhelmed with all this new information.  I stress “fun” because making things about racing and being competitive can sometimes turn off those kids who are unsure, apprehensive, or not interested in competitive sports. Now where the OC-1 comes into play is that I would love to introduce an outrigger canoe into my work with kids and begin using that for lessons and activities as well. My ultimate goal is to turn kids on to being active and being on the water.  Showing the variety of ways to do this with various craft, including an OC, is important and helpful in showing that “time on the water” heals and makes us better people.  It is also important to give kids options because it allows them to think for themselves and to make their own decisions on personal preferences. They can then decide which paddle craft they like more and pursue that craft. Or they can pursue multiple craft like me. In my opinion, an OC-1 would be a perfect option to provide kids with because some may prefer to sit down while on the water.  They may also connect with the historical and cultural significance that outrigger canoes present.

Another way that I would utilize the Huki is by lending it out to fellow paddlers in our local community, or at races when needed. My Dad and I organize a small “race” league every Wednesday night at a local park and there are occasionally people that ask us if we have equipment to lend. With the extra OC-1, we can provide new paddlers with the opportunity to try outrigger canoe and they can be introduced to new ways to enjoy the water. We can also lend the Huki to racers because my Dad and I go to races all over Florida where there are mishaps or whatnot and someone winds up without a craft. I feel that it is best to give back to the community that gives to you, which is why I would be more than willing to allow others to borrow the boat for races when they have no other options.

I would like to thank you for providing me this opportunity to not only potentially continue to share your OC with the paddling community but also for the opportunity to share my personal paddling story with you through this essay. It provided a much-needed reflection on how my life has progressed and how paddling really has indeed changed my life for the better. Cheers!

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< View all entries

The following submission was made as an entry to win a OC1 from an amazingly generous donor, who wanted to see the canoe truly enjoyed, rather than turn a profit. Entrants were asked to submit an essay answering the following:

• Part 1: “Describe how paddling has changed your life.”
• Part 2: “How do you plan to use this canoe, and perhaps someday pass it along?”

< View all entries

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Melissa Cloutier, Quebec, Canada

Hello from Canada!
I could write about how paddling has changed my life… but I think it is more appropriate to write about how paddling saved my life. My name is Melissa and I’m 35 years old. I have been a nurse for 12 years and have found a passion in caring for people. I am currently in my first year of paddling for a premiere team in Montreal. If I am not at work you can probably find me on the water… maybe its because I am a Pisces but most likely because I have fallen in love with paddling.

Here is a little bit of information about me...I am currently single and have no children, I have decided to delay the dating scene and having children to pursue my passion in dragon boat. My passions include going to the gym, jogging, swimming, spending time with friends and paddling. I am currently working at a geriatric clinic and a big part of my job is to promote health and prevent illness. I often exercise on my lunch breaks and I encourage all my patients to exercise. My goals of paddling are to go to the worlds in France in 2020, I am currently paddling on Arsenal women’s team which is located at the Montreal Olympic basin. It is my first year with this team my personal  goal is to get to the level  required to get to France. Without dragon boat I don’t think I would ever have reached such high levels of fitness.
 My paddling story started in 2010, I decided to take part in a fundraiser for the cedars cancer institute at the McGill university health center after starting my career on a medical floor I was compelled to give back and help in a small way towards the fight against cancer. Seeing so many patients suffer and deteriorate I wanted to give back and fight the cause. After deciding that I wasn’t going to jump in a boat without knowing what I was doing I signed up for dragon boat lessons at the Olympic bassin on a community team. I was able to do the fundraiser without any issues and our team raised over 5000$ towards a good cause. After getting my feet wet I decided I wanted to continue with this sport… it was not enough for me. I was then recruited for another community team. This time it was a women’s team… little did I know that this team would change my life. The Montreal Divas we were called… a bold name… but a team filled with a lot of humble, strong women. It was on this team that I would meet many amazing people… over half that I consider my sisters. It was during my time on this team that my life would take a downhill fall….2013-2014 was a tough year. My mom went into a major depression and it sent a ripple effect throughout our whole family. After having to be hospitalized for almost a week I spent all the time I could back home with my dad. Having to console your father while he cries himself to sleep at night was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. We didn’t give up hope for my mom and were able to power through. Later on that year I took a hit… I was working 12 hour shifts on the medical floor and I started feeling sad all the time. I slowly lost interest in doing things that used to give me joy I was spending my days crying and sleeping and soon was unable to work and was put on sick leave.  Waking up in the middle of the night and thinking that I needed to wrap the phone cord around my neck and end it all… walking to the hospital by myself at three o’clock in the morning because see I didn’t trust my thoughts.. I had hit rock bottom. Throughout this time I never stopped paddling. I would spend my days sleeping but always went to practice because I felt that I didn’t want to let my sisters down. No one really knew what I was going through. paddling was the only time I would leave the house. Little did I know that this is what would save me. It gave me a reason to get out of bed. It was consoling to be around such kind, caring people. I was eventually started on medications for my depression and I slowly regained my endurance. I was able to medicate myself with the natural endorphins from paddling and years later I am still at it and stronger than I’ve ever been.  I train 4 hours a week with my team and spend 2-3 hours a week doing outrigger to improve my technique for dragon boat. I participate in 7 km, 12 km races in outrigger because paddling has not only become a passion but a way of life. Had it not been for paddling I am unsure of how my life would have been. Paddling was the one reason for me to get out of bed, it gave me the strength and courage to continue and medicated me with the natural endorphins necessary to power through.

If I won this OC I wouldn’t keep it for myself…there is another person in this story… my friend Denise.Dr D as we call her… I have paddled with her for 6 years and she is like a sister to me. Denise is a mother of 3 boys, a dentist, a paddler and one of the most generous people I have ever met. She is known as the mother of our team. If you get hurt she is the first person to help you, her energy balls are the only thing we want or need to eat on our competition days. Even outside of paddling she is a person you can go to for anything and everything. She is a humble person with a heart of gold. and you know that she always gives 100%. I’m sure she would give you the shirt off her back if anyone ever needed… as she even gave me a pair of socks to keep my feet warm. She has now started a new adventure and is participating in an oc6 team. She is practicing a lot for this team and I feel this oc1 would give her more chance to practice closer to home as she has an extremely busy life. I am sure there will be many deserving applicants for this contest but I really believe in my eyes that she is the most deserving after everything she has done for me and our team.

If I think about the future of this Outrigger if I am lucky enough to win it I know it will be well cared for, used every day and passed on to another well deserving paddler. I know that Denise will take good care of it and allow everyone that needs practice to use it.  When the time comes to pass on this outrigger Denise and I will both make sure it is passed on to a well deserving paddler who will care for it as carefully and diligently as we will.

Thank you to the donor for this generous opportunity…I hope to meet them someday to thank them.
Regards and a big Hello! From Canada
Melissa Cloutier

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The following submission was made as an entry to win a OC1 from an amazingly generous donor, who wanted to see the canoe truly enjoyed, rather than turn a profit. Entrants were asked to submit an essay answering the following:

• Part 1: “Describe how paddling has changed your life.”
• Part 2: “How do you plan to use this canoe, and perhaps someday pass it along?”

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Carole Robert, Quebec, Canada

Bonjour

I would like to own an OC. I have always been involved in water sports, but I became really hooked when I discovered Dragon Boat 11 years ago.

I then started with a community team, but I discovered that it was not enough, and I moved to a sports team: 2 world championships and many competitions later, I still love it. I started doing OC as a training tool for Dragon Boat, but it soon became as important if not more important.

The OC allows me to go at my own pace and also to enjoy the moment and the connection with the water. Outrigger respects my body and allows me to exercise both sides. I have scoliosis and OC has really helped me and kept me on the water. I'm now doing OC1, OC2 and OC6.

Having my own OC would add an extra dimension to my love of the sport. I could share my passion with my grandchildren and spend time on the water with my daughters who share my love for water and for OC. We could be together on the lake as a family, each with her favorite boat and me with my own OC!

In addition to spending quality time with my family, my own OC would give me greater freedom. I could train at my own pace and discover new lakes and rivers. I would no longer depend on a rental system that does not not allow me to live my passion to a maximum. I could be on the water more often, improve my technique and continue to enjoy my love of the water. The OC will stay in the family and would pass from generation to generation.

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The following submission was made as an entry to win a OC1 from an amazingly generous donor, who wanted to see the canoe truly enjoyed, rather than turn a profit. Entrants were asked to submit an essay answering the following:

• Part 1: “Describe how paddling has changed your life.”
• Part 2: “How do you plan to use this canoe, and perhaps someday pass it along?”

< View all entries

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Priscilla Tran, California

Finding Myself on the Water

Before a few summers ago, I was too afraid to even step foot in  the water. Whenever someone asked if I wanted to go kayaking, I would  say, "Sure, but can you be in a double with me? I'm too scared to do it  alone." Yet even with someone in a kayak with me, I was still very scared and had a hard time relaxing when we would get out on the water.   That's because I was still very much afraid of being anywhere near the water.

A friend of mine started paddling outrigger canoes.  I remember his friend saying I should go out and give it a try as well.  Are you kidding me? I didn't even know how to swim and now you want to be THAT close to the water?!  I still remember that friend saying, “You should come out and give paddling a try. It’s pretty fun.” My response was simply, “I’ll think about it and we’ll see what happens.”  Two weeks later, I decided I wanted to give it a try.

I remember that very first day I went to recreational paddle.  I was scared and not just because I was about to be pushed out to the middle of the ocean, but because of all the people who were there that I didn’t even know.  For me, meeting new people is hard and opening up to them is even harder. I remember feeling panicked as I was guided towards the table to sign the waivers through the crowd of people I did not know.  That first day I went to rec paddle, I knew only two people. I remember my friend was walking in front of me and as each person we would walk pass, he would introduce me to them. I remember being greeted by so many different people as I was walking towards the table where I needed to sign the waiver.  They were all so nice and welcoming. It was almost too overwhelming for me. I recognized some of the people from the pictures and comments I had seen from Facebook. I was finally able to match the voice and personality to the pictures I had seen.

After signing the waiver and getting measured for a paddle, I walked over to the mini orientation that was being held by one of the seasoned members.  I remember the first time I held that paddle in my hands. Something happened that day when it was given to me. I’ll never forget that feeling. I was scared, but excited all at the same time.

“We don’t step over the canoes, but we walk around them.  It’s bad luck to step over them. We never put the blade of the paddle directly onto the ground because it could ruin them.”  As I was listening to the person giving the mini orientation, I remember almost talking myself out of even going out onto the water and screaming on the inside to not go, but I ended up down by the beach.  I remember how slow I was getting down there. Partly because things were poking at the bottom of my feet and partly because I was completely scared, but mostly because of the prickly things in the sand.

Finally when I got to where all the canoes were, we all got into a circle and some bald guy just starts yelling out what stretches we were supposed to be doing.  I just looked around me and followed the leader, but wait. Where am I supposed to put my paddle? I’m not supposed to put the blade part into the ground! Then I looked around me and saw that people had laid it down behind them and I followed.  “Get a good stretch before you go out so that you don’t pull anything or hurt yourself!” I remember the first time I was in that circle and thinking how some of these stretches are kind of funny and some I didn’t understand, but in the end it was good to stretch because I hadn’t done so in a while.

After stretches, we all stayed in a circle and gathered up into what is called a pule.  The head coach, whom we call Uncle, began the blessing. It was the first time I ever learned what it meant and it was the first time I could feel the love pouring out from everyone in that circle.  After the pule, everyone gathered in closer. Hands on top of each other or on top of someone’s shoulder and we all shouted loudly, “Ke Kai O’Uhane!” After that, they split all the seasoned paddlers and the new people into groups so that they could set the crews.  I remember being told to go into the white and maroon canoe with the word “Mirage” on the side of it and was told to sit in seat two. I was split from one of my friends and already I was freaking out, but there was another familiar face there. The same familiar face who told me to give paddling a try.  I remember walking over and saying, “They told me to sit in seat two,” and I remember what his response was. In a serious tone he said, “No, you’re not.” Instead he put me in seat 6 which is normally where the steers person would sit, but he sat on the back of the canoe instead which is also commonly known as seat 7.

As we paddled out, I remember shaking so bad that I wanted to start crying.  I didn’t want to go anymore. I was practically screaming at myself on the inside for doing it.  I remember feeling pains in my chest, but I didn’t say anything to anybody. I wanted to turn around and just wait on the beach.  All of a sudden I could hear the steers person counting the number of people he had and saying, “Hey, who are we missing?” When we looked back behind us, there was someone waving and jumping up down trying to get our attention.  I remember the steers person saying, “Sorry guys! We gotta go back for Kevin!” There was my chance to escape. That was the moment I could have said I wanted to get out, but there was a voice in my head telling me that I wasn’t allowed to leave the boat.  Not yet. Not until I really gave this sport a try.

As we paddled out for the second time, I remember feeling a little more relaxed.  I was doing my best to follow what everyone was doing. I remember splashing the person in front of me a lot.  I kept apologizing and she kept telling me that it was fine and I didn’t need to keep apologizing. “After all, it is a water sport,”  she would say every time I would apologize. I really think I started to annoy her and everyone in my crew at that point. I also remember I stopped paddling for a quick minute just to look around at what was around me, but was quickly told to keep paddling.  I felt the canoe slow down a bit whenever I wasn’t in time and whenever I stopped, but I kept going. I was feeling so encouraged. When it was time to go back in, there was another canoe next to us. My friend that came with that morning was in the other canoe.  I remember the steers person saying, “Look! There’s your friend! Lets see if we can beat their crew.” Joke or not, I remember feeling myself try to paddle faster and in time with the rest of the crew.

From that moment, I knew I had to get back out on the water.  That was the moment I knew I had to learn how to swim and get back out on the water.  I felt the most me when I was out there, when I am out there. After that moment, I have learned how to swim, I have cried with my new brothers and sisters, felt supported, and surmounts of unwavering love all for the love becoming a better paddler as well as a better version of myself.

As I sit here and reflect on the last few years, I do my best to remember how far I have come to be able to reach this point.  Before I found this sport, I had a hard time wanting to be and stay active let alone face the many fears I had and still have. I had a hard time believing in myself and in the people around me.  I still often find myself reflecting on many things and mainly it is of the fears and the anxiety of having those fears that have consistently been holding me back from many things. Yet I reflect on one of the most important things I have learned so far.

We are stronger than we truly believe we are, we are smarter than we think, and we are more loved than we know.

Paddling to me is not just a sport, but a place where I am learning and growing even when times are tough.  Even when we become the worst versions of ourselves, the love we share is something that is unforgettable. In paddling, you are always learning something new and you never stop learning or growing.  We paddle as one to pull the canoe forward. We work together as a team in order to move the canoe through the water. In the famous words of our head coach and our beloved Uncle, “When you’re in the canoe, shut up and paddle.”  When you “shut up and paddle,” you can work together as a team and pull the canoe through any kind of water conditions.

There are not enough words in any language to express the feeling of gratitude I have had during these last few years of paddling.  I have overcome so much in such a short time period. From overcoming my fears to making friends that will last for more than a lifetime, it’s strange to believe that this is my reality.  I keep wondering if one day I wake up and have this only be a dream, but it’s not.

If I win, I would be forever grateful for this gift, but paddling is more than just a sport, it’s ohana and love.  I would want to share this with everyone around me because I believe that it is the true meaning and origins of this sport and culture.  When I am ready to part ways with the canoe, I would give it to another deserving paddler and be sure to share the origins of how I came to own this boat.  I would share the history it has had, the love of the sport, and the fears that one has overcome before owning this boat.

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The first time I paddled was 2 weeks after my 28th birthday at a recreational paddle with Ke Kai O’Uhane in Monterey, CA. I remember being beyond scared of getting into a canoe because I was deathly afraid of the water at the time, but as soon as I got in, something happened. From that moment, I knew I had to get back out on the water. That was the moment I knew I had to learn how to swim and get back out on the water as soon as possible. I felt the most 'me' when I was out there, when I am out there. In the time I decided to become a paddler, I have overcome a great deal of fears. I overcame my fear of the water so that I could paddle, but perhaps the biggest things I was able to overcome was allowing myself to meet new people without being afraid of them.

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< View all entries

The following submission was made as an entry to win a OC1 from an amazingly generous donor, who wanted to see the canoe truly enjoyed, rather than turn a profit. Entrants were asked to submit an essay answering the following:

• Part 1: “Describe how paddling has changed your life.”
• Part 2: “How do you plan to use this canoe, and perhaps someday pass it along?”

< View all entries

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Torrey Jackson, California

My name is Torrey Jackson, I live in Oceanside, California and I paddle for Oceanside Outrigger Canoe Club. When I was six my dad joined a sport called paddling, I was curious as to what it was but didn't have the guts to try it. Soon I turned 8 and decided to give it a try, at this point my dad and my sister were crazy in love with the sport and couldn't get away from it. I remember being scared out of my mind starting this new sport. Throughout my childhood, I had played so many sports like soccer and water polo, and karate, but none of them fit for me, they were just never something I enjoyed or wanted to continue. I remember going to my first practice and It just felt right. I chose my paddle and got into the canoe and it was like nothing was in my way. I knew from then on this was my sport and there was no turning back. This sport gave me a purpose in life.

How paddling has changed my life, as I said before I never really knew what sport worked for me, until paddling. As an 8 year old, I noticed all of my friends were so dedicated to a specific sport but I just never was, so in a way, I paddling gives me purpose. Today I am 15 years old and still love it just as much and if not even more. I am the assistant coach to our Keiki program for the second year in a row which I'm so proud of. One of my favorite parts about paddling now is coming to practice and seeing all of the little keiki’s so excited to go out and paddle. I'm a steersman so watching the keiki’s finally get a hang of paddling is the most rewarding thing about it. Seeing that smile when you've been working with them and they finally get something. Being a steersman is such an amazing seat because you sit back there paddling and instructing your crew and after a while of getting everyone in their grove all the sudden the canoe is just gliding through the ocean and it is one of the greatest feelings in my life, and I just can't get enough of it.

Paddling has not only taught me patience but it has also taught me so much about respecting our ocean. Another thing I have learned is teamwork before I started paddling, I was never really a teamwork type of girl. I was very independent, but if you want to be a good paddler you must have teamwork. Overall paddling has not just taught me things about paddling but it has given me life long lessons.

Why I want to win this one man, as a coach I feel it is so important to give tips, overall that's how people learn from you. In the past few years, I've really been questioning myself. I'm always wondering if I'm good enough to be giving other people tips when I'm still learning myself. The past few years I've branched out and gone to some men and women's practices. But I would go to one practice and not come back out of fear. It was almost like I wanted to learn more but I also wanted to stay comfortable where I was at Keiki practice. But this year I just told myself, I must become a better paddler myself in order to become a better teacher. One thing I really struggle with is that every Keiki practice as an assistant coach I'm always in seat six steering and never paddling so if I'm never paddling how am I supposed to teach them. But this season im taking charge on my paddling career and going for it. I started going to women's practice and a few men’s and I'm learning so much and I take those small tips I hear and use them on the keikis. After I've started doing this I want to do more I want to win this one man so I can start practicing in it so that I can start to do time trials with our women's team and be able to get into top crews by next season. I know it will take lots of time and effort but nothing is impossible. Another reason why winning this one man would be amazing is that it would give me the opportunity to get out and be active and get more exercise in. It would also provide the opportunity to explore our ocean. I want to become the best paddler I can be and not let anything hold me back. Winning this one man would mean a whole new opportunity for me in the paddling world.

What would I do with this one man, I will use this one man to become something I never thought I could be. I want to use this one man and really become a better paddler, frequently people ask me if I have a one man so I would be able to go out with them and learn from them. I have been asking my parents for a one man for years but knowing we just don't have the money for it. But now is the time to start my paddling career as I'm a keiki. Keikis are the future of paddling if you think about it, as more and more pour in and get into the sport they grow up to love it just as I did. I would use this one man until I would be able to buy my own in a couple of years. Once I'm finally able to buy my own I would plan on donating it to the Oceanside outrigger Keikis. Every now and then they let the Keikis use one mans and it is the most exciting thing for them, so I would donate it to the Keikis for them to learn from it just as I did. In the meantime, I still would plan on letting the Keikis use the one man but especially our junior crew. Me and five other juniors from our club are traveling to Kona to do the Queen Lili’uokalani Race. I want me and my fellow peers to be able to cherish and learn from this canoe.

Overall, winning this canoe would mean the world to me because all I want to do is become the best paddler I can be. I hear crews from other clubs are going to race in Australia and I want to be open to opportunities like that. I have many paddling goals that I want to meet such as doing the Catalina race this summer with the women crew. Here at our club, you must have a good time trial to be put in our top crews. So as I mentioned before if I could start practicing on a one man and get better and better I believe I could grow and get in a good crew. I plan on paddling for the rest of my life and continue learning this sport. I hope you take my letter into serious consideration, as I could use it for an immense learning experience.

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< View all entries

The following submission was made as an entry to win a OC1 from an amazingly generous donor, who wanted to see the canoe truly enjoyed, rather than turn a profit. Entrants were asked to submit an essay answering the following:

• Part 1: “Describe how paddling has changed your life.”
• Part 2: “How do you plan to use this canoe, and perhaps someday pass it along?”

< View all entries

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Shawn Li, California

Journey Through Paddling

“We are not leaving this place without a medal.” I tell myself. Never in a million years did I think I was going to care so much for something like paddling. And here I am, writing a story about it.

The bell rings, signalling the start of a new school year. I nervously step out of the car and walk towards the school. A fresh new high school student with no commitment to any clubs. My first day comes to an end. A tiny boy walking around aimlessly with absolutely nothing to do. The dean notices me and reaches out, he takes me to the afterschool program where I learn about the school for about a week or so. Although it was boring, it was a way to kill time. Another empty day goes by and I am taken to the school weightroom to clean up. There, I meet some members of the Dragon Boat team, a club I never even thought about joining. After talking for a while, I was coerced into joining by a scary senior who would later become one of my best friends.

First practice comes by, and I am filled with thoughts like: “what if I hold people back? I’m so skinny and weak.” Luckily, I had some other friends who joined as well and were there to support me. It was a cold day. I put on those smelly PFDs and wore a long sleeve which I would later regret as I did not expect to get as soaked as I did. As I took the bus home, I thought: how do people do this on a regular basis? I can never be that strong. I went home and knocked out due to sheer exhaustion. Dragon Boat had earned my full respect and dedication. I go to land training the next day and hit the weightroom. I was put in a group with a junior who trained me. Our group was deadlifting 115 pounds. No matter how hard I pushed off the ground, it was devastating to see that it didn't go up. I decided to weight train everyday just until the upcoming Lake Merritt race.

Lake Merritt comes by in a flash. I felt we had a pretty solid crew. I couldn’t sleep the night before, but it didn’t matter because we had to get up at 5:00 A.M. anyway to drive across the city and set up. I look at the starry skies as we cross the bridge and imagine myself in the boat moments before the race. Seedings blow by quickly along with gendered races, and just like that, it’s time for my D division finals. I pace nervously, telling myself: “We are not leaving this place without a medal!” Adrenaline rushes through me as we approach the start line. I bury my blade and get ready — the first stroke felt as if I was pulling on a cement block. I give that race everything I had — only to lose by one second. This loss was exactly what I needed, though I didn’t realize it at that time due to being so upset. This motivated me so much to workout even more and get stronger to better my paddling.

Although I have only been paddling for about two years now, in a way, Dragon Boat has saved my life. I was extremely underweight (90lbs.) and insecure. Through weight training and paddling, I put on a decent amount of muscle, allowing me to be more confident in myself and talk to people. Dragon Boat has also helped me with my social skills as there are so many people in the community with different stories to listen to. It has also given me the drive to strive for success. I learned to apply my competitiveness from Dragon Boat to my academics as well. Most importantly, Dragon Boat has helped me find a family. All of my closest friends have been met through Dragon Boat and I really hope that it stays that way for the rest of my life.

Now that I have been paddling for around two years, I believed it was time to step into the world of OC. I have not had the opportunity to yet, but it seems really fun. I would like to use it in hopes of improving myself as a paddler. Being a high school student, it has been pretty difficult getting access to an OC1, so it would be pretty nice to have. If possible, I would also share it to other members of the team who might not have access to an OC so we can all improve together. As for someday passing it on, I would love the idea of making another writing contest like this one to continue the tradition

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Shawn Li is a 15 year old San Francisco native. He is currently attending Mission High as a sophomore. Prior to Dragon Boat, he has done various sports like karate and swimming, but never really found it as intriguing as paddling. He enjoys working out everyday in the gym and eating all types of food. Shawn likes to watch anime as it helps motivate him to workout even harder.

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