Paddle Articles

OC1 Essay Contest Entry - Jimmy Luong

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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Jimmy Luong, California

1: Describe how paddling has changed your life.
Surging. Flowing. Gliding. Building. These are the feelings that all paddlers know and what I’ve come to love. Surging as you build momentum to catch the wave. Flowing as you round the peak and start to sync. Gliding as you surf and go faster than you ever thought possible. uilding camaraderie and community with your boat and your team with every stroke.

My paddling journey takes place in two parts: the first as a high schooler looking for something fun to do, and the second as an adult looking for a sense of community.

I discovered paddling on a whim as a teenager. A friend of mine told me about her dragon boat team on the other side of town in Cerritos, California and I checked it out. Little did I know that I would end up joining one of the most competitive U-18 dragon boat teams, known as JAWS, in the United States.

This team took paddling very seriously - the end goal was to win the annual championship at Treasure Island in San Francisco. JAWS introduced me to a world of serious athletes juggling high school responsibilities with intense paddling practices. I became much more disciplined in order to keep up with school, which in hindsight helped me become a better student.

Come race day, the beating of the drum and the stroke counts in perfect unison got my heart pumping. The feeling of surging towards the finish line pushed my body past its limits. The aftermath of celebrating with my team of 40+ paddlers gave me a feeling of intense pride. To this day we still keep up with each other and some of my teammates have even gone on to join the USA national team!

Fast forward many years later and I found myself living and working in the Monterey Peninsula. Despite living in Monterey for many months, I was struggling to find a sense of place. My whole life I had lived in big cities with thousands of things to do and a multitude of distractions.

Then I discovered the Ke Kai O’Uhane Outrigger Canoe Center. I’ve learned so much since joining the team. I learned to appreciate the beautiful water of Monterey Bay, to be grateful that we’re able to return safely to the shore after each padde, to appreciate the hard work of everyone around you, and to embrace ‘ ohana’ or ‘family’. In the past it’s taken a long time for me to feel part of the community around me, especially in a new city, but the family at Ke Kai made me feel supported and welcomed from day one. No matter how stressful or challenging the work day can be, I know that I can find peace on the water with the team.

In sum, paddling has given me the opportunity to become part of communities that make me a better person. Whether it be through intense race sessions in grueling conditions or relaxing recreational paddle outs in calm water, I know that paddling will continue to be an anchor point in my life.

2: How do you plan to use this canoe, and perhaps one day pass it along?
The competitive spirit from my dragon boat racing days still lives strong within me. I’ve had my eyes set on OC-1 races for quite some time now and I want to get out there and compete! My gym workouts have been tweaked to improve my performance on the water. I’m watching videos on YouTube on paddling technique.

I’d also love to have this canoe be available for anyone to use and train with in the Ke Kai Outrigger Canoe Club. The upkeep and maintenance of the OC-1 would be primarily up to me. In the future, I’d like to use my engineering background to research and develop ways to improve outrigger canoe performance and design. Current designs are streamlined and beautiful but I believe there’s always room for exploration!

There are many young students in the Ke Kai club. I can see the canoe serving as a teaching tool to talk about how the canoe shape, weight, and material can affect the drag, buoyancy, and feel in the water. I hope to eventually find a student/parent combo who would one day be the next caretakers of the canoe :)

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Hi! My name is Jimmy Luong and I want to thank you so much for your generosity to the paddling community. I’m 25 years young and I’ve been paddling since I was in high school in Long Beach, California. My whole life I’ve been fortunate to live by (or in) the water - in high school I was a competitive swimmer, water polo player, and dragon boat racer. I spent my undergrad years at UC San Diego where I would sneak surf sessions at the beach in between lab sessions at Scripps. Currently, I’m paddling in Monterey with the fantastic Ke Kai O’Uhane Outrigger Canoe Club!

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OC1 Essay Contest Entry - Denise Jaeger

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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Denise Jaeger, Pennsylvania

It was the darkest of times, a fall into a deep, black cave.  It was the most frightening period of our lives.  There was no light at the end of this tunnel.  All of the clichés could ring true.  Except they don’t. There are so many more pieces to the story and mere clichés trivialize the discoveries that were to come.

At the time my husband Art was successively diagnosed with three primary cancers between Christmas and Valentine’s day, our youngest had just graduated college, our middle had just married, our oldest was building a successful business. And we had discovered kayaking.  Oh, the sheer fun of it! Oh, the adventure! Each weekend we loaded the car and gleefully ventured into literal and figurative new waters with our kayak cohort, a diverse group of people dedicated to adventure, nature, and loving life. Often since, we have talked about how quickly we became family to strangers connected solely by a love of paddling.  We camped, hiked, ate, and spread cheer together – but mostly, we paddled. Our fellow paddlers taught us to roll and rescue. They taught us to pack light and dehydrate things never imagined dry.  They took us to wild places and brought complete joy to our world.  It was a beautiful time of camaraderie and discovery for Art and me.

The cancer diagnoses were so shocking that there was no time to wallow. We set our purpose: cure, restore.  We did not enter a tunnel sans light or even a cave. We had no time to feel dark and sullen. I was, however, frightened. But not for long. While the march to cure consumed five and half years of our life together and Art endured multiple revisions of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, we found hope, once again, in shared community. University of Pennsylvania Hospital became our new home and the fellow patients and medical staff enveloped us in a world of hope that left little doubt we would come back from this experience and take to the waters once again.  My role, aside from caregiver, was manager and researcher.  I studied the latest research in all modalities of treatments from holistic to medical; I Ninjaed the hell out of kale; I was psychologist and taskmaster.  Together, we approached this journey as another adventure, another challenge to revel in.  We paddled on.  Sans water. With the spirit we had developed on the water.

Once the shadow of the cancer demon diminished, we set into routine. But without the focus of the past years, I felt adrift, uncertain and unstable. My caregiver role had once again been disintegrated. Thankfully, of course.  Art was healing and understandably needed time and space to do so. I loved my work as always, but I felt I was lacking an identity.

Fugues of fun times slowly crept into my daily thoughts. I would stare at the sleek, graceful 18-footers dangling temptingly from our garage wall.  I longed to pull through the water once again.  But it was clear Art would not return to the water in the same way.  Both his lungs and his confidence had taken a hit. He legitimately hesitated to test his lung capacity in water.  And I could not load and transport a 50 plus pound boat alone. Ultimately, I bought myself a smaller, lighter kayak and headed to local venues for solitary paddles that, despite the time for reflection and quiet contemplation, were lacking in camaraderie and personal, physical growth opportunities. I felt defeated and quietly acquiesced.  But Art, in an exceedingly unselfish act challenged my acquiescence; he clipped an article from the local paper introducing an information session for a dragon boat team. Timidly and with my sister accompanying me, I attended.

Four years later, my life resonates again with the joy of paddling! Once again, I am venturing into literal and figurative waters!  I have found camaraderie in a community of paddlers who have become a new family.  They challenge me to push harder, tap my unseen potential, and embrace the unfamiliar.  They provide laughter, acceptance, and security. I even experienced huli on a lake for them. More. Than. A. Couple. Of. Times. My commitment to them drives me to lift, to push, to pull. Stronger, stronger I become in body and spirit.  There is nothing that compares to pounding water with heart in synchronicity with 19 others and then quietly sharing dancing gleam on sunlit waters as we breathe in this life. There is nothing like feeling the tightness of muscles after working the swing of a paddle and the connection to a boat – dragon boat, OC, or kayak – and the electricity of water.  I am renewed. I am engaged. My paddler’s back can carry any new challenge presented. The physical demands of paddling coupled with the life-giving aura of nature have built a better person.  I am whole.

Why would I not want to share this incredible gift as others have so generously shared with me?  I believe unequivocally that Art’s adventures in paddling allowed him the strength to win his battle and me the strength to steer his victory.  I continue to thrive and grow in the joy of paddling and the community of paddlers. I am grateful for those solitary, quiet paddles where the lapping of water on the hull of my boat fosters contemplation and reflection.   If I were to be gifted with this beauty, I would feel gratitude beyond words and would celebrate life molded to its movement.  I would continue to better my stroke in concert with the water in the hopes of broadening my paddling experiences. I hope to be selected to represent my team in international competition in 2020, something my younger self never imagined for me!  I would have access to waters and territory that lift my soul.  And when the day comes that I can no longer glide across the water in her grace, I would pass her to another to feel such inspiration.  She is a symbolic vessel of storytelling and of all the stories to come that bind our disparate, connected journeys in this paddling world. 

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Hello!  I am Denise Jaeger, an adventurer just a tad into my sixth decade.  I am sincerely full of gratitude for the opportunity to add my story in honor of this beautiful vessel and generous donor.  I am the mother of three awesome human beings, wife to a man of courage, high school teacher for the past two decades (came to this late as well!), and an avid paddler of any vessel. I work with teens on environmental issues and bridge them with the most experienced of our society.  I love my family, my students, my work, and most assuredly my time on the water. Thank you for this opportunity.

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OC1 Essay Contest Entry - Tony Galimba

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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Tony Galimba, Washington

Aloha Friends, I am responding to the generous opportunity to win an OC-1 Outrigger Canoe. I am submitting my story for your consideration.

My name is Tony Galimba. I am of Hawaiian heritage. My Aunt, Shirley Avilla and my Uncle Julian Avilla, Jr started a Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Club in 1984 in Monterey, Ca. Our home beach was Del Monte Beach right next to Fisherman's Wharf to honor our Hawaiian Culture.

I moved back to the Monterey Bay area in 1987 and joined the Ke Kai O'Uhane Outrigger Canoe Club of Monterey Bay. I gained a greater appreciation for my heritage because of paddling sports through paddling in the Masters Men's Division, as Youth Paddling Coach and Club's Board Vice President. My wife paddled and served the Club as the Treasurer as well.

From the Avilla Ohana's Vision for cultural awareness of the Hawaiian Culture and Hawaiian paddling sports; the Ke Kai O'Uhane Outrigger Canoe Ohana grew to represent our sport in Northern California, Southern California and Hawaii. From the Outrigger Canoe Club's presence a Hula Halau was started soon after.

Ke Kai O'Uhane Outrigger Canoe Club built the canoes of the Malia style. They were fiberglass. As the sport the OC-6 canoes evolved into long boats ie. Hawaiian Racer, Bradley & Walter Guild. We did a fundraiser and purchased our big ticket item Hawaiian Racer Canoe.

In 1989, Ke Kai O'Uhane Canoe Club was going to have their annual Luau fundraising event. This was the same year I was building my own OC-1 Fiberglass canoe. I had painted the OC-1 with a custom paint job. At that months board meeting and the luau date fast approaching the club was far short on available revenue until after the luau. I at that point offered my Custom OC-1 for a fundraising raffle. The OC-1 Canoe's name was Aloha Mua (First Love) representing my love for paddling, my culture and my Ohana.

The Luau funds were now available and my Aunt and Uncle started P.I.C.A Organization, to further educate Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and communities in Northern California about our beautiful Culture. Pacific Islanders Cultural Association was born, P.I.C.A for short.

In 1992 my wife and I moved to Hilo on the Big Island to follow my Grandmother's stories she shared with me as a child. While on the Big Island my wife and I learned about KOA Canoes and Koa Canoe Restoration @John Kekua's Kamehameha Canoe Canoe Halau. Although making a living required me to give up paddling briefly I would look out from Hilo towards Monterey Bay and I would recall my Aunty Shirley and Uncle Julian's Mission Statement for P.I.C.A to share our Hawaiian Culture and most fondly for Polynesian children to learn their culture through Hawaiian language, Outrigger Canoe Paddling, Hula & Olelo stories. Little did we know that Coach John Kekua was the conservator for the Hawaiian Koa Reforestation Project on the slopes of Mauna Kea. We would ride our horses with friends to chase the wild cows out of the conservation zone to save the small Koa trees. Little did we know that the 'Full Circle' was soon to approach its destination.

In 1999 we saw a friend at our church that we hadn't seen for awhile and I asked him how he was and where he had been. He shared that he had been diagnosed with Cancer and he invited my wife and I to his estate sale. As coincidence would have it; he told us that he had 4 antique Koa Canoes that had been in his family for generations. Knowing that thousands of miles separated us from our Monterey Ohana; we asked our Aunt and Uncle if we were to buy these canoes, would they be interested in taking them back to California to teach the keikis and Kupuna how to restore these precious paddling treasures. They responded 'YES" !

We arranged for Aunty Shirley, Uncle Julian and Ke Kai O'Uhane's Kahu Sam Hart to come to Hilo to visit us and arrange for the canoes to be shipped back to San Francisco. They came to our house and we enjoyed Ohana time. During their stay, we arranged a personal Koa Canoe Restoration clinic with John Kekua and Bobby Puakea. We went to the Koa Forests and harvested Hou Wood from our secret Hou Tree Forest for lakos and Amas. We knew that the canoes would fill a much needed gap in the cultural void between Hawaii, Mainland and generations gone by.

Two Koa Outriggers were restored, a 16 foot Koa Outrigger fishing canoe built in 1959 in Hilo Bay and 27 foot Koa Outrigger Surfing canoe built in Kealakekua in 1925 and surfed in Waikiki from 1927 to 1940's.

I have since moved back to the mainland to be with my Daughter and Grandchildren in Spanaway, Washington. I am respectfully presenting my OC-1 Essay in hopes to come full circle and share Outrigger Canoe Paddling with our MooPuna.

My Aunty Shirley and Uncle Julian passed away earlier this year and we just represented Ohana in a tribute to their lives as we paddled their ashes out into Monterey Bay to honor their memory prior to the Ke Kai O'Uhane's Memorial Day Long Distance Canoe Races (Races that Aunty and Uncle had dreamt of doing for many years}

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OC1 Essay Content Entry - Mikaela Matin

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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Mikaela Matin, California

Paddling has made me happy, because it showed me benefits of exercising and working as a team. It also helps me to apply the skills I learned in the exercises into my home life. this essay will explain and demonstrate the things I have learned over the course of 7 years.
In the beginning of my paddling career, I was 7 years old, I paddled with Kapolika’ehukai Outrigger Canoe Club. I have competed for 2 years. During the 2 years, I have gotten more than 10 medals with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. This made me proud that I tried my hardest and was able to achieve such an award.

Later, my family decided to take a one-year break from paddling to deal with our financial issues. In 2014, We transitioned back into paddling with a new club gave me the opportunity to start with a clean slate. The older I’ve gotten the more I realized that it is very important to stop talking and listen. I also had to learn to communicate when the input was needed here and there with the keiki crew. Which taught me that sometimes you just need to listen, and there are times when you need to speak up.

In conclusion, paddling has helped me meet new people paddle in different positions, and work as a family. It has also showed me how to teach other teammates if they don’t understand or is lost in the middle of the drill. Lastly, paddling is helping me perfect my craft with my health and social skills.
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OC1 Essay Content Entry - Keona Martin

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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Keona Martin, California

How did paddling change my life? Paddling changed my life by teaching me how to be a team and how to think as one nation. I have been paddling for 7 years and I enjoy seeing my family and friends paddle with me.

Over the last 7 years, I have learned the fundamentals and the jobs of each seat. I have been training in seats 1 and 2. Seat 1 is the paddler that sets the pace, while seat 2 sets the rhythm and calls the changes. I enjoy sitting in seats 1 and 2, because it helps me focus on the specific job for the seat.

Paddling also taught me to think as one and to move as one. Paddling in the canoe gave me a mindset of you go into the water with your paddle as one and you come out of the water as one. It taught me to move with my team/family as one together. I love this part because it shows how much each person comes together and how we grow as a family together.

Lastly, paddling has helped me mentally, spiritually, and physically. Before going on the water during a race or just practice we sing our prayer to the lord to keep us safe during our travels. It physically gives you a workout throughout your whole body and test your mental capacity.

In conclusion, I love paddling in everything that it teaches. From the history of the canoe and the people who started the fundamentals of paddling. My overall experience in paddling is fun, amazing, and challenging. This is the best sport I have ever played.

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OC1 Essay Content Entry - Cash Martin

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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Cash Martin, California

Paddling changed my life physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially. I have been paddling for 7 years. 2017-18 was the year that Ikuna Koa’s 10 and under crew won 1st place. It changed my life mentally, because it gave me the nerve to interact with other kids and adults that I’ve never met before.

It changed me physically, because before I started, I went to Hawai’i with my mom (Hauoli) for 6 months, As I was there, I started feeling a change. So, After the vacation my sister and brother have noticed somethings about me. So, when we started paddling it encouraged me to workout and get fit. So, I can feel prouder of myself and some other life goals that still must be achieved.

It changed me spiritually, because I didn’t know much about my culture. Until I started paddling before paddling, we sing a special chant talking about the gods and to let us be blessed on our journey out on the ocean. It taught me the religious and cultural ways of my ancestors. Also, its been amazing to learn about my culture and being able to know myself as a Hawaiian.

In conclusion, it changed me socially, because it got me to communicate to younger and older kids. It also gave me enough courage to make friends. But not only me but my parents as well.

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OC1 Essay Content Entry - Paige Zetooney

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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Paige Zetooney, California

You are on the beach getting ready to go out on the water. Then begin pushing the boat into the bay. Once you get on the water, you may see some seagulls flying overhead and fish soaring out the bay. You now are beginning to paddle. Before you begin to paddle, you should know what every seat does in an oc. 6. Seat 1 sets the pace of how fast the paddle goes in and out of the water. Seat 2 calls the changes and paddles 3 and 4 are the powerhouses. Seat 5 bails out the boat and if the boat starts to flip the person in seat 5 must push the ama down to stop the boat from flipping. Lastly, seat 6 is the steersman of the canoe. In paddling you learn to cooperate with others, race against other crews and you make friends and family with people in your crew. What paddling means to me is, since I love the water, and when I put the paddle in the water it gives me a connection to the ocean. Same with any body of water I feel at peace.
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OC1 Essay Content Entry - Jared Rivor

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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Jared Rivor, California

An OC for the Generations
My name is Jared Rivor, I’m a coach, paddler, and a student at UCR. I paddle for our school’s Dragon Boat team, Riverside Surging Dragons. My story of paddling begins back two years ago, when I arrived at UCR in my Freshman year. I was 300 miles away from home and lost in a new world with so many new people. Back at home, Millbrae (just outside of SF), I went through elementary school, middle school, and high school with the same people, for the first time in my life, I was in an environment where I knew no one. I realized very quickly that I was unfamiliar with making friends from scratch, before I would always be able to say “hey, you know so and so”, but now these strangers didn’t even know of me and I didn’t even know of them. It was terrifying. I spent much of my first couple of weeks in college calling back home to friends and one of them was telling me how she was going to join the Dragon Boat team at their school. While the phone call was brief, the idea of joining my school’s team was embedded in my head. I decided that I would message the team’s public page asking if they had space left. To my surprise, despite their recruitment finishing a week prior, they said I could join if I did a lot of extra practices and I agreed.

My life quickly changed, I started to spend more hours out of my room training, paddling and getting acquainted with a new community called “RSD”. After four brief weeks, we packed our things and headed up to San Francisco for our first race at College Cup. At this point, my feelings towards paddling were mixed, I enjoyed paddling, but the grueling practices early Saturday and Sunday morning had been taking so much out of me, I began wondering, “What is this all for?”. Either way, it was race day, I had to put my game face on and I raced. I raced my heart out, it was intense, thrilling, and most importantly fun. In the past, I did Cross Country, and while that was with a team, its a really independent sport. In Dragon Boat, its a team effort, we lose as a team and win as a team, which made the losses bearable, and the wins all the more incredible. We actually never won anything at that race, but my heart was set, I was going to stay for just a bit longer.

And I guess I’ve been saying that since. I stopped dreading the practices, I greeted those early mornings as an old friend, and I dedicated much of my free time improving myself on behalf of my teammates, now turned close friends I could always reside with in college. Little did I know, my love for the sport pushed me further than I imagined and now, over a year later I coach our team. Paddling wasn’t just a new passion, but in it, I found a place to be, a place where I belonged, and a place where maybe just maybe, I could call home.

Since becoming a coach, I’ve been trying to find ways for our team to grow. For the last three years, Riverside Surging Dragons have been on an upswing, and as a coach I find myself carrying that torch and I’ve desperately been trying to continue it. This year, our captain had two OCs which he gladly shared with the team. He and I worked closely to tune our stroke towards and OC style and we best polished our paddlers individually on those OCs But aside from improvement, so many of my teammates expressed their love for the OC practices despite them being even earlier than our normal practices. Every weekend the sign-ups would be posted and they would fill up within the hour. Nearly 5-10 people every weekend would be eager to get up at 7 A.M just to paddle at the beach for an hour before practice.

The sign-ups were across a five-week time span during our prep for our biggest race of the year, Tempe Dragon Boat Festival. These spots were coveted and hard to land, you’d have to be constantly checking your phone for our captain to announce for sign-ups were open. I could never attend since I always stayed behind to help drive the rest of the team to practice;
however, I always could see the smiles through the exhaustion in the morning when I arrived at the beach.

I knew that the team loved the OCs and their performances on the water noticeably improved. But the OCs, were a short time stint, as the Captain was a senior and with his graduation, they were on the way out too. When I saw the chance to win an OC through this contest, I didn’t even hesitate I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Were I to win the contest, I would give it right to the team, so we can always have an OC to practice with. This OC is more than just me, it's for my current teammates, my future teammates, my family at RSD. I want us to have it as an amazing paddling resource for us to grow and love the sport all the more. I think with an OC available to our team, we can further
close the gap between us and the upper echelon of college teams which all have consistent access to OCs. An OC is something everyone will appreciate, passed down from generation to generation of paddlers within our team.
Contact:
650-

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OC1 Essay Content Entry - Hanh Larson

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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Hanh Larson, California

I never expected to love paddling as much as I do. In fact, I joined Mission High School Dragon Boat my freshman year only to improve my fitness for soccer, which had been my focus since grade school. Five years later, despite many ups and downs in my paddling journey, my bond with paddling continues to strengthen over time. Paddling has changed my life by introducing me to a community that I can call my family, and by allowing me to grow more compassionate as a leader. Most importantly, paddling has taught me that my worth is not my athletic ability, but the way I treat people.

The first thing about paddling that I fell in love with was the feeling of being valued for who I was as a person, rather than who I was as an athlete. My soccer coaches had told me “You don’t have to be friends, you just have to play well together.” It was clear that if you were good, you were important; if you fell behind, you were irrelevant. When I tore my ACL during my sophomore year, my world ended. I watched ten years of dreams and discipline crumble in a few seconds. I was never going to be the player that I’d been before my injury, and so in the soccer community, I had lost my value. It was the paddling that pulled me out of my well of self pity.

Dragon boat not only filled the competitive void that had been left by soccer, it also provided me with an emotional support system. The people of dragon boat were like a breath of fresh air, and unlike any other community I have ever been in. My Dragon Boat coaches treated me as family, regardless of my performance. As a soccer player I had been rushed to recover just enough to play in games. A coach once told me not to go through with surgery because it would postpone my comeback. However, in the paddling community I was encouraged to take my time recovering. For the first time, my long-term health was more important than how fast I got back to competing. The compassion my friends and coaches in Dragon Boat showed me after my injury convinced me that paddling was far more than a fitness tool— it was the next chapter of my life.

Paddling has also taught me that being a leader means considering people, in a deeper and more complete way than I had ever imagined. As a high school soccer captain, I hadn’t done much more than lead warm-ups before practice. I had always admired my previous dragon boat captains and their ability to run such a large team, but I couldn’t have understood how hard their jobs were— until I stepped into their shoes during my senior year. Suddenly I faced real responsibility for my team’s operations. My ability as an athlete wasn’t the most important qualification for leadership; rather, I had to be able to organize and handle multiple tasks, on top of the expectations of a whole team. Figuring out registration paperwork, boat line ups, workouts, and recruitment—there were so many logistical tasks that I hadn’t really ever had to think about before stepping up to lead a dragon boat team.

My biggest challenges, however, were those that asked me to truly understand my teammates. For example, making workouts and practices “fun”. I’d never considered “fun” as a soccer captain; was there any use in having fun together if there was no community to bond around? It wasn’t until I saw my teammates in Dragon Boat as a complete family, with intertwining friendships, that I understood why they’d want to have fun together. I often questioned whether I was considerate enough to be captain, but, again, my friends and mentors in the community pushed me to keep trying. I also had to practice patience with my newer teammates, something I hadn’t needed as a soccer captain because most of the players had already had experience. Joining Mission Dragon Boat was many of my teammates’ first time paddling or even doing a sport. I had to learn that not everyone was going to share my competitive mindset or fitness level. It was my job to welcome them as they were, and help them strive for their own goals. With perseverance and much trial and error, I learned that the most effective tool I could wield as a leader was my compassion.

Part 2

Since competing in Vancouver during the summer of my junior and senior years of high school I have been enamored with the idea of competing in an international race on the USA U24 National dragon boat team. This year, I began to try to make this idea a reality when I participated in the U24 OC-1 time trials. However, I realized that I wasn’t quite ready. When I did my time OC-1 time trial, I saw that my times were significantly slower than the rest of the candidates. Much of the success of the other candidates was in their ability to train on their own OC-1’s. But for me, getting access to an OC was almost impossible. As a college student in SoCal, I am no longer in a place where I have the resources that were available because of my community in San Francisco. Despite this, I am determined to train for the next U24 cycle in 2021. I am a firm believer that one of the best ways of improving as a paddler is to OC and get as much water time as possible. Having this boat would be an incredible opportunity for me to grow and improve as a paddler as well as help me reach my goal of making the U24 team.

As a paddler and as a person I have only gotten as far as I have with the kindness of others whether it be resources, guidance, encouragement or opportunities. The support that I have been given is what allowed me to even dream of trying out for U24. Reaching my goals will be the best way for me to show that their help and faith in me paid off. My high school dragon boat team however, hasn’t been as lucky as I have. Coming from a small school where dragon boat is constantly underfunded, the resources to become a competitive team (such as small training boats) are out of reach. Throughout high school, I was fortunate to have mentors cheering me on and helping me train consistently in OC-1’s. I hope to someday leave the same kind of impression on the younger members of the Mission teams as my friends did for me. I also want to help provide the resources that my high school team needs to compete with the bigger teams like Lincoln and Lowell. Through leading the Mission team during my senior year, I have gotten to know the younger members of the team. I have had the privilege of watching them grow into great athletes and members of the community. I want to help them succeed as reach the goals that they set for themselves and the team. I think that providing them with an OC in the future will help them improve as not only as individual paddlers but as a team as well.

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My name is Hailey Hanh Larson, but I preferred to be called Hanh. I'm 18 years old. I was born in Vietnam but I came to San Francisco when I was two. I graduated from Mission High School, and I’m about to start my second year of college at UC Irvine. I started my paddling career my freshman year of high school and have continued onto paddling in college
for the UCI Dragon Boat team. Over five years, I have paddled for a number of teams such as Mission High School, Cal Dragon Boat, East Harbor, and UCIDB. Prior to paddling I did a wide variety of sports such as swimming and gymnastics but my most notable sport was soccer which
I played for 13 years. However due to injury I was forced to retire as a soccer player after my senior year.

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OC1 Essay Content Entry - Kaelynn Tan

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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Kaelynn Tan, California

PART ONE:

Dragon boat.

Who knew this traditional Chinese sport would become such an influential factor in my life and has shaped me into who I am today. My first few steps into high school was accompanied by my first few steps into becoming a more confident, strong person. Joining dragon boat and its community has helped me grow both as an athlete and person. Throughout the years as an athlete, I've come to realize that participating in a sport is less about building the body, but rather the spirit and community.

As a natural introvert, being in crowded environments often results in me engaging in very limited interactions with others. To say the least, dragon boat is team-based so socializing is a must. At the time when I was thinking of joining, I was very timid and reluctant to try new activities alone. Because of this, when suggested to join by my brother, I immediately asked every friend or acquaintance if they wanted to join with me. If I was unable to find anyone to go along with me, I would not try out dragon boat. Period. This is where I want to thank the four friends who coaxed me out of my shell, otherwise I wouldn’t have found the home I call Mountain View Dragon Boat.

Unlike the previous sports I’ve participated in, dragon boat is a team sport and was the very first sport that required me to collaborate as a team to win. Like I mentioned before, the thought of me interacting with a large amount of people was definitely daunting. I still remember how the curious gazes of everyone on my first few days out felt almost suffocating because I always hated being in the center of attention.

However, what helped me overcome this barrier was just how welcoming and warm-hearted people in dragon boat are. My first few interactions with the team were all positive, uplifting, and supportive. I had never seen such a great community all concentrated in one team, and because of this I came to adore MVDB -- the team and the people behind it. I’ve been on this team for almost two years now. I’ve seen its highs and I’ve seen its lows. There are many people who were dear to me my first year who no longer paddle anymore. I needed to meet new people and make new connections if this team was to continue to be my second home.

Unfortunately, my shyness doesn’t just disappear overnight, so struggling to make new friends was definitely a process that took both time and effort. I went from quietly standing off to the side to exchanging ‘hellos’ with other paddlers. They were small, but meaningful interactions and a good step in the right direction. It wasn’t until our annual trip down to Long Beach where everything clicked for me. Because this trip lasted a whole weekend and required a long drive down, I was stuck with the same people for more than a day. And that was something I did not regret; leaving my comfort zone resulted in becoming closer to many people on the team than I usually do. This slowly strengthened my love for this sport even more.

I still remember my very first day out to practice. After practice the team would usually pick a location to eat and hang out for a few hours. Between me and my small group of friends, we decided that we would join and treat ourselves out because it was our very first practice. We were all still very nervous and timid around these brand new people. The place we had chosen was In - N - Out. My friend and I had just taken our orders and were waiting around. People from the team approached us every now and then as we waited for our food. I can still remember the stiff, awkward tension present. Thankfully my number was called shortly after and I could quickly exit the conversation. My friend’s received her food right after mine as well. We carried our meals out the door and looked outside to find a spot to eat. To the right of us was the whole team crowded around two small tables. To our left was an empty two-seater hidden behind the side of the building. We looked at each other. Then turned left. Our coach immediately noticed this and headed our way. Right as we sat down he looked us both in the eye and said, “Go sit with the team.”

I’m forever grateful to our coach who stopped us from isolating ourselves from the team. Although it did turn out to be very awkward sitting there with new people for the first time, it was one more interaction to becoming great friends with everyone. Nowadays, I always look forward to post-practice hangouts with the team. Seeing how far we’ve come, it’s really amazing. I know I’ve grown as a person in my time being on the team. I’ve learned to embrace my weird quirks and be confident with who I am. I’m no longer as much of a jumbled mess when talking with others. It still takes me time to get used to new people, but I’m much more comfortable than I was before. There are people on this team who I’m extremely close with and never would have imagined I would be before I had joined dragon boat. The team is filled with so many people with different personalities, attributes, and perspectives. Yet, we all coexist as one large, happy family.

It wasn’t until I tried dragon boat did I recognize that this sport was special. Unlike other sports, it does not require a certain height, weight, or level of athleticism. Dragon boat can be for anyone. From young high schoolers to the elderly, dragon boat brings us together to work as one. And that’s hard to find in other sports. It was really inspiring to watch paddlers of all ages work together as one to race to the finish line. Correspondingly, building a relationship with team members is -- if not more -- important than building the body. Yes, winning medals is definitely a great feat but experiencing the behind the scenes of that victory is far more valuable. The core of being successful in dragon boat is teamwork. Factors such as coordination, collaboration, and communication are all important when building a team. I’ve been told by my coaches countless times that one paddler alone will not make a difference in a race, but twenty paddlers together will. This concept is what I feel makes the dragon boat community so wonderful. It doesn’t matter what your origin story is because everyone is welcomed. Getting to know those around you and establishing good relationships only makes the team stronger. I often look back fondly on how my teammates from Mountain View welcomed me with open arms. Even off the water, we always made time to meet up and enjoy each other’s company. Dragon boat doesn’t solely look at one’s athletic capabilities. In this sport, we value who you are as a person.

After witnessing how amazing the community is, I was only more motivated to try my best to live up to the expectations of other outstanding paddlers. I’ve never seriously committed lots of time and training into other sports until now. Despite this, I am still a naturally competitive person. Driven by a desire for self-improvement both due to my innate competitive spirit and encouragement from my peers, I can say that I've become a stronger athlete through improving my self discipline and self motivation. My drive to becoming a top paddler is aided in perseverance and a strong will. No matter how arduous pieces may seem, I will stay in until the very end. I like to follow the thought that a piece should never be easy. There should always be something that I can improve on to get better. Whenever I’m paddling, I’m continuously training both physically and mentally. Additional training outside of regular practice hours are a part of my daily schedule as well. I often pErg and exercise using workouts recommended by my coaches. For cross-training I partake in swimming, badminton, and gymnastics once a week. All these efforts are towards my personal goal of becoming a great paddler that others can look up to. None of this could not have been achieved without leading figures such as my coaches and teammates who have guided me. Dragon boat has really helped open my eyes of what it means to be an athlete. Training, perseverance, the drive to succeed, and learning to become a part of this wonderful community. This has become a sport that I know I want to dedicate my heart and time into. With this in mind, I hope to compete with other top paddlers around the world, and when the time comes, inspire the incoming underclassmen the way others have done for me. I know through lots of dedication and training I will reach that goal.

PART TWO:

For one I will definitely want to use this OC to train more on the water when practices aren’t held. Currently our team houses a pErg but it can only do so much as it’s restricted to land. Having an OC is ideally the best way to train because it allows me to go on the water while pErg can only simulate it. It is also convenient to not need 19 other people to go out and train. Although the team aspect of dragon boat is important to me, if given the opportunity to train by myself, I will utilize it to improve and further contribute my efforts towards the team.

If I were to win the OC, I would share it with everyone who has positively encouraged and supported me throughout my dragon boat career. From friends to coaches to potential teammates, I want to thank them for everything they’ve done to help shape me into who I am today. This will be my token of appreciation.

In the future, this OC will be passed along to another paddler. Whether they do dragon boat or Kilohana OCC, I want to share it with the whole paddling community. I want to continue the heartwarming tradition of giving to others. One day I may stop doing dragon boat or get to old too. Who knows where life will take you. I just know I would be very honored to pass this OC to another fellow paddler and open up their doors of opportunities.

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Hello! My name is Kaelynn Tan and I am an upcoming junior attending Milpitas High School, located in San Jose. I was first introduced to dragonboat my summer of 8th grade. My brother was previously part of Mountain View Dragon Boat, a local team located in San Jose, and asked me to join the team. I’ve been paddling for almost 2 years and plan to continue into college. I have also recently joined another team called Dragon Warriors which is located in San Francisco.

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