The Club, The Women, The Water... Twenty years ago, two Hawaiians living in California had a vision to bring the sport and spirit of outrigger canoe paddling to the shores of Monterey. “Uncle” Les Charles and “Uncle” Julian Avilla’s goal was to teach the art and spirit of outrigger paddling to their children and to other Polynesians living in the area. Thus, Ke Kai O’Uhane, “Spirit of the Sea”, was born. And in true ohana fashion, they welcomed all. Ohana means “family”, the Polynesian ideal of unity that permeates this sport.
In those early years, the Uncles led a strongly competitive Ke Kai men’s crew in both sprints and long-distance competitions, sending a team to Kona and competing once in the men’s Molokai crossing in the late 1980s, even taking home the Northern California Outrigger Canoe Association’s Championship overall high-score award. As the years passed, the number of people able to devote the long hours of training required to compete in long distance events dwindled. The club began focusing more on sprint season, when the long summer days make it easier for children and families to be involved in the sport.
Today, the club enjoys a thriving sprint season and active hula (hula dancing school). However, it’d been a long time since Ke Kai had spawned any competitive long-distance teams. Then last year, nine women paddlers came together and things immediately began to gel. “It just clicked. You could feel it right away. Everyone knew that something really special was happening. We each have tremendous respect for the ocean, for the canoe in which we paddle, and for each other. Once in the canoe, it is not about ‘you’ anymore.” That is a rare thing to find these days, especially from women who have not known each other or worked together as a team for very long. They come from all walks of life, with hometowns as far away as Hawaii and Florida. None are professional athletes. Rather, each carves out the time required for the rigorous training from a busy career schedule. Outrigger experience ranges from only 2 to 9 seasons, while the average age on the 9-person crew is 40 years old. Last year, when the crew was first pulling together they joked constantly about being the ‘Jamaican Bobsled Paddlers’. Success seemed unlikely, even to them. But as they soon discovered, it was all about heart. Each speaks intently about the sense of camaraderie they have discovered in the canoe, and the inspiration found from working together towards a common goal. “Our crew is definitely more than the sum of its parts. Working together, we generate an energy that is expansive, and that carries each one of us a little farther than would be possible on our own.”
On weekend mornings throughout the dark winter months, and 3-4 times per week during spring and summer, they trained, paddled, and bonded with one another in and out of the canoe. As the Ke Kai Wahine began medalling in races, there were quiet inquiries from presidents of other outrigger clubs as to what was going on. Where had this team suddenly come from? “It was sort of backhanded, but we took it as a huge compliment!” It began with a 3rd place finish in their home waters during the “Memorial Day Ho’e Wa’a”, a 12-mile pre-season race hosted by Ke Kai O’Uhane. Then they placed 2nd in their class in the “Round the Rock Challenge”, a 12 mile race battling the fickle currents of San Francisco bay around Alcatraz Island. And they brought home another 2nd in Redwood City’s “Kilohana Klassic”, a 21 mile paddle from Redwood City north to the Bay bridge and back again. The next race was the challenge of the season and the first jewel in the Triple Crown: the 27 mile Catalina Crossing from Newport Dunes to Catalina Island.
[photos by: Kasie Fogleman + Sandy Shore + Paula White] |
“This was by far the biggest thing we’d attempted, and we were admittedly a bit nervous. We didn’t really know what to expect. We got a good start and held our position well. That boosted our confidence, but we knew there was a whole lot of water ahead of us.” Indeed, Catalina Island does not become visible until several hours into the race. But as the hours passed with the crew paddling strong, there was a growing sense of accomplishment and ambition in the canoe. “We actually got stronger as the race progressed. When that harbor finish line came into view and we knew we were going to make it, our competitive sense took over and we really turned it on, passing several canoes in the last mile.” It wasn’t until they finished and were having a celebratory dinner that they learned they’d finished 5th in their class. As is the crew’s style, however, they didn’t rest long on their laurels. Instead, they immediately began thinking about what was next. With Catalina behind them, the next challenge was obvious. Next year, go after the two remaining jewels in the Triple Crown: the 22 mile Queen Liliuokalani race in Kona, and the granddaddy of outrigger canoe racing, Na Wahine O’ Ke Kai, a 41 mile crossing of the Molokai channel from the island of Molokai to Diamond Head on Oahu. However, the 2004 season was not over just yet. What came next was a far cry from the warm waters of Southern California or Hawaii. After 20 years, the Uncles’ dream of crossing Monterey Bay was about to come to fruition. In October 2004, Ke Kai O’Uhane and Santa Cruz’s outrigger club PuPu O’Hawaii co-hosted the first sanctioned crossing of Monterey Bay in outrigger canoes. The Ke Kai Wahine were the first women to ever attempt the treacherous 23 mile paddle from Santa Cruz harbor to Monterey harbor. Not only did they log the historic crossing, but they arrived second onto their home beach. “It felt so ‘right’ to be paddling back home. It really made me think of the Polynesians who invented these crafts and used them in their remarkable journeys. I kept thinking how happy they must have been to return home at the end of each voyage – much like we were!” In all weather and year-round, they paddle in the frigid and often wild waters of Monterey Bay. “We deal with freezing temperatures, open ocean swells, wind chop, and even the occasional whale. It’s invigorating, at times a bit frightening, and always thrilling. We actually get a little bored when the water is flat.” That doesn’t happen often. Practicing in open water gave them an edge that was apparent during the Monterey Bay Crossing, and, they hope, will prepare them for the notorious Molokai Crossing as well.
As special as the moment is, it is also fleeting; a fact that does not escape any member of the team. Next year, some will graduate and move on, while others contemplate career changes that may mean moving far from Monterey. When something this special comes into existence, there is always a temptation to want things to stay exactly the way they are. However, there is nothing remotely static about this group. “It’s sad to think of not paddling together for many more years, but that is not going to happen. We need to seize this moment and enjoy it fully, because it may never come again.” The Molokai Crossing is one of the most challenging races in the world, and some crews do not finish the grueling event. Even motorized chase boats have been swamped and lost in the wild seas. “Of course, we intend to finish, but to say that we will would be arrogant. Ultimately, the ocean will decide that. We will train hard, be as prepared as we can be, and give it our all.” “We always do.”
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