The Marianas OC1 race season kicked off Saturday in beautiful Umatac bay with regatta style sprint races. The first heat started at the beach, sprinted to a buoy at the mouth of the bay; then turned North and went around another turn buoy just off shore about 200 yards upswell. The second heat featured a ‘LeMans’ start where the paddlers lay on their stomachs away from the beach facing the hills, then had to jump up, run through the spectators and tour busses, find their canoes and sprint to the harbor mouth and back. Junior racers had their courses set from 1 side of the bay to the other, and had some of the closest races and furious finishes of the day. The weather was perfect with mostly sunny skies and an off shore breeze that pushed the paddlers out, but they had to battle back against coming in .

[Results]
[Y2Kanu Photos] courtesy Rick Leton

Hau`oli Makahiki Hou a me AALOOHAA! The 2004 Maui Canoe & Kayak Club Hurricane racing series is underway. Here’s the results and storyboard of our first race. Aaron Placourakis, owner of Sarento’s and Nick`s Fishmarket restaurants was the sponsor. What a classic; great food, great band, and Heinekens. Sarento's was an awesome venue. Mahalo nui loa Aaron and crew!!!

[photos coming later..]
Results of the 17th Annual Stan Cann Classic OC-1/OC-2 Surfski and V-1 (rudderless) Canoe Race held today, Saturday, January 10th in Hilo. All courses started and finished at Hilo Bayfront and a number of paddlers took advantage of the fact that the races were run consecutively to paddle in more than one event.

[Honolulu Advertiser Ariticle] by Jan TenBruggencate

[Photos] by Ashlee Fujimoto and Kenny Denton
article by Kimberlee Stuart and OCPaddler
Kauai Hoe Wa’a paddlers had an exciting start to the new season with what many have called “epic” conditions. On Sunday, January 4th, fantastic Westerly winds pushed OC1, OC2, surfski and paddle boarders down the faces of near-perfect swells. Though the conditions were perfect, the race remained challenging due the backwards race course which few have ever paddled; the start was at Port Allen with the finishes at Kukuiula Harbor and Poipu Beach for the short and long courses respectively.

The story of Fort Lauderdale Outrigger Club. 300 members. wow. :D (is that an extra zero?)
[Sun-Sentinel, South Florida News]

[Photos] Photographer:Jean Jacques Limbourg

Polynesian traditions and Molokai Hoe Conditions for Rio Va’a 2003, Latin America's largest international va’a (Polynesian canoe) race.

Rio Va’a 2003, Latin America's largest international Polynesian canoe race was held on December 19-20 on Praia Vermelha, next to the Sugar Loaf and along Rio de Janeiro's fabulous beaches and Guanabara Bay.

[Honolulu Advertiser, Dec 19]