Epic will continue with the original format of supporting both Surfskis and OC-1's with the original date of May 18th.
Please pass this on to all!! Epic's purpose in organizing this race with Kanaka Ikaika is to continue to grow the sport of paddling here in Hawaii and offer a true "World Championship" to the international community with some of the roughest open ocean water on the planet (except last year!! ). If anyone has questions regarding the race please email me at mark@sandsea.com

Aloha,
Mark
Epic Hawaii

Anybody out there have any experience using a water launchable kite with an OC-1 or OC-2? Wondering how well it works and what size kite is appropriate?

I found a video of an OC-6 (link below), but I am more interested in using one on a OC-1.

I did it, my first race was last saturday on Lake Union. Good times and a hell of a workout, I am ready for the next one. Check out my pics here

http://retrosurflounge.blogspot.com/

I have been looking out at Catalina Island for the last two years and thought it would be great to paddle out there. I knew nothing about anything related to paddling. So the first thing I encountered on the net was "surf ski" which was sold as the fastest, funnest, most sea worthy thing out there. The videos of surf ski are amazing and caneo was portrayed as slow outdated technology. I ended up buying an OC-1 because

1) The paddling motion of a canoe feels better to me than a surf ski. After getting off a kayak I feel it to be a little more of a shortened torso twisting motion than a long powerful pull through. It has a great flow but my body feels better after canoe than kayak and I feel like I can put my whole body into the canoe stroke though a longer range of motion.

2) There seemed to be more community around outrigger here in so cal than in surf ski and the possibility of being part of a team and having some comraderie was appealing. This is just a perception and may not be true!

any thoughts?? I am a novice so take it for what it is worth. I dont think it has to be either/or but I am curious if anyone else leans toward or away from OC for these reasons.

Thanks!

I have never paddled an oc1 before and am in the market. I am accustomed to oc6 and sailing on larger boats, so the idea of getting an oc1 that can be rigged for sailing appeals to me. Can anyone clue me into any major differences which may exist when paddling an oc1 which is sail capable (but not rigged) Vs. paddling a non-riggable canoe?

Mahalo,

Dan

Is it just cause i'm getting older and everything looks smaller, or are there less and less people every year that race OC-1? Anyone know why?

1st time paddling...I was kind enough to amuse those on shore by fipping and not knowing how to turn it back over...and once I figured that out trying to get my 260lb butt back on from the wrong side unsuccessfully. I turned to the right to look at a seal and that was it. Hats off to the surfskiiers, that is a balancing act for sure. Really nice people down at redondo beach and thanks to Chris and Chris from ocean ohana for helping me into the "idiot phase" Cant wait for tommorrow!

Hello
My wife and I will be in Honolulu on the 9th of February to the 17 for a week. I hop this is alright to ask .Is there canoe things to see shops, clubs that allow drop in practices, races, canoe stuff in general we are avid paddlers any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
mahalo

If you are disappointed in the solo date change and it has seriously messed you up to the point where your ability to compete is is question then please email Manny and let him know what you think. His email is kulukulum001@hawaii.rr.com Thanks to Mark Sandvold for the email address.

For what it is worth here is what I just sent to him:

Hi Manny,

I just wanted to write you to tell you how incredibly disappointed I am about the surprise date change of the Molokai solo to April 27th. Apparently there are a number of others who share my disappointment and I am sure there will be more voicing the same in days to come. Most of these people do not live in Hawaii and have a long way to travel to race in an event that you call the WORLD Championships.

One-man outrigger is an awesome paddling sport and growing world wide. You guys in Hawaii should be very pround of a sport that you have given the world and is taking off so much in the mainland USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, Europe, etc. There is one race everyone wants to do...the Molokai solo. The trouble is for those of us living so far away we have to make some pretty extensive arrangements to get to Hawaii, rent or borrow a canoe, hire an escort boat, book accomodation etc. We can't leave that stuff till the last minute so start planning as soon as the date is announced. The date that has already been announced was May 18. Now you've come along, with good intensions I am sure, and made it April 27th. Travel plans we've made, time off work we've booked, etc are useless to us now. IF we are able to rebook air tickets, time off work, etc. it will be at considerable cost. Did you consider any of this when changing the date?

I am certain that you have good reasons for wanting to run the skis and the one-mans on different weekends. I am certain you want to grow the sport and increase it's profile. I don't know that much about everything involved but would likely support your efforts, as I am sure everyone else would, if they were done reasonably - namely aimed at next year. Changing the date at this late juncture means you are screwing paddlers from far away who are crucial to both the growth of the event and the sport. They lend legitimacy to naming the event a "world championship".

Here's an idea: Leave the event on May 18th this year. Mark Sanvold apparently seems to think Epic would be ok with that. Talk to ALL the OC1 paddlers from around the world that weekend about running the event separately from the skis in 2009 and get ALL of them to buy in. It would be so easy. Then, moving forward, the new event has the support of the ENTIRE OC-1 WORLD, not just those paddlers from Hawaii.

Yours in paddling,

Larry Cain

How come none of the outrigger canoe manufacterers are supporting Keizoswebsite by advertizing here? LL Bean has an ad and they dont even sell what we paddle.

Keizo is doing a huge service to the outrigger canoe paddling community with this website. I think it would be a good thing to support him and his efforts to promote our sport , don`t you?

Red hot , Chine smokin ` Fuzerider