The Sport of Outrigger Canoe

The Polynesians were homogeneous people who successfully carried out a systematic migration and settlement of the pacific. By 1200 A.D. the Polynesians had settled Hawai'i and left the most important artifact, the canoe. The early Hawaiians developed solid, one-piece canoes for fishing, racing, warfare and transportation. Unlike sailing vessels, canoes could be maneuvered along rugged coastlines, through heavy surf, and onto the beach.

The varieties of canoes ranged from the one-man, all the way up to the eight-man. The ones King Kamehameha I used in transporting his forces in the conquest of O'ahu were double and triple-hulled canoes.

The Hawaiian Wa'a, or canoe, was generally carved from large koa tree trunks. The building of the Wa'a was a community affair with great spiritual importance. The community remains an important part of the He'e Nalu spirit.

In the early 1800s, the organization and development of boating clubs began in Hawai'i. For most of the century, canoe races were token events. In the early 1900s, outrigger canoe clubs were founded with the element of competition. In 1952, "Toots" Minvielle organized the first men's Molokai to Oahu long distance race. In 1959, he organized the second long-distance canoe race from Catalina to Newport, California. The Kalifornia Outrigger Association (KOA) was formed soon thereafter in 1963.

Today, there are 20 outrigger canoe clubs in the Northern California Outrigger Canoe Association (NCOCA). Racing canoes are modern fiberglass versions of the original canoes. The racing season is divided into two parts: short-distance sprints and long distance races.