Training and Racing with Hanalei Canoe Club on Kaua’i

“Hut!” Paddle. “Ho!” Switch sides. And just like that, the outrigger canoe keeps gliding forward.

Regatta season is underway in Hawaiʻi, and I recently had the opportunity to train and race with the Hanalei Canoe Club on Kaua’i. Coming from a whitewater rafting and kayaking background, I immediately noticed both the similarities and differences between the disciplines. Whereas the whitewater raft typically has a “guide,” an outrigger canoe utilizes what’s known as a “steersperson” in the 6th (last) seat, and instead of a guide stick, they are wielding a “steering paddle.” Like with rafting, the front seat sets the pace of the stroke, but seat three is responsible for calling stroke changes as they switch rhythmically from left to right with a “Hut!” Forward and back paddle strokes, pries, and draws were all familiar. The poke, a steering stroke used for quick corrective turns, was new to me.

It also turns out that turning a 45-foot fiberglass outrigger canoe is an achievement in and of itself. Suddenly, maneuvering 18-foot rafts for Wildwater Expeditions on the Upper Gauley doesn’t seem quite so difficult.

Outrigger Canoes: What are they and what is their connection to Hawaii?

The outrigger canoe, or wa’a in Hawaiian, is deeply intertwined with the settlement and survival of the Hawaiian Islands. Developed by ancient Polynesians around 200 AD, these boats were the vital lifeblood of ancient Hawaiian society, used for everything from inter-island voyaging and fishing to warfare and community recreation.

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Outrigger Origins and Ancient History

• Arrival in Hawaii: Polynesians navigated thousands of miles using the stars, wind patterns, and bird migrations to discover the Hawaiian Islands sometime between 1000 and 1200 CE. 
• Canoe Construction: The primary hull was traditionally carved from a single, massive koa tree log. These days fiberglass is a common substitute. 
• The Anatomy: The main hull was kept slender for speed, while stability was achieved using the ama (a secondary floating outrigger hull) attached by crossbeams called ‘iako.

Outrigger Canoe Race Practice

Joining the practice on a Tuesday I was introduced to the men’s head coach, “Uncle Rick,” along with the 20 or so men who had come to train, as well as two badass chicks who also train with the men. I flashed back to grade-school athletics as Coach assigned paddlers to their respective canoes and training partners for the day. Being picked last seemed appropriate, as the teams were surely wondering who was going to get stuck with the pasty, not-yet-suntanned paddler from Colorado showing up midseason.

That was entirely in my head, though. The other paddlers were nothing but welcoming.

I was assigned seat four in a boat with mostly novice paddlers. In the Kauai Outrigger Association, a paddler is considered novice class for their first three years of paddling. Zack, sitting in seat six, was learning to steer that day. Perfect. I wasn’t the only one being introduced to something new.

After a quick onshore explanation of the basics, we hopped into the canoes. Hanalei Canoe Club is idyllically positioned on the Hanalei River, near the mouth, just before it empties into Hanalei Bay. We turned upriver and settled into rhythmic paddling.

The 400-plus-pound outrigger canoe began to pick up speed and slice through the glassy river water. It was peaceful and beautiful in its mix of exertion and quiet calm, the canoe gliding beneath the lush green Kauai mountains with waterfalls in the distance.

The serenity was broken when Coach brought us back to reality with a paddling drill.

Paddling is fun, but winning. Winning feels good. I like winning.
– Uncle Rick

Right. This was training, and these athletes weren’t just there to take in the postcard views.

To set up our first challenge, each boat tied its tail off to the bushy hau trees with rope and inner tubes. We then paddled hard, stretching the inner tubes but effectively going nowhere, while Coach taught a master class in outrigger paddling. Standing in the shallow river alongside each boat, he gave instruction, made corrections, and somehow turned paddling in place into one of the best lessons of the week.

Later, we paddled out into the majestic Hanalei Bay to get a taste of maneuvering through ocean swells and trade winds. This is where Hawaiian outrigger canoeing clearly becomes a class of its own, with the art of catching and surfing swells.

Beyond fun. A similar feeling to straight surfing a river wave in a whitewater kayak except the wave is moving with the enormous force of the ocean behind it and it’s taking you with it.

Practice ended with all of the paddlers standing in a circle, holding hands, listening to some wise words from Coach. Then all hands went into the middle for the club chant:

Kauai has six active outrigger canoe clubs that compete under the Kauai Outrigger Association and the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association. With only one practice left before the weekend’s regatta races, the focus was clear.

Hanalei Canoe Club is a massive undertaking, with 100 youth and 180 adult members. It lives its mission statement: “To provide our community, young and old alike, with the opportunity to perpetuate the culture and art of Hawaiian canoe paddling.” You can see that mission in the care taken to support the youth programs, in the daily prayers honoring those who have come before, and in the deep history and culture woven into the club.

Regatta Race Day in Hanalei Bay

The clubs and their canoes began arriving the night before, but race day started at sunrise and ran until around 5 p.m. Kids raced first, followed by the age groups, as men’s, women’s, and mixed crews competed throughout the day.

I got to top off my week of training with actual race experience! The club had scheduled an unofficial Novice B race, where my training partners and I paddled out for our first real test.

As we made our way to the starting lane flag, we actually held a straight path and paddled in sync. This was a significant improvement from where the week had started. Confidence built. Maybe we were good at this!

That delusion passed quickly.

As we lined up at the start, we noticed someone on the official’s boat waving a red flag, then a green flag.

“Oh crap. Go, go, go!”

I guess we should have asked what the start sequence was before paddling out to the start line. Couldn’t be helped now.

Seat One harnessed Coach’s paddling lessons from earlier in the week and set a consistent, quick cadence. Every nine to twelve paddle strokes, seat three yelled, “Hut!” Everyone took one more stroke, then came “Ho!” and we switched sides.

The boat rushed forward, and we began gaining on the first-place canoe, making up lost ground from our less-than-ideal start. The half-mile course went by quickly. As we approached the finish flags, we continued to reel in the lead boat, but ultimately came up one boat length short.

We would have to settle for second place.

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The race was thrilling, for us Novice B paddlers anyway. Watching the open classes later showed us just how big the skill and strength gap really was. You wouldn’t know it from the Hanalei Canoe Club members, though. They cheered just as loudly from the first race to the last, supporting their community with positive vibes and helping hands.

While my brief time with the club had to end, I could see how outrigger canoeing could become addictive. The regatta season still had a few weeks left, and after that, the club would turn its focus to the long-distance season  – from August through October – with races typically ranging from 8 to 40-plus miles.

If you are on Kauai, come check out the regatta races in Hanalei Bay on Saturdays, or support the Hanalei Canoe Club at one of its community-based fundraisers, including the Hāʻena to Hanalei 8-Mile Run/Walk in June. 

You can find the club’s event calendar here: https://hanaleicanoeclub.org/calendar/

Looking ahead, the 2027 HCRA State Championships will be held in Hanalei, when 40 – 60 clubs from across the islands will converge for what should be some spectacular racing. States typically has 44 events with 14 lanes, almost double the local regattas. 

I want to say a big thank you to everyone at the Hanalei Canoe Club for letting me experience the excitement of outrigger canoe racing and the warmth of your Hawaiian community.  Special thanks to Coach / Uncle Rick for letting a whitewater paddler learn some new outrigger canoe skills and feel the Aloha. Very much appreciated and mahalo!!