They came from as far as Vancouver Island, San Diego and even Hawaii. And for two days at the end of September, they paddled their arms off and injected a dose of vitality into a city just getting ready to leave summer behind.
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鈥淭hey鈥 are outrigger canoeists. And they congregated at Pentictonsa国际传媒 Okanagan Lake Park this past weekend for a flashy season-ending competition thatsa国际传媒 never, ever been held locally 鈥 the Canadian Outrigger Distance
Championships.
Championships.
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Given the turnout, it likely won鈥檛 be the last. More than 500 athletes and their boats, gear, friends, family and fans crammed into the spacious Okanagan Lake Park during the event. That everyone we chatted with sang the praises of both the region and the racing only added to the good vibes.
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For the uninitiated, outrigger canoes are like regular canoes in that they鈥檙e long, narrow ships propelled by paddling humans. Except they鈥檙e sleeker, much faster, much lighter and at this level, much more expensive.
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One more distinction. They all feature a pod of sorts (called an 鈥渁ma鈥) attached to one side that helps balance the boat.
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The first outriggers sprang into being thousands of years ago in Polynesia.
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They鈥檝e evolved considerably since then, but one thing remains the same.
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They鈥檙e all very much at home in the big waves and swells of the ocean.
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So all that wind and all those whitecaps we experienced this past weekend?
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No probs for these boats and these athletes.
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The big draw Saturday was a pair of long-course races that saw competitors paddle from Okanagan Lake Beach to Naramata and then to Summerland before returning home.
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Thatsa国际传媒 approximately 21 kilometers in all, a really long way to row, row, row your boat 鈥 especially through whitecaps.
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Several other races, categories and distances completed the weekend, including a Sunday out-and-back to Trout Creek that featured mostly solo athletes in small boats weighing no more than a few kilos.
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One of Saturdaysa国际传媒 winners was the all-Indigenous 鈥淚sland Brave鈥 team out of Nanaimo. They easily took the Open division in the second long course race of the day, winning by a couple minutes.
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Afterward team member Michael Wyse said the victory was the third consecutive Canadian Open听Division championship for the highly-driven squad.\
According to Wyse, the team spends two hours on the water each day until winter, when they still try to get out there a couple times a week. And when they鈥檙e not in the boat, this hardcore group lives at the gym.
鈥淚n October we鈥檙e trying out for Team Canada,鈥 said Wyse, adding that they鈥檒l audition individually but hope they all qualify and get to stick together as a unit.
鈥淭his was a fun event,鈥 said Wyse of his first time in Penticton. 鈥淲e like it up here.鈥
More instant Penticton fans could be found in the form of Wade and Amy Williford of San Diego. It was their first time to the Okanagan, and they鈥檙e hoping to return.
The Willifords, and their team, were invited to the 2024 Championships. Doing the inviting was Penticton Paddle Sports Association president and event organizer Launa Maudrell.
The idea was to invite a few key teams from distant paddling meccas like San Diego to the first-time Penticton event and hopefully build interest for future years.
The Willifords were happy they accepted.
鈥淭hey offered us registration and a canoe,鈥 said Amy. 鈥淭hey made it easy for us to come up, so we got three crews together.鈥
The team, like every other team attending the event, covered their own transportation and of course the cost of food and accommodation while in town.
鈥淚tsa国际传媒 beautiful here,鈥 said Amy, on her debut Canadian visit. 鈥淭he race kicked my ass, but everyone has been so accommodating, and so nice. We love it here. We鈥檒l be back.鈥
Also accepting an invitation was the Lae鈥檜la O Kai team from Maui, which spent a few minutes Saturday morning with local Indigenous leader Greg Gabriel of the Penticton Indian Band before they hit the water.
鈥淲e like to travel,鈥 smiled team rep Sharon Balidoy. 鈥淲e went to Arizona last year. We want to go to places and visit the people. It fills our hearts.鈥
On Saturday, the Lae鈥檜la O Kai squad, a 鈥淢ixed 50+鈥 group (men and women all over the age of 50) wore orange shirts to honour Truth and Reconciliation Day.
But they had fun too.
鈥淲e visited the wineries yesterday to make sure we were hydrating,鈥 laughed Balidoy. 鈥淲e went on bike rides on the railroad (KVR) trail. One of us hiked up a mountain.
鈥淭he people have been so nice. Super friendly. The foodsa国际传媒 been very tasteful鈥ots of flavours.鈥
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Balidoy said they鈥檇 researched local Indigenous issues before arriving and called it 鈥渁n honour鈥 to meet Chief Gabriel.
鈥淎nd that song, their anthem (the Okanagan Song), is beautiful,鈥 she smiled. 鈥淲hen she said 鈥榃e are beautiful because the land is beautiful,鈥 I was thinking of our own Hawaiian expressions.鈥
There were many more visitors. Like 77-year-old Judy Lapierre of the Vernon Buzzards, who applauded the event venue.
鈥淲ith all these boats and the grass, itsa国际传媒 perfect,鈥 she said. 鈥淎t Harrison Lake, where they usually have this, the water is way colder.鈥
And Jon Amundson of Calgary, a guy whosa国际传媒 won numerous solo and team championships over his career.
Amundson and friends brought six boats to the event and called it 鈥渁mazing,鈥 adding that itsa国际传媒 the most boats hesa国际传媒 ever seen at the 鈥淣ationals.鈥
Penticton mayor Julius Bloomfield, on hand for the opening ceremony, said it was a 鈥渇antastic鈥 event.
鈥淚tsa国际传媒 a manageable event and itsa国际传媒 copacetic with everything else going on in the city,鈥 he said. 鈥淓vents like this are really worthwhile. We鈥檇 love to have this back next year or anytime they want to do it.鈥
For organizer and Penticton Paddle Sports president Launa Maundrell, the shoulder season event was 鈥渂eyond our wildest expectations,鈥 she said Sunday morning. 鈥淲e thought we鈥檇 probably have 50 six-man crews but we got 70.鈥
鈥淲e specifically reached out to the Americans, just to help put Penticton on the map. And we have sa国际传媒 crews who鈥檝e never come to a race here. A lot of the Indigenous crews have never even been to Penticton.
鈥淏ut there aren鈥檛 too many cities in the world between two lakes, and we think we have a lot to offer the paddling community.鈥
Both Maundrell and race director (and hubby) Don Mulhall, each of whom professed gratitude to both the City and tourism organization Travel Penticton, hope itsa国际传媒 the start of a beautiful relationship.
鈥淲e鈥檇 love to have it back,鈥 said Maundrell. 鈥淎nd I think we鈥檒l be asked to host again. Hopefully once every two or three years.鈥
For more info on the Penticton Paddle Sports Asspociation, which also organizes the annual Penticton Dragon Boat festival, hit its website here:
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