Just one stroke and you’re hooked

NORTH STAR BEACH —

While paddling with an outrigger canoe club can be a tremendous workout, many who participate in local clubs say it’s really all about “ohana.”

Ohana means “family” in Hawaiian and the sport sure does require brotherhood among teammates, something the Imua Outrigger Canoe Club knows well.

In order to be successful, teammates use their combined strength to paddle the canoe, which has a support float fastened to the hull, in order get it going fast.

The club isn’t just for fun, though. Members compete in races throughout the season, which lasts May through September. And they don’t just compete, they win.

So far the club has competed in two races, with the men’s novice team and the Bradley team — Bradley refers to a specific type of boat — coming in first. Another men’s team came in second in its division.

The men’s and women’s teams compete against 28 other teams from Southern California, Arizona and Nevada.

Outrigger canoes were originally developed by people in Southeast Asia. The canoes helped the people move to Polynesia and other areas, allowing them to spread their civilization to other parts of the world. It is widely associated with Hawaiian and Polynesian culture and adaptations of the boat can be found all over Southeast Asia.

“That’s part of the allure of the sport,” Imua men’s coach Corry Fitzgibbons of Costa Mesa said Saturday morning as the men’s team began practice at North Star Beach. “It all dates back to the Polynesian men in the South Pacific going and spreading their culture and invading islands and doing their thing. We try to keep that spirit alive in the sport.”

And although Fitzgibbons could be considered to be in peak physical condition, he said people shouldn’t let the daunting look of the sport make them think twice.

“Paddling, while there is the brute force of the sport, is really more like golf in that it’s all about technique,” Fitzgibbons said. “The better your technique, the better the paddler.”

But the fact remains, it is a great workout, Imua vice president David Martyn said.

“I like the camaraderie and the fun family atmosphere all packed in, plus it’s a great workout — an awesome workout,” Martyn said.

After years of abusing his ears surfing, Martyn turned to paddling as a way to keep the water out while still being on the water.

Many of the Imua club members seemed to have been hooked on the sport after their first day out.

Women’s coach Dora Apodaca started paddling eight years ago when her son and his friend coerced her into joining them for a paddle, and she’s never stopped.

“I love the whole thing — just being outside on the water, getting exercise, it’s beautiful,” Apodaca said. “The first day I went out I saw dolphins and I just had to stick with it.”

The Imua Outrigger Club is a derivative club of the Newport Outrigging Club, which was the first such organization in California.

Members welcome anyone who wants to join, but as it gets deeper into the racing season, it’s more difficult to begin training since team members are already in full swing.

The club is scheduled to host its annual corporate team challenge on July 29 that anyone can join. It’s the club’s main fundraiser with the proceeds split between Imua and the Earth Resources Foundation.

For more information about the club or the corporate team challenge visit www.imua.bigstep.com or call Martyn at (949) 246-4067.