Aloha!
In the interest of protecting our paddling ohana and the fact that social interaction is a core element of CROCC‘s Race Around the Island, RATI 2020 has been cancelled due to pandemic. This was a difficult decision for CROCC and we are disappointed that we have to cancel the race.
Please be safe and take care of yourself during this time of global change. We look forward to hosting RATI in 2021 and offering a great race for all to enjoy and celebrate why we love this sport so much.
Category Archives: News
2019 Race Around The Island
Big mahalo to everyone who came to RATI this year! It was a beautiful day on the Columbia River and we couldn’t have asked for better conditions. See the race results here.
Watch a recap of the day produced by Cascade Video Productions!
View all the photos from RATI posted in real-time on our Facebook Page.
The day started with a traditional Hawaiian ceremony and blessing to honor the Great Spirit of the land, the indigenous peoples of this land, the Columbia River, and our paddling community and guests in attendance.
Mahalo to Kaleinani O Ke Kukui for facilitating our opening ceremony.
The Long Distance Women’s and Mixed-crew races were the first race of the morning. Congrats to Hood River Outrigger Canoe Club for placing First in the Women’s Long Distance and Hui Heihei Canoe Club for placing First in the Mixed Long Distance!
Meanwhile on land, we had an awesome salmon lunch provided by CRUSH BAR in Portland. As the day progressed, we had clearer skies and the sun came out.
Passing time until the next race begins. 
Check out those raffle prizes! Thank you to Kialoa Paddles, Nossa Familia Coffee, and many others for donating prizes.
We’re feeling envious of the lucky buggahs who won the two homemade quilts made by CROCC’s Coach Liz and Bobbie! Another CROCC tradition is making “Huli Ale” beer every year to give away as raffle prizes.
Next were the Mens and Short Course races. Congrats to Kikaha for placing First in the Mens Long Distance and Wasabi Burn for placing First in the Short Course race!
Again, check out all the race photos from RATI posted in real-time on our Facebook Page.
Mahalo to our super volunteers and in-kind sponsors who helped make RATI a great success. We couldn’t have done it without your dedicated support. See you next year at RATI! A hui hou!
See you at the 4 Days of Aloha Festival!
CROCC will be at the 4 Days of Aloha Festival from July 25 – 29! Come say hello to us at our booth. See our Facebook announcement below for details
CROCC Featured by The Columbian:
Back in August CROCC was featured in The Columbian newspaper. “Outrigger canoe club brings Hawaiian traditions to Northwest” was written by Erik Gundersen and gave a first persons view of paddling. The article also includes information about the club and it’s family feel. Erik produced a short video that has an interview with Doug Keeney, Club President, and footage from Erik’s first paddle with CROCC.
2015 Ke Kukui Foundation Lu’au
It was with great pleasure that CROCC sponsored a table at the Annual Ke Kukui Foundation (KKF) Fundraising Luau on February 21st. As a Corporate sponsor, the paddlers were greeted in true Hawaiian fashion with hugs and a freshly sewed plumeria lei, as Hawaiian music filled the gymnasium at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
As part of fundraising, the patrons participated in a door prize raffle basket, and vied for several items in the silent auction. CROCC’s fundraising donation basket sold within 30 minutes of the auction’s opening for $150. Also, our own paddler, Liz Nelson, quilted a large Hawaiian themed piece that sold for $250!!! The sit-down dinner was prepared by Hawaiian Café (Vancouver, WA) and served by the dancers of KKF.
Then the patrons were treated to an hour long hula show that was choreographed by the matriarch of the school, Aunty Deva Yamashiro. The show commenced with a dance dedicated to Aunty Paulette, who had taught the ancient art of feather making, and whom we lost a couple months ago. The dancers in their white “holoku” gowns gently swayed as they danced with their hand held “kahikis”. The show included “kahiko” (traditional) and “auana” (modern) style dancing, and even featured the youngest of the dance troupe, the “keikis”. It is worthy to note that the age range of dancers for Ke Kukui is 3 to 83!!
The show ended with a trip to Tahiti, where “otea drumming” and vibrantly costumed dancers left the watching audience exhausted just by watching. Back by popular demand, the lively and colorful “Samoan Village” number under the tutelage of Aunty Tula, brought the patrons to their feet. To cap the evening, the audience joined hands in a large circle and sang what has been deemed the Hawaiian anthem, “Hawaii Aloha”. The night was truly the blending of the Polynesian culture and “aloha spirit.” The audience was filled with much love, aloha and peace.
We hope you can join us next year.
CROCC launches its 2014 Youth program
Columbia River Outrigger Canoe Club (CROCC) will be launching the 2014 Junior Division Program for youths between 15 and 20 years of age. This program will follow our current adult curriculum with the addition of sport history, Hawai’ian history, and traditions around outrigger canoeing.
Practices start April 9, 2014 at 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM and will be each Wednesday there after. Additional practice will be added as interest or membership grows. If you or your youth are interested in the program or practices please contact Doug Keeney at coaches@croccpaddle.com. Please feel free to check out our website (croccpaddle.com) for more information about the club and utilize the calendar to sign up for practices (junior or open). Remember everyone is welcome to join us for an open paddle practice.
PQ Monthly Blogs about CROCC
CROCC gets some press thanks to Shaley Howard at PQ Monthly! Mahalo Shaley for a great blog post!! Shaley did a great job summing up the essence and heart of the club. Click on the link below and check it out.
Mahalo Shaley and PQ Monthly!!
Shout out to Wahine (Women) paddlers of the Northwest
Our novice women’s crew is inviting all women that want a supportive environment in competition. The season is starting and we invite you to come and compete as one of the ‘Ohana (family) in our team.
If you love the water and want a great workout, we have a sport for you. We desire to compete at the highest level of competition in the Hawai’ian sport of canoe paddling. Our team requires commitment, discipline and teamwork, which leads to excellence on and off the water. We paddle as one and win as one.
Our mission: To encourage, sustain, and perpetuate outrigger canoe paddling, racing and the related Hawai’ian traditions. We strive to embrace and nurture the community through inclusiveness and all skill levels in order to teach and improve paddling technique and to maximize enjoyment of the sport.
We will hold practices throughout the week and as needed during the race season. If you are not ready for the competition, come join our open crew and learn the technique and healing powers of outrigger canoeing.
Mahalo to Holly Brooks!!
Special thanks to Holly for mentioning CROCC when sharing her workout with The Oregonian newspaper in a series of articles called “My workout”. Holly shared her story about the importance of having a variety of daily exercise as a key to health and vitality. Paddling with Columbia River Outrigger Canoe Club is just a fraction of Holly’s overall routine. Below is a link to the article housed on OregonLive.
Congratulations to Ann Yoshida
CROCC would like to congratulate Ann Yoshida in her Bronze win at the 2013 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Sprint World Championships/ Duisburg in the V1 Women 200m (Paracanoe A). We are so glad our team could help along the way! Ann, you are an inspiration to us all!
For those who do not know; Ann was paralyzed from the waist down when her car was hit by a truck that ran a red light in 2000. But this accident has not stopped or slowed her down at all. You just have to meet her to see her spunky, bright zest for life that shows she can do anything! As she stated before, “She might be in a wheelchair, but it doesn’t mean she is paralyzed in the head!”
Ann started paddling last year in preparation for the International Va’a Federation (IVF) World Championship in Calgary. Before that she went on a V-6 (OC-6) a few times with Pure Light Racing (http://www.purelightracing.org/) a club that is at the forefront of adaptive outrigger canoe paddling.
When asked what she enjoyed about the sport she responded, “First, I like to think of my Hawai’ian ancestors navigating the Pacific on canoes. It was a means of transport and connecting with the wind, water, and nature. This gives me strength. Second, I love being on the water focused and working hard to get somewhere. The cardio is like no other sport I can do in a chair.”
What is her next goal now that she won the Bronze? Ann said, “One step at a time. The bigger goal for me is to be an ambassador of Aloha and bring people to the health and satisfaction of canoeing. This ultimately empowers people to get out and access their life through meaningful occupations.”
She continued by stating, “My next goal is to get to nationals next year and compete in the World Sprints in Moscow. In addition, I plan on supporting Pure Light racing in Brazil at the IVF World competition. Hopefully all this leads to the opportunity to represent the USA in the Brazil Paralympic games as a USA Woman’s V-1 Athlete.”
We would like to extend a big mahalo to Diane Kaydolph-Ray for getting Ann in contact with CROCC so that we could help her out before her competition and bring her into to our Ohana!
