They’re on the water at least three times a week from March to October. Some are natives of Hawaii. Some are folks who have traveled to Hawaii and love the culture. Others just like to paddle.

They are the Hui Heihei Wa’aa Polynesian outrigger club of Kitsap County, and they are more than 60 members strong.

The club will be at the Water Trails Festival on June 27, at Silverdale Waterfront Park. They plan to share information about the sport, show techniques on dry land and, if possible, take some folks out to paddle.

“We want to spread the word about the culture and tradition behind this sport,” member Debee Straub said. “We want to share our love of paddling.”

According to paddling experts, the outrigger canoe is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull. Smaller canoes often employ a single outrigger on the port side, while larger canoes may employ a single-outrigger, double-outrigger or double-hull configuration. The sailing canoes are an important part of the Polynesian heritage and are raced and sailed in Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa and by the Maori of New Zealand.

Unlike a single-hulled canoe, an outrigger or double-hull canoe generates stability as a result of the distance between its hulls rather than due to the shape of each individual hull. As such, the hulls of outrigger or double-hull canoes are typically longer, narrower and more hydro-dynamically efficient than those of single-hull canoes. Compared to other types of canoes, outrigger canoes can be quite fast, yet are also capable of being paddled and sailed in rougher water. This paddling technique, however, differs greatly from kayaking or rowing. The paddle, or blade, is single sided, with either a straight or a double-bend shaft. Despite the single paddle, an experienced person will only paddle on one side, using a technique such as a J-stroke to maintain heading and stability.

The outrigger float is called the “ama” in many Polynesian and Micronesian languages. The spars connecting the ama to the main hull are called “aiako” in Hawaiian and “kiato” in Maori; in Micronesian languages, the term “aka” is used.

The club was founded in 1997 by coach Rod Rodenhurst, who moved to Kitsap County from Hawaii. Members paddle on Mondays, Wednesday and Thursdays at Silverdale on Dyes Inlet, and again on Saturday mornings. There is a club for youth who want to learn the techniques, which meets on Saturdays after the adults practice.

And throughout May, June and July, they compete in regattas. This July, they host the Whaling Days Dyes Inlet Dash July 26 as a way to share the sport with those who want to come out and try outrigger canoe sprint team racing.

Straub and her husband joined the group in 2008, when they moved back to Kitsap County after both served in the Navy.

“I fell in love with it,” she said. “It’s something you can do all year round.”

Straub decided to try it when she had the desire to constantly be on the water, but in winter it was too cold to swim. While she’s visited Hawaii once, and didn’t ever want to leave, her real passion is “being on the water.”

She considers it a sport and is very competitive, but said many people see it as a recreational pursuit.

“It’s definitely different from regular canoeing,” she said. “You have to use your whole body in order to have the right technique as you paddle.”

She called it an art based on strength and rhythm.

“You have to be in line with everyone else who is in your boat,” she said.

As an experienced outrigger, Straub competes in regattas against teams from Seattle, Portland, Bellingham and those in the Tri-City area. She also competes in 500-meter sprints. In the winter months, she canoes in long-distance runs.

While traditional outrigger paddlers sometimes wear ceremonial dress, club members wear shorts and tank tops with the team logo. In colder months, they wear heavier clothing.

When the season begins, the club has a “Blessing of the Canoes,” usually performed in native Hawaiian language. And when someone close to the club passes, club members celebrate the passing on the water where they all raise their paddles toward Heaven.“

Part of our work is to share the culture and bring awareness to the native ways of the Hawaiian population,” she said. “Some of it is ceremonial and some of it is just fun.”

To contact the club, write to Hui Heihei Wa’a, PO Box 2852, Silverdale, WA 98383, or email info@hhwsilverdale.org. Call Pat Brown at 360-698-1509 for registration or to schedule a practice time.

HOW TO ROW
The sport is based on synchronized paddling, with all paddles entering and exiting the water at the same time and all paddlers using the same technique — this provides the maximum pull and lift with minimum effort. This can only be achieved through developing a consistent paddling technique both individually and as team; it requires practice.

Rotating from the hips allows paddlers to apply leverage and deliver maximum pull through the water. Twisting the upper body instead of using the arms utilizes stronger muscle groups and minimizes fatigue. This reach and twist motion requires flexibility. Locking the lower body and arms also results in less rocking of the canoe creating a consistent streamlined hull.

Paddlers should maintain a straight line up the spine, twisting around this plane, with heads up and all in a row. The optimum degree of lean (forward) is influenced by the paddler. Smaller paddlers may use a dynamic approach, where they lean forward a little (10-30 degrees) at the start of the stroke to increase reach and then straighten during the stroke to provide power.

OUTRIGGING TERMS
— wa’a: canoe.
— ama: outrigger float.
— iako: outrigger spars.
— hoe: a paddle or to paddle.
— huli: capsize the canoe.
— paddles set/reach out/ready: a call to lift paddles to the set position, ready to start paddling.
— Ho’omakaukau — paddles set.
— hit/go/paddle/ho: start paddling
— hut: a call to change paddling sides. After a “hut,” one more complete stroke is performed and all paddlers change their paddling side.
— paddles up/let her run: a call to stop paddling. Paddles up may also be used by some steerers as a paddles set call.
— timing: a call for all paddlers to focus on the timing of their stroke to ensure it follows the seat in front. 
— J/Draw: a draw stroke by seat 1 or 2 to pull the canoe left or right.
— uni: a turning call to seat one to poke their paddle on the right to turn the canoe left.
— kahe: a turning call for a J/Draw stroke.
— clear: a call, usually by seat 1 to the steerer, indicating the front of the canoe is clear and it is safe to go left/right.
— block: a call usually by seat 1 to the steerer indicating the front of the canoe is not clear.
— back paddle: a call to paddle backward to reverse the canoe.