Havasu Outrigger wins third place on ocean

Special to News-Herald

Lake Havasu City had representation in outrigger races on both costs last month.

While Lake Havasu City Outrigger Canoe Club team member Joyce Johnson was in New York to take part in the Liberty International Outrigger Canoe Racing around the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, the rest of the Co-Ed Masters team was in San Diego’s Mission Bay June 27, earning a third place medal at the Outrigger Iron Championships 2009.

“In preseason racing at Tempe Town Lake, our teams paddled extremely well, taking home gold and silver medals in several races. The bar is much higher in the ocean races, where we have stiff competition from clubs all over California as well as Hawaii. The fact that we can earn medals under highly competitive ocean conditions, against teams that regularly train in the ocean, is a huge achievement. We take some ribbing about coming from the desert and training on a lake, but have gained a lot of respect for that as well,” said coach Carolyn Earley.

The crew of Pam Reinke, Anita Nightingale, John Hendricks, Ed Earley, Sara Parise and Carolyn Earley raced a 15-mile open ocean course. In addition to competing against other teams, the racers had to fight against a “huli,” when the power of the ocean or a moment of inattention from the team can throw the ama (the outrigger part of the canoe) up in the air and flip the canoe.

“This race was the closest we have ever come to a huli,” Carolyn Earley said. “A wave tossed our ama about three feet in the air, and our crew instantly threw their weight to the left to force it back down. We all just watched it hang in the air, wondering if we would be tossed into the ocean. After what seemed like a long time — probably two seconds — it went back down. All our huli practice paid off in that moment.”

In outrigger racing, each team consists of six paddlers, and every seat has a particular job to do. Seat one sets the pace for the team and helps steer the front of the canoe in turns. Seat two helps with the pace and controls the front of the canoe. Seats three and four are the team's engine room, where a team's strongest and most powerful paddlers sit. Seat five is also a power paddler with the additional job of helping to steer the canoe if needed. Seat six is the captain and steersperson for the canoe.

Also competing were Havasu’s Angie Veneroni and Kasey Cole, who joined teams from Tempe's Arizona Dry Heat Outrigger Club. Veneroni’s team finished in the middle of the field in Open Co-Ed class. Cole joined the Women's Novice crew who suffered a huli at the beginning of the race.

Havasu Outrigger club member Steve Benson also attended the race as a Southern California Outrigger Racing Association Official.

The Lake Havasu City Outrigger Canoe Club welcomes new paddlers to come try the sport, which is open to all levels and ages. The club meets at Rotary Swim Beach, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 5:30 to 8 a.m. July 5 marks the fourth anniversary of the club's formation.

Online at http://www.lhcocc.com.

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