Posted by Kawika Sands on October 15, 1998 at 04:43:49:
ubject: My name is Kawika Sands. I have a project with which I can use some I am a Hawaiian outrigger canoe racing enthusiast. From personal Imagine my utter dismay when the president of an OC club (of which I was I believe these things are symptomatic of phenomenon that in effect, Then one day, on December 10 1997, a man named Blake Conant (a Every morning at 7:00am I would wake these EAST COAST keiki with a mele I had INCREDIBLE success with that group of campers! Sure they learned What they learned was the true meaning of "ALOHA" and "'OHANA." I This is more than a mere pipe dream. It is an achievable reality with I would like very much to have you come to the gathering on O'ahu when kawikasands@hotmail.com
Introduction (OC'99)
Date:
Tue, 13 Oct 1998 11:43:14 PDT
From:
"Kawika Sands"
To:
kale@maui.net
Howzit:)
kokua. First, some background may be helpful:
observations within the sport, although most customs surrounding the
outrigger are observed, very few paddlers (if any) could tell me where
some of the customs originated. How to pronounce certain words. Or
much else about the outrigger other than it came from Polynesia. One of
my first messages to an email discussion group for paddlers talked about
the proper pronunciation of "'iako" ([eee-ahh-koh] NOT [eee-ahh-koo]
which changes the meaning from "outrigger boom" to "a school of fish"!).
a part at the time), upon my kindest attempt to correct her
pronunciation of the word, said flippantly "Well, I've heard it BOTH
ways!" Or when I heard an icon of the sport make that very mistake in
his own office! Or when another well-known did not know what "'oe"
meant when I signed my first message to him with "Aloha 'oe"!
paints over the edges of a door to a culture from which the sport at
large likes to point to proudly when it says "These are HAWAIIAN
outrigger canoes!" and in the same breath speaks of the concepts of
"Aloha" and "'Ohana."
Kamehameha grad' in Connecticut and the East Coast Outrigger Racing
Association president), sent me a message entitled "A Trip Back East"
about a New York YMCA wanting to teach their kids how to paddle in which
he writes "...Not only do they want the kids to learn the sport but they
want them to learn the culture and tradition that goes along with the
sport...." Can you imagine my utter DELIGHT! Here now was an
opportunity to shape the views of potential enthusiasts at their most
basic beginning!
ho'ala, have portuguese sausage, eggs, and rice by 8:00am, and paddle
away from shore by 9:00am while I chanted ka holo ana. While on the
water, they learned how to steer and paddle together occasionally up to
ten miles at a time. On land they learned how to observe the weather,
and play kokane and maika. As they learned how to rig the canoes we
spoke of the ancient Hawaiians and how they made the ropes they used to
tie their canoes together. At night, by the fire, we spoke of the
making of the koa canoes. Of the legend of Mo'ikeha and Lu'ukia. Of
life in ancient and modern Hawai'i. Of the monarchy. By 11:00pm they
were tucked away into their tents for the night as I recited a pule.
how to paddle, steer and race an outrigger against other outriggers!
But what they learned, what they gained, what became a part of them and
each other can scarcely be had by ANY number of medals or trophies or
donned by any number of event t-shirts.
witnessed it when one camper became emotionally distraught and the other
boys went to his tent one at a time to console and assure him. When it
came time for a pass-or-fail test for four candidate steersmen who had
battled tooth-and-nail all week amongst themselves and at the moment of
truth, wished each other luck in turn. When on the last night of camp,
it came time to reflect on the previous month and they spoke kindly of
each other, openly and sincerely, to those who wept. If they could keep
from weeping themselves. And when it was time to say our farewells with
promises to stay in touch. Many of whom have done so with me, and
through them, I have learned they've kept their promises.
THIS is what I want to recreate in 1999! Moreover, I have outrigger
enthusiasts willing to learn the oli, mele, and pule; the history,
stories, and traditions to teach children all over the country at their
OWN Outrigger Camps and take what they learned back to their individual
outrigger clubs. The vision concludes with the champions of each area
flying to Honolulu in time for the Aloha Festival to compete with
eachother there.
attainable goals. However, just as a canoe can be carried easier,
faster, and farther with more hands on it, so we ask your kokua in
helping us to carry this forward.
all of the East Coast, West Coast AND Hawai'i keiki are gathered and
tell one (or two) of your stories! If you have any questions, please
contact me by email. Mahalo!
Aloha 'oe,
_