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5.1 What were the earliest forms of canoes
raced?
The first canoes used were generally converted fishing canoes.
Canoes were of all manner of length and therefore weight,
but of similar design. With such variance in canoes, the
choice of canoe for racing was critical as canoes of this
era were not built so much for speed, but more for practicality,
being often heavy, ruggedly built, beamy and short by today
standards with little attempt at streamlining.
5.2 When were purpose built racing canoes
first designed and constructed?
One off, purpose built canoes were built at the start of
the century. However they were a rarity as canoe racing
was a luxury and the fact was, canoes had to be functional
and utilitarian as a priority.
The first recognized purpose built racing canoe was commissioned
in Hawai'i by Prince Kuhio, which went on to win consecutive
races from 1907-1910. Weighing 620lbs and just under 40ft
it was an advanced design for the time.
During the 1930's, canoes in greater numbers began to be
constructed specifically for outrigger canoe racing and
from this era came the birth of the Malia canoe, which has
to this day provided the founding blueprint for all racing
outrigger canoes.
The design was arrived at by the modification of the common
fishing canoe which essentially revolved around the basic
assumption that everything about it had to be streamlined,
refined and made lighter. The end product was a canoe of
just over 39ft and of 400lbs weight.
5.3 The "Malia" (Calm Water) Canoe.
The "Malia" remains the best known and possibly
the most significant of all Hawaiian racing outrigger canoes.
Don't be deceived by the name, meaning "Calm Water", as
it is derived from the location from which its creator lived
and worked, on the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii
- well known for its calm seas being on the lee side of
the island. The "Malia" as you can see from its historical
chronology below, played a major role in many facets of
the development of the sport, ultimately becoming the plug
for a mould to made in California, Hawaii and Australia
for a production line of GRP replicas.
1933 The "Malia" was first felled and hewn on the Big Island
of Hawaii (Kailua-Kona), shaped by James Takeo-Yamasaki
from Blonde Koa wood - 1940 The "Malia" was sold to Dad
Center of Outrigger Canoe Club on a trip made to the Big
Island to purchase 3 canoes at $200 each - 1948 The "Malia"
was sold to the newly formed Waikiki Surf Club - 1950 Wally
Froiseth, George Downing and Rudy Choy made alterations
to the bow - 1952-54 "Malia" won 14 straight Senior Mens
races - 1953, 58-63 "Malia" won Moloka'i races - 1959 "Malia"
won the inaugural Catalina Island race - 1959 Tom Johnson
and Noah Kalama made a fibreglass mould of the "Malia" -
1960 The first fibreglass Malia competed in the Moloka'i
race, named Kawelea from Newport Beach California - 1961
The "Malia" won the Moloka'i after flipping three times
- 1960-78 Malia fibreglass canoes participated in their
own division in the Moloka'i races - 1966, 69,70, 72, 73
a Malia fibreglass canoe wins the Moloka'i - 1973 The "Malia"
retraces the voyage of King Kamehameha of 250 miles - 1978
The first Californian winning crew of the Moloka'i win using
a fibreglass Malia - 1980 A Malia division was founded by
the Kalifornia Outrigger Association - 1981 A Malia mould
is made in Australia, with Malia canoes having been distributed
also to Japan, Samoa, Britain, Canada, Illinois, Louisiana,
Florida and New York.
Today the "Malia" is retired from competition and I believe
is owned by Waikiki Surf Club, who purchased the canoe in
1948 from Dad Center of Outrigger Canoe Club.
5.4 When did they begin to make fibreglass canoes?
"Toots" Minvielle of Hawaii is credited with
the building of the first fibreglass outrigger canoe in
1954, but it was in California that production of fibreglass
outrigger canoes on any scale was first practiced.
It was however, "Toots" that helped introduce California
to the sport. For an inaugural invitational race held in
California in 1959 (The Catalina Island Race), a number
of Malia canoes were shipped over from Hawaii for the event.
A mould was taken from the "Malia" canoe before returning
it to Hawaii. Several years latter in the early '60's, the
Malia canoes were born. It was realised that quick, cheap
reproduction of canoes is what was needed to really kick
the sport along as the creation of timber koa canoes was
expensive and time consuming. This practice soon came to
Hawaii.
5.5 How did the native Hawaiian feel about
this?
The reaction was not altogether good. Outrigger canoe racing
has at its roots, tradition, ceremony and custom. The thought
of plastic canoes did not sit well with many who believed
that the notion of paddling such a craft was nothing short
of sacrilege. To this day many remain firm traditionalists
and will not entertain the idea of ever paddling in anything
less than a Koa canoe.
There is a belief amongst many Hawaiian clubs, that a club
is not a club until it owns a Koa canoe, which is not as
easy as it sounds, as they are very much more expensive
than the plastic/fibreglass canoes, costing upwards today
of USD$50,000.
5.6 To what extent are Koa canoes constructed
and raced today?
The Hawaiian islands still maintain their loyalty to the
construction of timber constructed canoes using the native
Koa tree. The skill of canoe building from timber by the
Kalai Wa'a (canoe builder), is a crucial element of Hawaiian
culture and essential to maintain along with its ritual
and ceremony. There are at least 100 Koa canoes in use,
mainly for sprint racing.
Koa canoes are raced as part of separate class of canoe
and for many of the day to day races staged throughout the
season, Koa canoes are the only type allowed. The Big Island
of Hawai'i remains the major source of Koa. Here and on
the island of Oahu, there are small workshops maintained
and run by Kalai Wa'a (canoe builders) who perpetuate the
skill of canoe building and repair work.
5.7 Is the Malia canoe still in use today?
Up until 2004, the Malia class of canoe was
used by the Kalifornia Outrigger Association [KOA] as a
division of sprint racing. This division has now been dropped;
replaced by the Bradley and 'Spec' divisions. Spec canoes
include the Mirage, Force Five and Striker canoes which
are also popular in California and fall under the 400lb
weight limit.
Throughout the Hawaiian islands and Canada there are many
Malia canoes which are used for training and a few also
in Australia where they were made for a short time.
5.8 When did new designs begin to emerge?
It was not until the mid 1970's that the Malia design began
to be rethought, due largely to the influence brought across
the Pacific by those other brilliant maritime architects
and canoe paddlers, the Tahitians.
The Tahitians had devised canoes that were substantially
longer, lighter and narrower, which made them extremely
fast and are often referred to as "Rockets". Participating
in their first ever Moloka'i to Oahu race in 1976, a race
of some 42miles, the Tahitians won against all the predictions
using a canoe which they had brought with them. After careful
analyse it was agreed their canoe design was superior and
so a new design had to be found.
5.9 What became the standard canoe?
With the realisation that canoe design had such a huge impact
on results, during 1978 the HCRA (Hawaiian Canoe Racing
Association) drew up a blueprint for canoe design specifications
which outlined a series of maximums and minimums in regards
to weights and measurements. Canoe designers therefore became
bound to these limitations and set about creating new hybrid
canoes which now consisted of both Hawaiian and Tahitian
influences.
Though a few one off canoes emerged, the standard canoe
that was to emerge in 1984 as the new benchmark and canoe
for the masses, was the Hawaiian Class Racer or Classic
as it is sometimes known, designed by Joe Quigg and instigated
by Walter Guild, who became the principal manufacturer.
Shortly after the Bradley canoe was to emerge, designed
by Sonny Bradley of Hawaii, but first manufactured under
license in California but now also manufactured in Hawaii.
The Force 5, a Walter Guild, Brent Bixler designed canoe,
first manufactured in 1995, combines some of the traits
of the Bradley canoe and the original Hawaiian Class Racer
,has been a popular choice up until 2000, with Karel Tresnaks
Mirage canoe currently being the favoured design. All over
the Pacific it seems that new designs are being conceived
be it in New Zealand, Hawaii, California, Tahiti or Australia. |
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