Offshore has been part of the tradition of Hawaiian Style Outrigger in Southern California since 1980. The club reestablished the original California long-distance race—The Catalina Channel Crossing, US Championships—which had been in hiatus since the mid 1970’s. Offshore’s members have made many contributions to the development of the sport in southern California.

Today, Offshore Canoe Club owns four 6-man canoes. Our members consist of approximately 40 men and women who range in skill from first-time-novices to athletes who have competed at world competitions. The skill level of our members vary but we all share a passion and respect for this traditional water sport. Team-spirit and the spirit of aloha are alive at Offshore and we welcome all paddlers of any skill level to join us on the water.

Offshore is a SCORA member club and competes in all Southern California Races, including Iron, Sprint and 9 man races. The club trains three times a week out of Lifeguard’s Beach in the Newport Harbor.

 OFFSHORE COMPETITION HISTORY

WOMENS 1st Place Races

20 Catalina Channel Crossing

10 Na Wahine O Ke Kai (Molokai)

5 Hamilton Cup (Australia)

5 Lake Tahoe

2 Liberty Cup (NYC)

2 Kona (Hawaii)

2 Monterey Bay

2 Gorge Games (Oregon)

1 Tahiti

1 Gibson (Canada)

Men's 1st Place Races

3 Molokai Hoe

2 Catalina Channel Crossing

1 Hamilton Cup (Australia)

1 Kona (Hawaii)

OFFSHORE CANOE CLUB PROFILE

Offshore Canoe Club started its legacy when John Rader of the Bolboa Bay Club Outrigger Canoe Club asked Bily Whitford (now with NAC) to help get a newclub started in Newport Harbor.  Bud Hohl of Puamana Canoe Club was approached to help get the groundwork going (canoes, Paddles, and coaching regime).  Billy had previously won the 1978 Molokai Hoe, the sports longest running and most pretigious race.  He had paddlers that had never been to Hawaii  or in a Hawaiian Canoe.

With John Rader's expertise and professionalism, Billy's water training and team leader abilities, Bud's knowledge of the running adnd building of the sport's equipment in California and Hawaii, and Eddie Fraser's ablity to build excellent paddles and canoes they came together to form a club.  John Bernard (owner of Offshore Clothing Co) gave the club their name in the summer of 1980.  The club became an instant leader in showing and helping other clubs with team uniforms, dressing up the sport, and providing avenues to bring the sport into the public eye.

The club won its first long distance race which it sponsored and hosted.  That began a precedent of making the sport more colorful and concerned about its place in California.  The Offshore Canoe Club reestablished the original long distance race, the Catalina Channel Crossing U.S. Championshiops which was started in 1959 by the legendary Toots Minville.  The race took a hiatus in the mid 70s.  In 1980, for the first time, the race had the women paddling to Catalina Island and the men paddling back to Newport Dunes the following day.

John Rader's involvement in paddling in both California and Hawaii brought about a higher caliber of paddlers and presentation.  Along with community involvement and a new look at the sport.

Some of Offshore's non-race acolades consist of:

• Developed a sustainable sprint course flag system
• Built SCORA's first P.A. system
• Uniforms and a clean look for the sport
• Club pride and community involvement
• Hosted races anywhere and everywhere
• Hosted association and international meetings from it's inception
• Began the convention system and at the first five
• Developed coaching seminars for the association
• Co-funded the first Internaitonal Polynesian Canoe Federation (IPCF) world championships in 1984
• Develped a class of canoes (The Keioni Class)
• Brought clothing manufactureres, equipment builders, and designers to the sport
• Provided avenues for paddlers to travel to distant areas to particiapte in the sport
• Sponsorships from every commercial product possible, any corporation that had a tie to the sproting life donated to the sport
• Brought world class athletes to the sport and cross-trained with them elsewhere
• Provided personnel to help the association's task at running events