Author: Graeme Galves

CORA recognized that there were many individuals who had made “Significant and Exemplary Contributions” to Canadian outrigger canoeing, but their stories had never been captured, and they had never been formally recognized. CORA spent January 2021 thru June 2025 tracking down this history, and fact-checking as best as possible the exploits of those individuals who founded CORA, who founded / nurtured CORA clubs, who inaugurated / perpetuated races, who excelled at IVF / Molokai / Catalina / Queen Liliuokalani events, and who designed / built / imported / distributed canoes to grow the sport.

As of the August 2025 CORA Board Meeting there were 8 individuals inducted into the Canadian Outrigger Hall Of Fame for 2025.

CORA appreciates that Comox has graciously agreed to organize and host a Canadian Outrigger Canoeing Hall Of Fame presentation for the 8 inductees at the Comox CORA Cup Series Championships Iron event on the September 27/28 weekend to recognize these individuals. CORA will have an online Town Hall in November of this year to recognize the inductees for 2025. CORA invites individuals who have known these Inductees to speak on their behalf at the November 2025 virtual Town Hall session.

CORA wishes to congratulate the 8 Canadian Outrigger Hall Of Fame 2025 Inductees:

• Daphne Ann Brockington (Posthumous) (Gibsons, BC)
• Jan Chavarie (Vancouver, BC)
• Melanie Conard (Victoria, BC)
• Jacinta Sheridan (Vancouver, BC)
• James Hill (Victoria, BC)
• Linda Daigle (Gabriola Island, BC)
• Helen Currey (Victoria, BC)
• Sue Milligan (Powell River, BC)

You can visit the CORA website and view the “Virtual Hall Of Fame” that has the names / headshots of the 8 individuals inducted this year and links to a 3-page PDF that has their contributions in 2-pages and a 1-page set of references on every online article that CORA could find where they were mentioned.

CORA introduced a new initiative for 2022 at the CORA 2021 Pre-AGM that was continued for 2023 and 2024 and 2025. To encourage participation by new paddlers at CORA 2025 events, a new Junior / Novice OC Paddle Draw Grant was funded. Every Junior / Novice participant at each CORA Cup Series 2025 event was given 1 entry for the end-of-season draw. It was possible for each Junior / Novice participant to have up to a maximum of 5 entries for the end-of-season draw.

This will be the 4th year that CORA has supported the OC Paddle Initiative to present 8 free OC Paddles at the CORA Cup Series Championship Event to Junior / Novice (no more than 2 years of CORA racing experience) participants. Junior / Novice participants receive 1 entry in the OC Paddle Random Draw for each CORA Cup Series Event whether they race with Novice / Junior / Open / Masters / Long Course / Short Course crews. The winners of the free OC Paddles do not need to be present at the CORA Cup Series Championship Event. However, it is important for the CORA Board and the CORA Cup Series Event organizers and the CORA Club Reps to collaborate to have all Junior / Novice participants added to the list of possible winners.

If your club has had any Junior / Novice participants that raced with Novice / Junior / Open / Masters / Long Course / Short Course at Penticton Duel In The Desert (#1), or Jericho Classic (#2), or Fort Langley Spring Run (#3), or Comox Island Iron (#4), please provide a list of those individuals to CORA or the CORA Cup Series Event Race Coordinator so that those Junior / Novice participants are added to the list of possible winners.

CORA wishes to announce that the PNWORCA / CORA 2025 Small-Boat Racing Winter Series Championship event to wrap-up March racing, lived up to expectations as there were over 90 participants, the courses were challenging, the weather was windy as it has been through-out all the 2025 Winter races, the V1 leg-drops at the south-end turn were classic, and the after-race buffet meal was phenomenal as usual.

The PNWORCA Race Committee no longer tracks Small-Boat Racing Winter Series points and the Small-Boat Racing Winter Series Championship event host no longer recognizes Division Top 3 Finishers. However, the CORA Race Committee continues to track Small-Boat Racing Winter Series points so as to recognize Canadians who are among the Top 3 Finishers in a Boat / Gender / Age Division and to continue the tradition of the Peter Forand Masters Challenge Trophy.

Over the course of the history of the PNWORCA / CORA Small-Boat Racing Winter Series, the Peter Forand Masters Challenge Trophy has now been awarded to Masters 40+ (3) / Masters 50+ (4) / Masters 60+ (1) / Masters 70+ (1) paddlers, to Female (4) / Male (5) paddlers, and to Seattle (4) / Bellingham (2) / San Juan Islands (1) / British Columbia (1) / Portland (1) paddlers – there has even been a year where there were Co-Champions. The legacy of the Peter Forand Masters Challenge Trophy over the course of nine years has now had Champions from every Masters Age Division, every Gender Division, and every region in the Pacific Northwest.

By virtue of having a 1st Place in five races, the PNWORCA 2025 Small-Boat Racing Winter Series winner of the Peter Forand Masters Challenge is Noah Johnson-Greenough (Kai Ikaika) in the Men Masters 40+ OC1 Division. Gregorio Mares, fellow Portland OC1 Masters 40+ paddler graciously presented the Trophy to Noah Johnson-Greenough

Congratulations to Noah Johnson-Greenough as he has demonstrated commitment and excellence in Winter Series small-boat racing.

Bob Stewart (Mr. Aloha) once again exemplified his generosity by providing awards to Dana Britton and Nancy Maclean of Harrison Outrigger Team (HOT) as the individuals in the PNWORCA 2025 Small-Boat Racing Winter Series who had demonstrated a passion for the sport of outrigger canoeing by participating in races in Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland.

There were 66 paddlers who completed one or more races in the OC1 Masters Division. Canada would have Two of the Top Six in the Peter Forand Masters Challenge standings after the PNWORCA / CORA 2025 Small-Boat Racing Winter Series Championship event. Bob Stewart (Jericho) 4th Place, and Dana Britton (Harrison) 6th Place.

 

CORA wishes to recognize these individuals who were Top 3 Finishers overall in their Boat / Gender / Age Division:

• Dana Britton (1st OC1 Women), Bob Stewart (1st OC1 Men), Graeme Galves (1st V1 Men), Andrew Commodore (1st V1 Men)
• Doug Thomas (3rd OC1 Men)

 

For more information about the Peter Forand Masters Challenge, CLICK HERE