Graeme Galves, Author at Canadian Outrigger Racing Association (CORA)

Team Cascadia – In The Beginning

2025-01-022025-01-02 Graeme Galves Leave a comment

It is a quiet time of year with the 2024 CORA AGM, 2024 Christmas, and 2025 New Years Day now behind us, and the first 2025 CORA Sanctioned Event (Jericho PNWORCA / CORA Winter Series small-boat race) just ahead of us. The CORA Historical Committee is making the most of this quiet time to get caught up on long overdue tales.

The CORA Historical Committee published an article in Spring 2023 titled Team Cascadia – Paddlers Without Borders that captured four racing events (Molokai Hoe 2019; Catalina Crossing 2016; Queen Liliuokalani 2015; Molokai Na Wahine 2013) where paddlers from Oregon / Washington / Hawaii / Canada formed international crews to compete against some of the best crews in the world – and did very well.

That CORA website article generated some commentary and several members of Team Cascadia shared the back story on how this whole concept came to be from back in 2011. While you have some quiet time in your training for 2025, have a read of the Team Cascadia – Origins article which provides background on this contingent of paddlers from Oregon / Washington / Hawaii / Canada who had excellent showings at Pailolo and Molokai Hoe from 2012-2018.

CORA Town Hall – 2024 CORA Hall Of Fame – Sunday, November 10, 2024 4PM Pacific

2024-11-262024-11-30 Graeme Galves Leave a comment

The CORA Off-the-Water Video Forum Series has resumed this Autumn 2024 with the next up presentation being Canadian Outrigger Hall Of Fame Induction on SUNDAY NOVEMBER 10 ~ 4PM (PACIFIC).

CORA is hosting this online Town Hall presentation for 2024 Hall Of Fame inductees spread across Canada and around the world. Microwave some popcorn, heat up a warm drink, curl up next to the fireplace, and join us this Autumn evening as our Inductees and Guest Speakers share with you some great tales.

This is an opportunity to get to know those individuals who have been recognized this year including Janet Davis, Ron Dickinson, Zoe Norcross-Nu’u, Ron Zander Williams, Laurel Archer, and Bob Stewart who have made significant and exemplary contributions to outrigger canoeing in Canada over their lifetimes as athletes / coaches-builders and as pioneers. Although their histories have been published on the CORA website, their friends and colleagues have personal insights they wish to share.

Guest speakers are being invited and will hopefully include Ian Pipes Bolden (Gibsons Paddling Club), Mike Billy Junior (North Vancouver Canoe Club), Russell Gunner (Club Physio Plus), Jamie Boulding (Strathcona Park Lodge), Amy (Benskin) Leonard (Sea Kayak Guides Alliance BC), Jacinta Sheridan (“Paddlers Without Borders”), Lance Mamiya (Team Pacific Northwest/FreeLance), Lyse Fortin (Comox), Chelsey Brooks Tidmarsh (Sistership Dragon Boat Association), Ashley Barker (Royal Canadian Air Force Search And Rescue), Julio Villareal (Outrigger Canoe Club Cancun), Matt Kelly (Predator Performance Designs), Mike Petryna (Ontario “Hard Rock Miner”), Jim Farintosh (Pickering Dragon Boat Coach), Stephen / Danielle Kala (Mountain Home CC) and several other luminaries.

Guest Speaker Lance Mamiya of PNWORCA, who spoke on behalf of Laurel Archer, has provided a link to the Multimedia Presentation that was shared during the Canadian Outrigger Hall Of Fame Induction Town Hall.

Topic: CORA Town Hall: Canadian Outrigger Hall Of Fame Induction
Time: Sunday Nov 10, 2024 4:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

CORA 2024 Junior / Novice OC Paddle Draw

2024-10-032024-10-06 Graeme Galves Leave a comment

CORA introduced a new initiative for 2022 at the CORA 2021 Pre-AGM that was continued for 2023 and 2024. To encourage participation by new paddlers at CORA 2024 events, a new Junior / Novice OC Paddle Draw Grant was funded. Every Junior / Novice participant at each CORA Cup Series 2024 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. The response was impressive with 148 entries in total from 12 Western Canada OC clubs. There were at least 10 entries in each of the Junior Women, Junior Men, Novice Women, and Novice Men divisions such that 2 winners were drawn from each of these 4 divisions.

CORA wishes to extend a round of appreciation to Oddball Workshop, our generous sponsor, for contributing Gift Certificates for each of the 8 Junior / Novice winners to redeem for a paddle of a length of their choosing within 1 year from the end-of-season draw date (28-Sep-2024).

CORA wishes to congratulate the 8 Junior / Novice 2024 OC Paddle winners:

Jacob Seward – (Geronimo)
Talia Halperin – (Kelowna Paddle Centre)
Larry Gibson – (Island Brave)
Emily Silver-Douglas – (Star Nation)
Lucas Truscott – (Lotus Sports Club)
Shell De Martin – (Harrison Outrigger Team)
Rob Marus – (False Creek Racing Canoe Club)
Francheska Rodriguez – (Lotus Sports Club)

CORA wishes to extend a round of appreciation to the Race Coordinators (Jim Heuving; Don Mulhall; Vivian Thomas; Grace Morissette; Launa Mandrell) from CORA Cup Series host clubs Penticton (twice), Fort Langley, Latitude 48, and Lotus, as well as the club reps who collected the names of Junior / Novice participants at these 5 events, and forwarded these entries onto the CORA Board for the draw at the Penticton Awards presentation.

Penticton Paddle Sports Association

Fort Langely Canoe Club

Latitude 48

Lotus Sports Club