Six Powell River Outrigger Canoe Society members have qualified to compete in the World Outrigger Sprint Championships, a biennial competition taking place this July in Papeete, Tahiti.
Polynesia is the birthplace of this style of canoeing and the chance to represent Canada in competition at the event is an unexpected thrill, according to team member Holly Peterson.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get to Tahiti,” said Peterson. “It’s very exciting.”
A call was put out to members of the local club in the fall of 2017, and after completing time trials, six local women and one spare were chosen to compete in the golden masters category for women over the age of 60. Considering the small size of the club and community, Powell River has been very successful in competition, according to Peterson’s teammate Susan Hanson.
“We’ve actually done really well for such a small club,” said Hanson. “We compete against Vancouver, Victoria, clubs that have 300 members, and we win.”
Of the six teammates, four are in their 70s. They will also compete in a separate category, known as kapunas, joined by two other Canadian participants to make a crew of six.
The women have been training with coach Michael Matthews all winter and in all kinds of weather. It takes a lot to keep them off the water, said team member Susan Milligan.
“We’ve found even when it’s blowing we can still practice and paddle under the bridge [at Powell Lake]. We haven’t cancelled any practices, except in the snow,” said Milligan.
The athletes participate in team practices on the lake and ocean, along with twice-weekly weight-training sessions, and more paddling.
“It keeps you fit,” said Hanson. “We’ve done our Tahiti practices twice a week, and we also have opportunities for recreational paddles two or three other days a week.”
Although the Tahiti competition is not until July, for months the team has been collectively goal setting for what they hope to achieve at the race.
“This is my first worlds,” said paddler Brenda Allan. “I like racing, the competition. It seems so far away but it’s coming fast.”
In the lead up to Tahiti the crew will compete in other races, including the Wake Up The Gorge sprint race in Victoria on April 14.
What began as a hobby in retirement for many of the women involved has evolved into more than they ever expected. The other aspect of the team is the friendships that have been made. “I really love the sport, love the crew,” said team member Lynette Mangan. “It’s been incredible. The team building, the friendship, everything.”
