July 2025 Newsletter
President's Message
Aloha Capital Outrigger ʻOhana!
I'm writing to you from across the globe—currently wrapping up some time in Thailand and getting ready to head back home later this month. Even from afar, I've been following all the energy, heart, and hustle you've been putting in, and I couldn't be prouder of how our club continues to show up for one another and for our paddling community.
This season, you've welcomed new faces, supported each other through practices and races, and kept the spirit of teamwork alive both on and off the water. Our membership is growing (we are now at over 100 members 🎉), our skills are leveling up, and it's clear that the momentum we're building isn't just about race results—it's about connection, commitment, and a lot of shared joy.
At our last board meeting, we covered a lot of ground, including approving several small but important equipment purchases to support our paddlers and keep things running smoothly, including new walkie-talkies, a changing tent, protective tape for the canoes, dry bags, buoys, and first aid kits. These additions are aimed at improving both safety and convenience for our crews.
On the racing front, we've had strong showings from our crews at this month's regattas. Instead of Catalina this year, we're planning to participate in the Queen's Race in Kona—a new adventure for the team.
There are plenty of exciting things on the horizon, from upcoming races and outreach events to new club initiatives. One project that's been long in coming is the launch of a club merch store—think new shirts, gear, and ways to show off our Capital Outrigger pride (and maybe raise a little $$ as well). More details to come. If you've got ideas for designs or items you'd love to see, please send them my way! Your creativity and feedback are always welcome.
I can't wait to be back on the water with you all soon. Until then, keep supporting each other, paddling hard, and making this community what it is—one of the most welcoming, determined, and downright fun groups I've ever had the honor to be part of.
See you soon!
River
Welcome New Paddlers!
- Kerri Saska
- Elizabeth Sparkman
- John Charles Sparkman
- Julia JW Chan
What's Ahead?
Here's what you'll find in this month's newsletter:
✅ Upcoming Events – Summer race calendar, July birthdays, and ways to join us at the Hōʻike, PaddleSplash, and more (volunteers needed!).
✅ Race Updates – Podium wins, team highlights, first-year racer shoutouts, and everything you need to know for long-distance season.
✅ Canoe & Equipment News – Fresh gear, safety upgrades, and how these new tools help keep our crews happy and dry.
✅ Meet Your Teammates – This month's mystery paddler once raced in Sri Lanka with poisonous snakes for company. Can you guess who?
✅ Culture Corner – Local hula events, powerful Hawaiian music, language lessons, and a celebration of our paddling community's rich traditions.
Keep reading for all the latest, plus ways to get involved, give back, and connect with your fellow paddlers!
🗓️ July Events
- July 12 • 1–3 PM • 2025 Hōʻike • Mo'olelo (stories) from The Big Island of Hawai'i, shared through dance, 'oli, and mele. — Luther Burbank High School
- July 12 • 9am – 4pm - Inter Tribal Tule Boat Races - Black Miners Bar
- July 12 · The Gorge Race - OR
- July 19 · The Gorge Champ - OR
- July 21 · 5:30 PM - CO Board Meeting · Location TBD
- July 25–27 · Paddle Splash — (Volunteers Needed for Booth)
- July 26 · Sanctuary Challenge - Santa Cruz
- July 26 · Sat – 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM - Learn to Paddle Class (Volunteers Needed)
- August 1 · 7:30 PM — PōpoloHeno: Songs of Resilience and Joy, a powerful concert celebrating the contributions of African descent individuals in Hawaiian history. · Blue Shield of California Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
- August 2 - 'Round the Rock - San Francisco
Reminder: Submit Agenda Items for the July 21st Meeting
If you have items to include on the agenda for our Board Meeting on July 21st, please submit them no later than July 11th at capitaloutrigger@gmail.com. Your input is valuable and helps ensure our discussions address what matters most to our Ohana. Thank you!
🎉 July Birthdays
Special thanks to Dale Hoffman-Floerke & Cathy Stomsvik for being the keepers of these important dates!
🍰 Julie Chan, July 6
🍰 Jonathon Brunson, July 7
🍰 Tom McCoin, July 7
🍰 Cathy Stomsvik, July 9
🍰 James Stilley, July 13
🍰 Jeanmarie Morse, July 15
🍰 Ellie Johnson, July 22
🍰 Toni Erlewine, July 27
🏁 Race Updates:
If you have not yet gotten your race card, click here to do that now.
Race Report: Highlights from the 2025 Summer Regatta Season
Capital Outrigger showed up strong this season, bringing home medals, memories, and milestones. Across three regattas, our paddlers displayed incredible teamwork, determination, and heart. Here's a quick look at how our crews performed:
Our Team Placed 3rd in A Division for the Season!
🏁 Regatta 1
- Novice Women – Capital Prime: 🥇 1st place, 3:06.75
- Novice Men – Wave Riders: 🥇 1st place, 2:37.26
- Novice Coed – Paddle Pirates: 🥇 1st place, 2:56.13
- Master 60 Men – Lake Legends: 🥉 3rd place, 2:56.64
🏁 Regatta 2
- Novice Men – Wave Riders: 🥇 1st place, 3:04.90
🏁 Regatta 3
- Master 50 Women – These Are Not the Droids You Are Looking For: 🥉 3rd place, 3:14.19
🌟 Shoutout to Our First-Year Racers
This season marked the first year of racing for several new paddlers—each one bringing dedication and spirit to the team:
Kathy U, Kathy M, Jill, Barbara, Bill, Rob, Kelly, Kristine, Robin, Woody, Nathan — congratulations on a strong first season!
🌟 Big Love to Our Coaches
Here's to the coaches who show up rain or shine, push us past our limits, and remind us what we're capable of—on and off the water. We couldn't do it without your dedication, patience, and fierce belief in every one of us. Thank you for making this team stronger.
🎓 Graduating from Novice Status
A big round of applause to our paddlers who have officially raced their way out of novice status:
Bettina, Vicky, Nicole, Norina, Webster, and Terryn — we're so proud of your growth and grit.
💪 Master 60 Women: Racing Together All Season
Special recognition goes to this powerhouse crew who raced all three regattas together this season:
Claire, Gale, Kathy U, Robin, Kristine, and Kelly
(With a heartfelt thanks to Diane for stepping in when needed!)
And a big shoutout to Don Stomsvik for his dedicated work with the morning Master Women's crew—congrats on your podium finish!
🧭 Mahalo to Our Steerspeople
Our steerspeople kept us straight and strong through every race—thank you to:
Ahna, Kelly, Bob, Jack, Jimmy, Erin, and John
Here's to every paddle pulled, every cheer shouted, and every moment shared on and off the water. Let's keep this momentum going—see you at practice and on the start line!
Long Distance Races Coming up!
With long distance races around the corner please sign up for those as early as you can, so we can start putting crews together and practice with those crews. Quick reminder that if you want to do the long course you need to attend long distance practices (saturdays or tues/thu evenings).
Anyone racing any course for the rest of the season MUST do a huli drill with spray skirts on. The coaches will be starting a list for that.
Also, we've got 2 Crews of paddlers competing in the Queen Liliuokalani Long Distance Canoe Race 2025 in August!!!
If you have questions, please reach out to your Race Rep - Norina Florendo or Coach Ahna.
Looks like fun!
Photo credits - Diane Hill and Norina Florendo
😊 Volunteer Opportunities
Learn to Paddle Classes - July 26th — Sign up on Teamsnap
PaddleSplash - July 26t5-27th
We are hoping to get enough volunteers to be a part of Paddlesplash this year- a 3 day event including SUP races and other fun activities.
Details and sign up coming soon, but hoping to have club members down there friday and or sunday to give canoe rides and possibly help with water safety during the race.
Holo Holo Music Festival - late September Experience the vibrant sounds of island-inspired music and community celebration at the two-day Holo Holo Festival in Sacramento. We're planning to set up a club booth to connect with festival-goers and share what Capital Outrigger is all about. If you're interested in helping us staff the booth—even for just a couple of hours—please let us know; we'd love your support!
Coaches Corner
Why Recovery Matters in Your Training Routine
Contributed by Coach Ahna (via Facebook)
Whether you're pushing hard in OC1 training or just trying to stay strong and injury-free, finding the right balance between effort and recovery can feel like a moving target. Anna Mathisen shares her honest take on what it really looks like to build strength and endurance without burning out. Here are five key lessons from her latest article—perfect for any paddler (or athlete) looking to train smarter, not just harder.
Here are five key takeaways from Anna Mathisen's article "How I'm Balancing OC1 Training with Recovery to Get Stronger":
- Rest is Not Weakness – Anna emphasizes that more rest isn't slacking—it's essential for adaptation. She reminds paddlers: "stress + rest = adaptation."
- Listen to Your Body – Instead of pushing through fatigue, she encourages checking in with how your body feels—especially when tired and technically off, it's time to dial back.
- Quality Over Quantity – Rather than more miles, focus on high‑quality sessions. Include technique drills, purposeful endurance, and tempo work balanced with recovery.
- Structured Recovery Tools – Incorporate easy paddles, stretching, foam rolling, mobility work—and even passive rest—to let muscles rebuild stronger.
- Train Hard, Recover Harder – Anna's learning curve: loving to "race hard," but recognizing that high intensity without recovery leads to fatigue instead of strength.
👋 Meet Your Teammates
with Robin Kurotori
Our July Mystery Teammate used to do whitewater paddling in the area but many of their friends stopped paddling. They were looking to find another way to get out on the water and bought an OC-1 with a friend during Covid. They taught themselves how to paddle and discovered Capital Outrigger about 8 months ago.
This teammate joined a friend in an OC-6 as a guest paddler in Monterey and loved the feeling of being on the ocean with a crew of like-minded souls. "The nature, beauty of the ocean, the exercise, and sense of belonging was strong. After that, I knew I had to check out Capital Outrigger when I got home."
We're so glad they did!
The June 14th race in Alameda was the first time they raced, and they found it to be an exhilarating experience. (I may give away their identity with this next part!) "We had a fast team, and I felt that I was able to incorporate some of the great coaching tips that I have received over the past 8 months from the Capital Outrigger coaches." They enjoyed socializing after the race with other team members, since practices don't allow much get-to-know-you time. They really liked getting to know the folks in our paddling community better. (That's what it is all about, right?) Being a part of this paddling community pushed them outside of their normal exercise comfort zone which was great. They also liked the whole vibe of the club and the people.
This member once worked on a ship and travelled nonstop from Galveston TX towards the southeast around the Cape of Good Hope off South Africa, then up the east side of Africa all the way to Saudi Arabia. "It made me appreciate the beauty of the changing constellations and oceans." On a crazier level, they once went water skiing in Sri Lanka with a very sketchy fishing boat and crew in an area where there were poisonous snakes visible in the water. The snakes provided great motivation to stay upright but the experience was also very exhilarating. Yikes. I would think so!
Our July Member is working toward getting in paddling shape so they will be competitive in long distance races this year and would like to improve their paddling form. They are most proud of their son who is graduating soon from the University of Hawaii, Oahu, and their daughter who is a UCSC (slug) graduate and is now starting her working life. "Raising kids is a long-distance race – not a sprint!" I bet their parenting form is top notch!
Even if you already know who our Mystery Paddler is, you might not know that in their early 20's, they worked as a 2nd Mate (navigator) on U.S. Merchant ships (container ships and oil tankers) and traveled around the world for about 6 years mostly in Asia, the Middle East, Alaska, and Europe. Having been around the world, when asked where they would like to paddle, they responded that there were so many great places to paddle but Hawaii is first on the list. Good choice!
Scroll down to see if you have guessed the July Member correctly.
Want to help your teammates get to know you better? We're looking for volunteers for future articles. Please reach out to Robin (rkurotori@gmail.com) for more information. It is quite fun and takes only about 15 minutes of your time! Hope to hear from you!
Culture Corner
Contributing members - Gale Lee & Cathy Stomsvik
This month's Culture Corner is packed with opportunities to connect, celebrate, and support the vibrant traditions that shape our paddling 'ohana. From hula to Hawaiian music to powerful stories of resilience, we hope to see you out in the community soaking it all in!
Aloha Capital ʻOhana!
My hālau, Kūhai Hālau O Kaponookalani Pā ʻŌlapa Kahiko, will be holding its Hōʻike on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at Luther Burbank High School from 1–3 PM.
This special event will feature hula performances, live music from Ho'okipa, local vendors and artists, raffle prizes, and food trucks. Several of our club members have already grabbed tickets—and I'd love to see more of you there!
Event Theme:
He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauā ke kanaka
The land is chief; people are its servant
Come celebrate Hawaiian culture, enjoy the artistry, and support your fellow paddler on her hula journey. 🌋
Buy tickets here - 🎟️ bit.ly/2025-hoike
Mahalo nui loa,
Gale
Another event not to be missed!👇
Shared by club member Cathy Stomsvik, this powerful event is not to be missed!
Join the world premiere of Pōpoloheno: Songs of Resilience and Joy on Friday, August 1, 2025 at 7:30 PM at the Blue Shield of California Theater in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco.
This one-night-only concert features performances by:
Kawika Alfiche, Ikaika Blackburn, Kamakakēhau Fernandez, Patrick Landeza, Azure McCall, Kalani Peʻa, Kaulike Pescaia, Māhealani Uchiyama, and Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine.
This groundbreaking event celebrates the often-overlooked contributions of African descent individuals in post-contact Hawaiian history. Come witness the fusion of culture, history, and music in an evening of resilience, remembrance, and joy.
🎟️ Tickets on sale now: centerforinternationaldance.org/popoloheno
'Olelo Lesson:
Akua - god, goddess, also can mean spirit
Hemo - loose, untie, we used it to also to open
Pehea 'oe? - How are you?
Hau'oli - Happy
Hau'oli La Hanau - Happy Birthday.
Pono - goodness, balance
Have you guessed our July Mystery Teammate?
Meet Rob Sanger shown here with his son and daughter and a mysterious guest in the background. Say hi next time you see him (or the Yeti).
When your neighbor's holiday spirit is literally larger than life. Bonus points if the Yeti joins your family photo!
Want to Contribute?
📝 Share Your Knowledge in Our Newsletter!
We're looking for members to contribute articles about Hawaiian culture, paddling history, or anything you think would inspire and inform our ohana. Whether you have a story to share or insights to offer, we'd love to feature your voice! Upload your article here or email it to us at capitaloutrigger@gmail.com.
👋 Help Us Build Connections!
To encourage us to get to know each other better, we're introducing a Get to Know Your Teammates section in our newsletter.
Want to be featured?
Just answer a few fun questions here and share as much (or as little) as you'd like. Let's celebrate the amazing individuals who make up our ohana!
