In distance, Marina Del Rey hosted the Kahanamoku Klassic with Na Leo crews on the water, including first timer SCORA racers, Aziza, Chantou, Helme and Natasha. Na Leo set the pace and took first place in 46:10 in the women’s short course powered by Ash, Mikaela, Natasha, Zoie, Hillarie and Lena. In the coed short course, Eric, Ilona, Derek, Chantou, Aziza and Joey (steering his first short course) the crew pulled 4th of 12, and in the men’s long course, Helme, Joey, Brad, Kahale, Steen and Vince were 26 of 31. Congratulations too to Caleb for his first keiki race. Winners all! Thank you also to our volunteers for support SCORA and congratulations racers! Looking forward to the last iron race of the season at Iron Champs in San Diego!

In sprint, Na Leo’s sprint crew Team Phoenix raced in Northern California Outrigger Racing Association first regatta hosted by O’Kalani OCC in Alameda, CA. Our women’s 50s, 60s took first place in 500M and 1000M turns, and Team Phoenix 70s took first and second place. The Team Phoenix open men’s sprint crew went to the Pacific Northwest Outrigger Canoe Association races at Silverlake, WA. Taking second place in men’s open 500M and 1500M and 40s men. A great experience for all our sprint paddlers on their path to representing SCORA and the U.S. in Singapore for the International Va’a Federation World Sprint Championships. Go team!

Aloha. The first week of May brought Lei Day and Crystal Pier, the first race of the Southern California Outrigger Racing Association (SCORA) season. Na Leo O Ke Kai took two short course crews and two long course crews, many of our ohana racing in a SCORA event for the first time. Congratulations to: Natalie, Hillaire, Jesse, Brad, Christian, Justin, Ed and Steen. Check out the gallery below for all the fun!

And the three-month countdown has started for Na Leo’s International Va’a Federation (IVF) Team Phoenix sprint crews. Six crews will represent the U.S. in Singapore in August: men’s open, women’s open, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. Congratulations also to Team Phoenix racers chosen for the U.S. Elite crew – Lori Musico, Laura Baack, Suzy Strazzulla, Eri and Tek Li, Terrence Leong, Matt Norfleet and Trevor Reuss. In addition, most of these racers will also be one of three in the U.S. in their age categories competing in V1, in addition to Teddy Gray, Hedy Downing and MaryLud Baldwin. More than 4,000 competitors are headed to Singapore, including us: Go Team!

Thank you to everyone who came out to the canoe blessing and naming!

Come connect and celebrate the arrival of our new canoe.

Happy New Year to you all! A note to end the season from 2025 President Betty Flores:

“As my time as your President and Board member comes to a close, I want to extend my sincere thanks to the fellow board members I’ve served with over the past five years—and most importantly, to our paddlers. You are the heart of this club, and you truly make Na Leo ‘O Ke Kai a family.

Celebrating a Banner Year: 2025 Highlights

We achieved some incredible milestones this past year that deserve to be celebrated:
Racing Success: Strong turnouts throughout the SCORA season, capped off by a fantastic time at Another Dam Race.
Giving Back: We donated two canoes to our Colorado outrigger ohana and volunteered our time at the Feed My Starving Children event.
Club Growth: We officially welcomed Team Phoenix sprint program under the Na Leo banner!
Excellence: Congratulations again to our 2025 Scholarship and Member of the Year winners.
The Big Win: After years of fundraising and volunteer hours, we purchased a new Puakea Malolo racing canoe! It is expected to arrive in February, giving us plenty of time to train before the season begins.

Looking Forward

While there are still items on the “to-do” list, I have full confidence in our 2026 President Ash and our incoming 2026 Board. They have my full support as they lead us into another successful year.

Thank you all for your patience, your support, and your beautiful Aloha spirit.

As our 2024 Na Leo sprint crew Team Phoenix jerseys reminded us: Hoʻomau—to persevere, continue, and endure.“

Elections for our 2026 board members and officers are coming up! Thank you to all our club board members and coaches who have supported our paddlers and Ohana throughout 2025 and consistently volunteered their time to help meet our fundraising goals to support our adult and keiki programs. Come celebrate the year with us at our Na Leo Holiday Party on Nov. 22 and be part of our Thanksgiving Imu fundraiser: Prep and Drop off on Nov. 26, Pick up Day on Nov. 27 (YUM!). See link/QR to order below!

What’s next on the water? As the race season winds up, Na Leo will take multiple crews to Another Dam Race in Parker, AZ on Nov. 15 to race in short course and long course. So excited to have 20+ paddlers participating and happy to support other groups taking on new experiences and racing along with us. Welcome to our new paddlers and novices racing for the first time!

This fall also brought success to our veteran racers in our Na Leo sprint program, Team Phoenix, at U.S. Nationals in V1 and V6. Our open, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s wahine and open kane crews were officially invited to represent the U.S. at the International Va’a Federation Sprint Championships in Singapore in 2026. In addition, many of our individual paddlers will race for the US in V1 and join the US Elite V6 crews. Go Team!

Na Leo O Ke Kai joined paddlers from SCORA clubs for the first two races of the year: Crystal Pier and Battle of the Breakwater. New experiences all around. At Crystal Pier keiki, wahine and kane crews represented. At B of B, Nā Leo wāhine repped with Mikaela Ginerva (Team USA DB padder too!), who sat seat 1 stroking for Lanakila and taking 1st Place. Good days with more to come.