Author: Peggy Coulombe

Powering up

/ Peggy Coulombe

Tempe Town Lake is refilling! So, Na Leo O Ke Kai outrigger canoe is celebrating our last few weeks of practices at The Lakes. We are thankful for being able to power up our training there and at Saguaro Lake, where our iron men’s crew has been putting in long distances – the first steps toward a Molokai Hoe journey for 2016. Our keiki have their first race at Shakafest, April 23 in California, just before the start of the Southern California Outrigger Racing Association (SCORA) race season.  We also will see four of our individual paddlers heading out to do the CAL100 and The Gorge Downwind Champs this year. There are lots of options to learn, compete and grow with Na Leo O Ke Kai.

Want to be part of the action? Meet us at The Lakes on Tues, Thurs at 5:45 p.m. and Saturday at 8:00 a.m…until May 10!!

Questions: John Gallaudet – johngallaudet@gmail.com or 602-550-0287

Please check our FaceBook page for updates!

Arizona Outrigger – Spring in action

/ Peggy Coulombe

While Na Leo O Ke Kai outrigger canoe weekday training has moved to The Lakes residential community temporarily, our outrigger paddlers are canoeing in the Pacific Ocean and local Arizona lakes on weekends. The iron men’s team, now sponsored by Rogue, Athletes Brand, FieldFit, Eascor and PsychoJock are pushing their distance training at Saguaro Lake. Our athletes are also racing and taking medals in the Southern California Outrigger Racing Association (SCORA) winter series competitions for OC1, OC2, SUP, surfski, rudderless V1 and prone boards. Na Leo O Ke Kai paddlers walked away with four 1st place wins at the very first North Shore Extreme on the Salton Sea, as well as medals at the Hal Rosoff Classic 2016 at Newport Aquatics Center. We also took more 1sts at the Lanakila Classic. Congratulations to Vince San Nicolas (prone), Anne Cook (SUP), Rose Martinez (SUP, OC2), Ceci Ng (OC2) and Peggy (aka Margaret) Coulombe (OC2).  Wishing you all luck for your upcoming events, the Dana Ocean Challenge and PaddleMe Championships (Malibu to Marina).

Want to be part of the action? Meet us at The Lakes on Tues, Thurs at 5:45 p.m. and Saturday at 8:00 a.m. If you’re running late for practice or need directions, please text or call your coaches:

Randy (head and women’s coach) – 602-663-3810
Rich (men’s coach) – 602-617-9106
Vince (assistant men’s) – 808-343-3296
Carol (assistant women’s) – 602-663-8030
If you can’t make it out yet, come find us at the Arizona Aloha Festival!

Please check our FaceBook page for updates and see you there!

Bye Bye TTL – for now

/ Peggy Coulombe

We’ve moved! Tempe Town Lake is about to get a new dam, which means Na Leo O Ke Kai outrigger canoe has moved practices to The Lakes for the next 6 weeks (or more). We are fortunate to be part of a residential community that is so generous and thank The Lakes Association, Rich and Andrea Gorrill (residents) for their willingness to support our outrigger Ohana.

Our approved hours are Tues, Thurs at 5:45 p.m. and Saturday at 9:00 a.m. Remember to keep the noise level down and the area clean for our hosts!

If you’re running late for practice or need directions, please text or call your coaches:

Randy (head and women’s coach) – 602-663-3810
Rich (men’s coach) – 602-617-9106
Vince (assistant men’s) – 808-343-3296
Carol (assistant women’s) – 602-663-8030

Please check our FaceBook page for updates and see you there!

Bon Voyage Coach Peggy!

/ Peggy Coulombe

Happy Holidays and New Year, Ohana! Thanks to everyone who made 2015 special. Our year was filled with good times, from OC6 medals in Alcatraz and Catalina and small boat wins in the California winter series races, to luaus, keiki competitions, concerts and kalua pig fundraisers.  This year was memorable too for racing our new beautiful Pure unlimited canoe and bringing us to new places not just in competition, but in experience and fellowship. Great adventures ahead in 2016!

We also bid bon voyage, but not goodbye, to our head coach, Margaret (Peggy) Coulombe, who was invited to coach Na Leo ‘O Ke Kai’s women’s crew by Uncle Lono in 2005 and who went on to lead the club as head coach and women’s coach from 2007 to 2015. Under her leadership, Na Leo women’s crews consistently achieved top 10 finishes in their OC6  race categories and Na Leo’s men’s and women’s crews excelled locally as well as medalled for the first times in CA. She took the first crew from Arizona to compete in IVF World Sprints in Calgary, Canada in 2012 and led a women’s crew to a silver medal win at World’s in Brazil in 2014. Coach Peggy was also a driving force, expanding our relationships, recruitment, training and skills, web presence and equipment, including acquisition of new OC6 canoes and donation of the first small boats to the club. While she goes forward to more adventures and we won’t see her like clockwork on the docks as before, we know how much she values (and has valued) her time with Na Leo and wishes great things for all of us in 2016 and beyond! Cheehu!!

Thank you Ohana!

/ Peggy Coulombe

Thank you to everyone who came out and made our annual charity Luau awesome!

In addition to entertainment that rocked, special thanks to all our keiki, who served our guests at the Phoenix Ale Brewery.

Remember, if you didn’t get gifts at the event, you can still order goodies, such as our Na Leo O Ke Kai Growler ($10) and pint glasses ($5 each) or a set of four glasses plus Growler – $25, as well as trucker hats and other cool apparel. Contact carolducosin@rocketmail.com

For updates on practices, now that we are in the holidays season, check out our practice page or follow us on Facebook. Mahalo!

Get them while they’re hot! Luau tickets going fast.

/ Peggy Coulombe

The 2nd annual Charity Luau is Nov. 14 from 5-10 p.m. at Phoenix Ale Brewery, 3002 E. Washington St. Phoenix, 85034. (602)-275-5049. There’s a 50/50 raffle, Silent Auction and raffle prizes.

In addition to entertainment that rocks, we’ve got goodies on sale: A Na Leo O Ke Kai Growler ($10) and pint glasses ($5 each) or a set of four glasses plus Growler – $25, as well as trucker hats and other cool apparel.

Did I mention the menu? YUM! Kalua Pig, Chicken Long Rise, Lomi Salad, Rice, Toss Salad, Guava Cake and poi (upon request). Also, $5 Portuguese Bean Soup.

Entertainment  includes: 5:30 p.m. Dinner/Hula show; 6:15 p.m. Sistah Ui & The Unified Band; 7-9 p.m. Kush County.

PreSale Tickets: Adults $25 ($30 at the door). $15 Keiki (Children age 12 & under – $20 at the door). Free for Keiki 5 & under.  Contact carolducosin@rocketmail.com

Come join our Ohana for the best event of the season! To find out what’s coming up in and out of the canoe: follow us on Facebook

Buy your tickets now: Hawaiian Charity Luau – Nov. 14

/ Peggy Coulombe

While we wind down our racing season, we wind up our 2nd annual Charity Luau!

Please join us on Nov. 14 from 5-10 p.m. at Phoenix Ale Brewery, 3002 E. Washington St. Phoenix, 85034. (602)-275-5049. Entertainment  includes:

5:30 p.m. Dinner/Hula show; 6:15 p.m. Sistah Ui & The Unified Band; 7-9 p.m. Kush County.

PreSale Tickets: Adults $25 ($30 at the door). $15 Keiki (Children age 12 & under – $20 at the door). Free for Keiki 5 & under.  Contact carolducosin@rocketmail.com

Come join our Ohana for the best event of the season! If you miss out, remember that this is one of the best times of year to try outrigger canoe in Arizona. You don’t have to have experience, just bring your good mana to share. To find out what’s coming up: follow us on Facebook

A day of remembrance

/ Peggy Coulombe

This week we are thinking of our troops and everyone impacted by 9/11. We also kept our teammates on our coed and men’s crews  in our hearts as they took on the  Southern California Outrigger Racing Association Catalina Challenge on Sept. 12-13. Our coed crew took 4th place – a first for AZ – and our men’s crew was the first we’ve fielded since 2005. Big accomplishment for all our paddlers, most especially our novices!

Coming up, we remember old friends for the Okie O’Connor Hot Head Challenge on Tempe Town Lake on Oct. 3, and Another Dam Race  in Parker, AZ on Nov. 7, which honors co-founders Deb Robison and Larry Smith.

This is one of the best times of year to try outrigger canoe in Arizona. You don’t have to have experience, just bring your good mana to share. To find out what’s coming up: follow us on Facebook

Lakes do create winning outrigger crews!

/ Peggy Coulombe

Congratulations to our 2nd place masters coed crew  who competed at the Round the Rock Challenge -Alcatraz under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, along with crews from NCOCA, Hawaii and Australia.

Coming up are change races for the Southern California Outrigger Racing Association‘s Oceanside race and the Catalina Challenge 9-man in Aug. and Sept.

Novice paddlers, there is also something for you! Outrigger in Arizona on Tempe Town Lake for the Okie O’Connor Hot Head Challenge on Tempe Town Lake on Oct. 3, and in Parker, AZ for Another Dam Race on Nov. 7. Come out and join in the fun!

We are always recruiting new outrigger canoe members. You don’t have to have experience, just an interest in joining with a fun community. To find out what’s coming up: follow us on Facebook

Outrigger races heating up

/ Peggy Coulombe

Aloha! While it’s pushing triple-digits in Arizona, our outrigger Ohana is chilling for summer. We are on the water training for the Round the Rock Challenge -Alcatraz under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on Aug. 8; change races for the Southern California Outrigger Racing Association‘s Oceanside race and the Catalina Challenge 9-man in Aug. and Sept., and other fun in Arizona, both on Tempe Town Lake for the Okie O’Connor Hot Head Challenge on Tempe Town Lake on Oct. 3, and in Parker, AZ for Another Dam Race on Nov. 7. Come out and join in the fun!

We are always recruiting new outrigger canoe members. You don’t have to have experience, just an interest in joining with a fun community. To find out what’s coming up: follow us on Facebook!