Pacific Paddler February, 2016 - (Page 16)

Pacific Northwest BY TYLER IRWIN Newport Aquatic Center men's crew made the trek up north. While the conditions were not classic downwind conditions, they made the most of the situation and came away with the overall win. Kai Nalu preparing for the turn at the top of the course with Kai Ikaika, Bend and False Creek battling during the calm winds and blazing heat. PHOTO BY JASMINE SPEAKS, POSTED ON FACEBOOK Hano Hano ladies working to put their stamp on the race during the 2015 Gorge Outrigger races. The ladies made their return home to San Diego with 2nd place and a taste of conditions in the Gorge. PHOTOS BY KEVIN T MCHUGH PHOTOS BY KEVIN T. MCHUGH 2015 was an awesome year of racing in the Pacific Northwest! Unseasonably warm temperatures led to early starts for many of the clubs in the region which led to more water time and more competitive battles during the race season. A revised race schedule for PNW-ORCA led to a more compressed race schedule for the clubs in the region, and at one point we found ourselves racing 8 consecutive weekends in a row! Needless to say, the area paddlers jumped at the opportunities to race in awesome locations that ranged from Bellingham to the north and as far south as Stevenson, Washington and Portland, Oregon. 2015 also introduced a new set of races called the Gorge Downwind Festival. This weeklong event was kicked off by the annual Gorge Ironman Race that had temperatures reaching 100+ Fahrenheit and a rare day of no wind. The week following the Gorge Iron race was filled 16 PACiFiC PADDLER DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 with epic downwind runs, downwind clinics put on by both Johnny Puakea and Kai Bartlett and capped off by the Downwind Champs Race and Wildside Relay. The week of racing had major appeal for paddlers to travel from Southern California, Florida, and Hawai'i to get their fill of downwind surfing and to explore the Northwest's sights and popular breweries. 2016 is looking to be another big year with a lot of racing on the schedule. Wakinikona Hawaiian Club based out of Seattle will be hosting the first event of the PNW-ORCA Winter Series starting on January 9th! We'll see you on the water. http://www.pnworca.org http://www.pnworca.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Paddler February, 2016

Kanaka Ikaika
Pacific Northwest
OIA
Cook Islands - Vaka Eiva
California Paddling
Wetdashe Dry Change Race
Ikaika Waterman: Kai Wilding
Breathing Mechanics for Paddlers
Vaka Taumoku

Pacific Paddler February, 2016