We offer programs for YOUTH, first time paddlers and experienced paddlers of all ages.
Dana Outrigger competes in all regularly scheduled SCORA events.
To view all SCORA races and their schedule, please click here.
Keiki & Junior
Programs
Dana Outrigger is proud to offer one of the strongest YOUTH Programs in the area.
We compete in the Southern California Outrigger Racing Association (SCORA), which recognizes the following age divisions: 10 & under, 12 & under, 14 & under, 16 & under, and 19 & under. Approximately 100 youths join us each year, ranging from 10 up to 19 years of age.
Races are held in two different formats:
Iron - distance races for experienced paddlers
9-Man - long-distance races for older, more experienced paddlers
Information for the 2024 SEASON is NOW OPEN and can be completed by Clicking Here.
NOTE: All paddlers must supply a SCORA waiver form signed by their parent or guardian. This form is available here: SCORA WAIVER.
Junior Paddlers racing Co-Ed at the 2015 PAO PAO 20-Mile, 9-Man Race in Oceanside.
Keiki Program
New Paddlers aged 14 and under begin Monday, June 5, 2023.
Practice Schedule:
Mondays & Wednesdays · 4 - 6 p.m.
If the paddler turns 15 in 2022, they should register for the Junior Program on Tuesday and Thursday. The minimum age is 10 for the Keiki Program.
Junior Program
New Paddlers aged 15 and up begin Thursday, March 7, 2023.
Practice Schedule:
Tuesdays & Thursdays · 4 - 6 p.m.
Show up at Baby Beach in Dana Point Harbor on the correct date and time. Registration is held on the first day of practice.
All paddlers must be able to swim and tread water proficiently and be in good health.
FEES: $250 per paddler. This includes the race fees charged by SCORA. Additional fees for Junior Paddlers invited to continue into the 9-man season will apply.
Additional Costs: All paddlers must purchase a race jersey and a paddle. These will be made available online as the season approaches. For budgeting purposes, jerseys will run between $20 and $25, and paddles will cost approximately $100.
Returning paddlers with demonstrated proficiency may be invited to start training earlier in the year (April) for the Iron races. Junior Paddlers (15 & up) will race over a distance of about four miles. There are five Iron Races, and they begin in early May and run through June of each year.
Our older, more proficient paddlers may also be invited to participate in the 9-man races. The canoe is followed by an escort boat carrying three additional paddlers in these races. These paddlers will jump off the escort boat and regularly swim in line with the approaching canoe. Three paddlers will jump out when the canoe reaches them, and the three paddlers in the water will take their place. This rotation happens about every 15 to 20 minutes. Three such races are held in August and September. The first 9-man race is our Whitey Harrison Classic, a 20-mile race from Dana Point Harbor to Main Beach in Laguna and back. The second race is the Pao Pao in Oceanside, which is also approximately 20 miles. The 9-man season culminates in the grueling 30-mile Catalina Crossing, which runs from Newport Beach to Avalon.
In 2018, our Junior Girls took SECOND Place, and our Junior Boys took SECOND in their divisions in the Catalina Crossing. The video below shows one of our junior crews racing in the 2014 Whitey Harrison Classic – a 9-man race hosted every year by Dana Outrigger.
If you have questions about the Keiki or Junior Programs, please email the Dana Coaches.
Novice Program
Season Begins in February
Every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. through the end of March. It is $25 monthly until the racing season starts in April.
Dana Outrigger is a Southern California Outrigger Racing Association (SCORA) member. All paddlers must be proficient swimmers. Before our competitive season begins, you will be given a fitness test that includes treading water for 20 minutes and swimming for a measured distance.
At first, practice happened only on the weekends. Then, beginning in March, we will add two weekly practices. We will teach you all the skills to race outrigger canoes in these practices. Be prepared to have fun, get fit, and meet many new friends.
You will soon become very annoying to your non-paddling friends and family members.
It can’t be helped, and they will need to adapt.
After training for several months, the first official races will begin in May. There are 27 member clubs in SCORA, and our official events occur up and down the coast between San Diego and Santa Barbara. You can view our race schedule on the SCORA website by clicking here.
After the Iron Races, a Novice dance competition in San Diego allows everyone to make a fool of themselves.
Those Novices who develop proficiency may also be invited to compete in the 9-man races. These races consist of three events beginning in August – the Whitey Harrison Classic, The Pao Pao in Oceanside, and the Catalina Crossing, which races between Newport Beach and Avalon on Catalina Island. The first two races are approximately 20 miles long, and the Catalina Crossing is a little over 30 miles for the women and 34 miles for the men.
In a 9-man race, the paddlers rotate in and out of the crew at about 15 to 20-minute intervals. The canoe is followed by a chase boat carrying three other paddlers. These paddlers will regularly jump off the chase boat and swim in line with the approaching canoe. As the canoe bears down on the same, three paddlers will jump out of the canoe to the right, and the three replacement paddlers will climb in on the left. Over long-distance races, this rotation of paddlers helps maintain energy levels and keep the canoe moving swiftly. However, hauling yourself into a moving canoe takes skill and a certain fitness level. If you want to compete in 9-man, get into shape as early as possible.
By the end of your novice season, you will have gained new skills,
increased your fitness levels, and made several new friends.
WARNING:
Most people involved in this sport
find it very addictive
Want to give Outrigger a try?
Then, join us at Baby Beach in Dana Point Harbor. Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m.,
starting the first weekend in February and lasting through the end of March.
Pre-register by downloading, completing, and printing the Novice Waiver.
Please bring your printed copy to the beach on your first day paddling.
Pre-pay your Novice dues by visiting our online store.
If you have any questions about the Novice program, please email the Dana Coaches.
Wahines
Women’s Program
Kanes
Men’s Program
Dana Outrigger has an active women's racing program for short and long distances.
Regular practices will start in early March and occur on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Practice Schedule:
Mondays & Wednesdays · 6 - 8 p.m.
Saturdays · 7 - 10 a.m.
The current Head Coach of our Women’s program is Loris Davis & Marcia Michel.
At times, the evening practices have been split into two different sections to accommodate the number of paddlers actively training.
Our top women's team has captured FIRST Place in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Catalina Crossings.
They set a new course record in 2016 and broke the previous record, set in 2002, by approximately 20 minutes. Under past coach leadership, along with the assistance of Johnny Puakea. You can read an article on their success in the Orange County Register by clicking here.
Dana Outrigger has an active men's racing program for short and long distances.
Regular practices will start in early March and occur on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
Practice Schedule:
Tuesdays & Thursdays · 6 - 8 p.m.
Sundays · 7 - 10 a.m.
The current Head Coach of our Men's Program is Rich Long.