" THE ANCIAN OCEANIC CRAFT AND SKILL OF OUTRIGGER CANOE PADDLING IS AN ART THAT SYMBOLIZES STRENGTH, DISCIPLINE, DETERMINATION AND TEAMWORK INVOLVING MIND, BODY, SOUL AND CANOE WORKING TOGETHER HARMONIOUSLY AS ONE"

In essence, Outrigger canoeing is not a glamour sport but a cultural one. You cannot help but feel a twinge of the primitive welling up in your emotions as you and five other paddlers, paddle your hearts out across the deep blue ocean; each in time to the paddle rhythm; salt spray mixed with sweat thick on your skin;
and the heavy sweet smell of the ocean pervading the air.
Paddling in an Outrigger gets you far out into the Ocean and into
a truly amazing environment; amongst the swells, the cobalt blue of the ocean depths, the seabirds, the dolphins, the whales, the sharks...

Thousands of years ago, the va'a was considered by many cultures as a "living entity", providing a direct link to their entire existence. It was a means of harvesting food from the ocean,
a way to travel great distances, a vehicle for warfare and was also used for recreation purposes.

Of Humankinds inventiveness in the challenge to travel near or far, the va'a was to the ancient cultures of Oceania, what the wheel was to western culture. As a method of transportation, its impact and significance was on the grandest of scales.

Canoes of all manner of shape, size, construction and material, designed to function in a variety of aquatic environments, are present in most parts of the world. Va'a, which include an outrigger framework, are uniquely different from other types of "canoe".

Over 60 000 years ago, the Open Ocean provided the greatest challenge of all and required the va'a to be more robust and stable to cope with the forces it faced. The va'a with double-outrigger was not considered adequate for deep-water sailing where it would encounter large ocean swells and heavy winds. The solution was to remove one of the outriggers and to increase its size and weight, thus increasing its counterbalance affect allowing the seafarers to venture into deeper waters, traveling distances of over 10 000 kilometers between Hawaii and Tahiti.

The Dugout canoe formed an intrinsic part of many African cultures in tropical regions especially on the West Coast of Africa. In May 1987, a Fulani herdsman discovered a Dufuna Canoe near the River Yobe in Nigeria. It was carbon-dated as being over 8000 years old and made from African mahogany, a black wood.
It is the third oldest dugout canoe ever discovered, the other two originating in the Netherlands and France.

(With thanks to Kanu Cultures' Steve West)

The Outrigger Canoe is a 45-foot (13m) Carbon Fiber boat with an Outrigger or Ama attached to the left hand side. 5 Paddlers and 1 stearer all work in unison, but each have a very specific roll to play when maneuvering and paddling this very big, yet incredibly streamlined boat which can reach up to 25 kilometers per hour.

Outrigger Canoeing is currently the fastest growing water sport
in the Southern Hemisphere. Not only is it an ideal way to stay fit, healthy, and in great shape, but it is also incredibly fun!
Learning to paddle is learning a whole new way of Life for anyone between 10 and 70 years of age!

Qualified Coaches will teach the value of Teamwork, water safety, environmental issues as well as offer gym & nutritional advice. Training is available at Century City, Big Bay, Melkbos, Zandvlei, Zeekoevlei and Fish hoek.

• Internationally recognized & supported
• Affiliated with Outrigger Academy New Zealand
• All year round, low impact sport
• Builds upper body strength
• Creates abdominal core strength
• Increases cardio capacity
• Improves balance and co-ordination
• Improves mental clarification
• Creates inner confidence & great self-esteem
• Maintains a healthy, active & well balanced life style
• Encourages personal, physical & mental development
• Promotes & encourages Team building & self confidence
• Specialized programmes developed to cross train for other sports such as Rugby, cricket, swimming, volleyball, Tennis or hockey.