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Kīkaha’s 30th anniversary look, honors its beginning
When you put on one of Kīkaha’s new 30th anniversary T-shirts, you’ll be wearing a piece of history.
The design was created by Kīkaha paddler Liz Wuerffel, who has a background in art and photography. It was inspired by the club’s first T-shirt design and colors – blue and gold.
“Kīkaha leadership asked me to remake the logo from one of the first Kīkaha branded T-shirts that John Richardson has,” Wuerffel said. “We went through several iterations, from recreating it as closely as possible to creating more modern variations.”
Wuerffel worked with Naomi Strom-Avila’s husband, JP, on a variety of designs before the club chose its final design, one that reflected more of Kīkaha’s original design. The 30th anniversary T-shirt recreates the original circle design with the words “Kīkaha O Ke Kai,” an image of Mount Rainier and a canoe. The original design’s three paddlers and a pink hibiscus flower, however, have been replaced by the club’s current kahili design.
“It’s a mash-up of design elements from our current logo and who we were,” said Eric Stover, the club’s new vice president. “We wanted to lean into the original aspects and colors.”
The design will be used on short-sleeve T-shirts, not race jerseys, and sweatshirts, said Stover, who plans to order a large amount and have them in stock.
Price and availability have not been set yet. Talk Story will let you know when that information is available.
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The twins have a much needed spa day
If you’ve noticed that The Twins look a bit extra shiny this season, that’s because of some TLC from Dirty2Dreamy Ceramic Coating & Detail Service.
Kaimana and Kai Koa, Kīkaha’s year-old Kai Wa‘a Hydra Pro models, gave paddlers awesome experiences last season but ended the year a little bruised for the effort, said Eric Stover, the club’s new vice president.
Stover reached out to Dirty2Dreaming owner Jonathan Monson, whom he knows. Stover, Monson and one of Monson’s employees polished both canoes over four days in February. Monson donated his company’s services. They applied a ceramic coating to the hull and ama of each canoe, Stover said. About a dozen Kīkaha members helped with loading and unloading the canoes.
“We used polishers and removed a lot of surface level dings and scratches,” Stover said. “But we didn’t do a lot of paint correction, which would have brought them back 100 percent.”
Although the Hydras were new, that might have worked against them.
“Since they are first generation Hydras, the durability of the paint isn’t amazing,” Stover said. “It’s on the softer side. Most of the dings were from paddling and wear and tear of loading and unloading.”
It is important to remember that Kaimana and Kai Koa – like all of the club’s canoes – are more than just boats, Stover said.
“At the end of the day, they are extra special to us,” he said. “Uncle Boy Chun Fook has been comparing them to koa boats in Hawaii. But we should treat all of our canoes with care equally. They should be taken care of like family.”
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Kīkaha elects new officers
Kīkaha members elected a new slate of club officers in March.
Serving the club will be Nellie Bell (president), Eric Stover (vice president), Sofia Zapata (treasurer) and Julia Mielish (secretary).
As the new president, Bell has this message for Kīkaha members:
Mahalo nui loa for the incredible support and trust you’ve placed in me as your new president. It is truly an honor to serve this club and every one of you who makes our community so special.
As our Head Wahine Coach Rose Nash so beautifully reminded us, our kuleana — our shared responsibility — is up to all of us. While the board helps steer the canoe, the strength, spirit, and direction of our club belong to the entire crew. We are one ohana, and the magic of our paddling season is truly in our hands.
To honor that kuleana, I want to hear your heart. My goal is to make your paddling and club experience nothing short of amazing. But I need your guidance to get us there.
Please reach out and share your thoughts on:
Wants and Dreams: What would make your time on the water even better?
Needs: Are there specific resources or support you feel are missing?
Comments and Concerns: Is there anything we should address to make our bond stronger?
Please send your input, ideas and feedback to:
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A coach’s eye view of your stroke
Even when you don’t realize it, Kīkaha head coach Gordon Martinez is watching, taking in what you’re doing in the canoe to help you become a better paddler. He recently shared a few videos from practice that showcase good form. He also shared an Instagram video from kupuna paddler John Murillo to help you understand.
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Wahine Wayfinding
Paddling, training and everything in between from a woman’s point of view
By Mariko Roths
Spring is in the air and with that warmer temperatures, longer days, and the start of another paddling season with Kīkaha. Earlier in March we had our annual rigging and site clean-up day, and although it was a cold and windy morning, the day evoked everything beautiful about Spring, as we blossomed out of hibernation and revitalized our friendships with familiar and new faces.
Two years ago, in this very scenario, I found myself joining the Kīkaha ‘ohana. In March 2024, I arrived at the practice site unannounced and with a bit of social anxiety from entering an unknown environment. It was an outing that was months in the making.
The previous summer, I was talking to a friend who had paddled with Wakinikona for many years. I loved hearing her stories about paddling, and with both of us having Pacific Islander heritage, it was a nice way to connect to our shared background.
But paddling seemed like a distant concept to me – that is until my friend mentioned there might be a club in Tacoma, where I live. A jolt of excitement ran through me when I found Kīkaha’s web page, as I had been wanting to join some type of organized sports activity for a while (I actually once almost considered joining dragon boat after seeing a poster in an Emerald Queen Smoothie some time ago.) Plus, outrigger canoe paddling seemed like a great way to further connect with my Tongan ancestry.
Being the introvert that I am, I stalked Kīkaha’’s Facebook page for the next nine months until I saw an announcement about the start of the new season and an invitation to participate in rigging day. So when I showed up to the practice site on that cold, Sunday morning in March 2024, I really had no idea what to expect. Enter Auntie Nellie Bell, with her warm, welcoming arms inviting me in. Everyone else followed in soon after. Within a couple of days I was out on the water for the first time, shivering from the cold temperatures but warmed by the experience and eager to come back again.
Since then, I can safely say that joining Kīkaha has been one of the best decisions I have ever made, as I have found a lifelong family and activity to take part in that not only makes me feel healthy and energized, but also provides me with a connection to my seafaring ancestors. As we enter the 2026 season, I’m grateful for where this journey started and excited for what’s ahead. To the newcomers to our club, thank you for taking that first step, like I once did, toward being a part of an incredible sport, culture, and family. And to our seasoned members, thank you for being the reason this ‘ohana continues to thrive and feel like home to so many of us.
Imua Kīkaha!
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Photos offer views of Kīkaha at early RATI races
Thanks to Scott Moody’s passion for photography, much of Kīkaha’s history has been recorded. Moody, an early club member and former head coach, estimates the number of photos in the tens of thousands.
Moody has uploaded many of them to his website, but with so many to choose from, he was bound to overlook something. In March, he found photos from Kīkaha’s first appearances at Columbia River Outrigger Canoe Club’s Race Around the Island — 1997 and 1998. Kīkaha paddlers raced in the club’s first canoe, the blue and yellow Kīkaha O Ke Kai, which was blessed only a few months earlier.
Back then, RATI, as it’s known, was not held at its current start/finish at Chinook Landing Marine Park in Oregon, said Cris Trimble, RATI race director and PNWORCA race chairperson. Instead, it was held at Marine Park in Vancouver, Washington. The race was around Hayden Island instead of Government Island and it was held in the warmth of August, not the fickle weather of early spring. The race this year will be on May 2.
“There was a short period of time that RATI was held before the Rusty Iron,” Trimble said. “We switched back to Rusty being the first summer season distance race and RATI the second because our course is significantly more challenging. Even though the races are only a week apart, that is generally enough time for the spring runoff on the Columbia to calm down a bit more.”
Moody remembers the race for its length: closer to 12 miles instead of its current 10 miles.
“And,” he said. “It was hot.”
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Da Kīkaha Korner
Aw’ryte!
Sunshine? Rain? Snow? The start of the 2026 season featured a different kind of March Madness and Kīkaha was forced to cancel three practices in the first week due to adverse weather conditions. Lifetime member Boy Chun Fook said he couldn’t remember that ever happening in the club’s 30-year history. But paddling is underway. Check your TeamSnap app for practice times…
And speaking of TeamSnap, starting this season, the app will only be used to sign up for practices, races and club events. Coaches would like you to sign up at least 24 hours prior to practice to ensure you have a seat. Once you register and sign your waiver, you’ll get an invite to TeamSnap. For general club information, witty comments and paddling tips, follow our Slack account. You can share photos and videos there as well. There are multiple channels there to help guide your comments, such as #general, for general information, and #wednesday-warriors for OC1 practices you would like to join or initiate. Like TeamSnap, you’ll receive an email notification. If you have trouble getting access to either account, email kikaha.info@gmail.com …
A pair of Kīkaha’s kupuna canoes – an OC1 and an OC2 – were donated to WAM Dragon Boat Club in Renton on March 22. –- photo courtesy of Boy Chun Fook…
At some point it happens to everyone and you know it, too. Your crew is going to huli. It could be in the cold waters of Puget Sound or the wind-whipped Columbia River Gorge. What will you do when it happens? Not to worry, Kīkaha is there to help with a huli drill from 3 to 5 p.m on Sunday, April 12 at Pacific Lutheran University, 12180 Park Ave., South Tacoma…
New Kīkaha leadership – Nellie Bell, president, and Eric Stover, vice president – will host the club’s wellness booth at this year’s Aha Mele Hawaiian Festival. The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 18 at the Tacoma Community College Athletic Center, 6501 S 19th St. in Tacoma. The festival, sponsored by the Hawaiian civic club Moku‘āina A Wakinekona, features Hawaiian music, hula, food, Hawaii-owned vendors and cultural workshops…
Kīkaha men’s coach Matt Taufa’asau, women’s coach Rose Nash and one of the club’s keiki team coaches will attend a special coaching clinic given by Corrina Gage on May 9 and 10 at the Lummi Stommish Grounds in Bellingham. The event is sponsored by Autumn Rose Canoe Club. Gage is a world champion paddler and coach from New Zealand…
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Who dat?
Paddler: Hannah Yu
Club activity: paddler
Years paddling canoes: 3 years, all with Kīkaha
Favorite race adventure: “The race around Mercer Island. Long and fun!”
Favorite paddling experience: “Doing the corporate race with a bunch of my friends from Seattle was a lot of fun! They also really enjoyed the experience.”
Why paddling? “It’s a great way to learn about the culture and become more engaged with the community in a meaningful/harm reductive way. It’s also really cool to see how my physical therapy experience really helped with my paddling form.”
Best club advice you ever received: “Unko Boy’s ‘Bang when you can’ really stuck with me with my OC1 gains.”
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Kīkaha O Ke Kai, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that paddles out of the Foss Waterway, would like to say mahalo to its sponsors and supporters: Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Papa Ola Lōkahi, Nordlund Boat Company, Katie Downs Waterfront Tavern & Eatery, Tucci Energy Services, Hawaiian Paddle Sports, Aloha Carpet Cleaning, Moku ‘aina Wakinekona Hawaiian Club, Dirty2Dreamy Ceramic Coating & Detail Service, Tumi Tax, Teamsters Local No. 313 and Puget Sound Upfitters.
Talk Story seeks to cultivate a strong, unified identity for Kīkaha O Ke Kai, reflecting the spirit of Hawaiian outrigger canoe paddling. It is dedicated to sharing club news and managing information promptly. It aims to provide members and supporters with a newsletter that enhances their connection to the club and represents our shared values on and off the water. You can contact us at kikaha.info@gmail.com.