SPORTS

We the Water

Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club members are paddling the entire North Carolina coast to advocate for clean water and the principles of the N.C. Coastal Federation. BY KATE M CAREY AAn outrigger canoe, a boat more commonplace among the Hawaiian Islands than coming up the Intracoastal Waterway, is paddling the N.C. coast on a mission to share the story of water. In September one outrigger canoe and 20 paddlers began to tell the story of the North Carolina coast — from threats and risks to solutions and triumphs PHOTO BY TOM HANNA — and how we can protect and restore our beloved

Members of Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club paddle a Hawaiian outrigger canoe on the Intracoastal Waterway.

coastal environment.

The Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club begins a three-year journey to paddle all 325 miles of the North Carolina coast advocating for clean water. The first leg of this North Carolina Coast Paddling Initiative, named We the Water, kicked off September 14. The canoes left Sunset Beach on Wednesday, September 14 and journeyed north 120 miles to arrive at Ocean on Saturday evening. See a video here: https://youtu.be/bMck_OGduEE

The trip highlighted people and places important to the North Carolina Coastal Federation, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, says Kerri Allen, an avid paddler and manager of the Coastal Federation’s Southeast office. N.SEA. Oyster Company hosted

PHOTO BY KERRI ALLEN

a public event Friday evening to raise awareness of the ocean, and bright and early Saturday morning, the canoes continued on their journey up the Intracoastal Waterway.

“N.SEA. Oyster Company in Surf City has fabulous oysters and a great event space for the community,” Allen says. “We showcased them and their restoration efforts, along with other oyster farmers and Coastal Federation projects along the route.”

Tickets to the Surf City event included oysters, brews and eats. At the event, guests learned about local conservation projects and what they can do to protect and restore the coast.

Several projects around Topsail

Island were highlighted at the event, including: • Living shorelines at the Topsail Beach Rocky

Mount access

• Shoreline and oyster reef projects at the

Morris Landing Clean Water Preserve in

Holly Ridge • Marine debris removal projects throughout the island

• Shellfish farming in Surf City at N.SEA.

Oyster Company • Historic Ocean City founded in 1949 as a family-oriented beach where African

Americans could own property. This is a stop on the North Carolina Civil Rights

Trail. A trail marker was unveiled on July 1.

The Coastal Federation has strong relationships with all three towns on Topsail Island, Allen says, adding that the governments have done an incredible job to protect the coast.

PHOTO BY DONNA KAHAKUI The long-distance paddling initiative known as We the Water is raising awareness of the many programs of the N.C. Coastal Federation.

The trip, and all outrigger paddling, is steeped in Hawaiian culture. All the paddling commands are called in Hawaiian. The Hawaiian proverb “Malama i ke kai, a malama ke kai ia 'oe” guides the paddlers. It means: “Care for the ocean and the ocean will care for you.”

“Malama means 'to take care of' in Hawaiian.” Allen says, “We talk about taking care — of our canoe, our community, the ocean. We’re all ohana, family.”

Allen got interested in outrigger paddling when she lived on Maui and fell in love with the large boats and team paddling. It wasn’t until 2016 that a couple families with ties to Hawaii started a club, the first in North Carolina. The club’s 80-some paddlers range in age from 20-somethings to 70-somethings, and all levels and backgrounds canoe together. The outrigger canoe is about 45 feet in length and weighs a couple hundred pounds, Allen says. Six paddlers guide each canoe. 

WANT TO HELP?

For more information about the paddle, sponsorships or to volunteer see nccoast.org/n-c-coastal-paddle/