Majuro Ocean Sports Club
The Majuro Ocean Sports Club is seeing a lot of interest from people wanting to join the club and make use of the new outrigger paddling canoes. Follows is the club’s story, as seen in the Marshall Islands Journal.
Marshall Islands Journal, Friday, September 18, 2020
Canoes are the first focus for new ocean sports club
Tucked away in a container on a big ship now headed our way are seven super surprises for people who love anything and everything to do with the water … which is, basically, practically everyone in Majuro.
The colorful surprises are New Zealand-crafted paddling outrigger canoes being brought in by the Majuro Ocean Sports Club (MOSC), which was incorporated as an NGO last year. When the ship arrives next month, the club members will unveil the four six-person canoes; two one-person canoes, and one three-person canoe at a waterside celebration.
Club President Grant Bilyard, of the RMI Ports Authority, said the club’s vision is “Marshallese experiencing their sea heritage and physical prowess by pursuing exciting, fun and traditional seafaring sports.” So while the initial goal is to train people to paddle and enjoy canoe competitions, in the longer term the members want to include swimming, water safety, stand-up paddling and surfing in the club’s activities.
MOSC Treasurer, Dr. Irene Taafaki, said the plan is to start the use of the canoes at the university level with teams from the University of the South Pacific and the College of the Marshall Islands. “But as the club develops there will be opportunities for youth and young kids to learn the skills and enjoy the paddling.”
One of the key club founders, Francisco Blaha — who has been a fisheries advisor for the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority in recent years – said that it’s hoped that organizations and government departments will have teams that will compete against each other. “The canoes will bring the potential for lots of friendly competition between government departments. So, for example, people from Ports could race against MIMRA people. The canoes will be owned by the club, but used by the community.”
The University of the South Pacific’s Majuro campus is hosting the club and the canoes at its Long Island campus.. As well as the canoes, six of which were built by the company Moana Nui, the club has also bought light, carbon-fiber paddles and the all-important life jackets.
MOSC exists because Francisco, who is a keen paddler, met water-sports minded Grant Bilyard at a surf spot. At about this time, Francisco, who’s work with MIMRA through the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade led to the discovery of a grant offered by the NZ Embassy in Hawai’i called The North Pacific Development Fund. He wrote the proposal in collaboration with Grant, it was successful, and the club was granted the fund’s maximum amount of $75,000.
Larry Hernandez of Do It Best is Club Captain. He facilitated the delivery of the canoes and is eagerly awaiting their arrival and thanks everyone involved in the project. “Thanks most importantly to New Zealand for providing the much-needed funding. Majuro Ocean Sports Club is extremely excited and we are looking forward to properly training and putting together the best teams for the upcoming Micro Games! Updates on joining the club, training, and paddling schedules will follow soon!”
Members include Sonia Medland, Candice Guavis, Mabel Peter and Berry Muller. Irene explained that there will be two types of memberships: Corporate and individual, with the latter being a ‘nominal fee’. “We just need enough funds to be able to cover our costs,” she said, adding that the reason she is 100 percent behind the club is that “canoes are a good fit for Majuro because of the tradition of canoes here. We have all the right elements for this sport and it’s brilliant for the health and well-being of the community.”
Canoe paddling is not new to the Marshall Islands, with a local women’s canoe paddling team winning a Bronze Medal in the 2002 Micronesia Games in Pohnpei. The race was for their performance in the 1,500 meter race, said paddler Michelle Kramer. She reports that “our coach was Jason, who was married to Soledad, a Bank of Guam manager in Majuro.” The team came in fourth in a longer distance race: “We were just behind CNMI in a very close race.”
Pohnpei 2002 medal winners
Canoe paddling is not new to the Marshall Islands, with a local women’s canoe paddling team winning a Bronze Medal in the 2002 Micronesia Games in Pohnpei. The race was for their performance in the 1,500 meter race, said paddler Michelle Kramer. She reports that “our coach was Jason, who was married to Soledad, a Bank of Guam manager in Majuro.” The team came in fourth in a longer distance race: “We were just behind CNMI in a very close race.”
Waan Aeloin in Majel Director Alson Kelen added some background to the women’s win: “WAM got hold of some padding canoes in early 2001 from the Marshall Islands High School area . The idea of a paddling team came about and many young men and women came and tried out. One young women’s team was committed to the sport.” They had just six months to train for the Pohnpei Games. “It was fun,” Alson said. “The team had lots of support. They would fund raise every week. Ting Hong would give the team tuna every week, and with help from John Kawakami, the team were making tasty Hawaii Poki and would stand in the middle of Delap road and sell.
“They would practice long hours every morning and evening, they would even tie big whole truck tires behind the canoes and paddle. Anyhow, within just six months, they proudly named themselves the WAVE and went to represent the RMI in the 2002 Micronesian Games and came home with a Bronze Medal.”
