bob spalding powerboat racer

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Bob Spalding

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Bob was a true British gentleman and very successful in powerboat racing.. Many more pictures here:.. http://svera.se/blogg/bob-spalding/

I remember that day in Seville, Spain 1985 like yesterday. Bob was already the F1-V8 World Champion before the last race of the year in Seville. I was standing in the pit together with my brother Lennart watching Bob testing. He crashed in the turn in front of us. The Hodges F1 boat was upside down way to long before the rescue team got Bob out. Bob’s career was cut short by this racing accident, after which it was discovered he had an aneurysm. Bob passed away in 1997.

Last edited by lars strom; 12-11-2012 at 07:04 AM .

Originally Posted by lars strom Bob was a true British gentleman and very successful in powerboat racing.. Yep I remember watching him race many times.

I'd rather be competitive w/junk I built in my garage than win w/stuff I bought. I refuse to allow common sense to interfere w/my boat buying decisions. Checkmate 16' 140 Johnson Hydrostream 17' Vector FrankenRude I Laser 480 (?) 21' w/GT 200 Glastron Carlson Conquest w/XP 2.6 Glastron Carlson CVX 20 w/XP 2.6 24' Sonic w/twin 250 Johnsons 24' Sonic w/twin 250 HO Johnsons 19' STV River Rocket w/FrankenRude II Allison XR 2002 w/Frankenrude II Hydrostream 18' V-King w/Frankenrude II

he was a great driver as well

Boat racing accidents.

Originally Posted by lars strom I remember that day in Seville, Spain 1985 like yesterday. Bob was already the F1-V8 World Champion before the last race of the year in Seville. I was standing in the pit together with my brother Lennart watching Bob testing. He crashed in the turn in front of us. The Hodges F1 boat was upside down way to long before the rescue team got Bob out. Bob’s career was cut short by this racing accident, after which it was discovered he had an aneurysm. Bob passed away in 1997. I can remember another boat racing controversy in the 1974 Paris 6hr race over Cesare Scotti`s accident after he had been thrown out of his boat he landed above the stone embankment on the isle of swans Freddi Miles and Peter Inwood managed to reach over to him removed his helmet Peter was a Harley St Dentist and made sure his airways were clear and he was breathing ok.A few minutes passed no medics arrived so Freddi was becoming concerned and decided to film at the accident scene showing the time on his watch Freddi told me another 20 minutes passed before help arrived and recorded the time again?.I have no idea of the injuries Scotti sustained in the accident but it makes you think what if?

Well..I remember that Sunday in early October 1974 like yesterday also STEVERINO.. Quote from here:.. http://svera.se/blogg/paris-6-hours/...our-race-1974/ "I did see when Cesare Scotti crashed in to the bridge..but did not know at that time how bad it was. Sadly Cesare Scotti lost his life".

Originally Posted by STEVERINO Freddi was becoming concerned and decided to film at the accident scene showing the time on his watch Freddi told me another 20 minutes passed before help arrived and recorded the time again?.I have no idea of the injuries Scotti sustained in the accident but it makes you think what if? Two drivers drowned in their boat at the offshore races at Key West last yr. I saw video of the accident and you can see all of the rescue boats near the scene and none of them even moved in that video. Was a short clip but I've been there and blessed to have been unhurt every time but once and the rescue people were right there when I needed them. That was the APBA and I think their safety record kind of speaks for itself.

Originally Posted by lars strom Bob was a true British gentleman and very successful in powerboat racing.. Many more pictures here:.. http://svera.se/blogg/bob-spalding/ Lassie my old friend have you ever got it totally wrong about Robert !!!!!!!!! Ask either of his wives whether or not he was and i Quote ------"A True British Gentleman". Bob was one of the true "Characters" that ever graced the powerboat scene, but does not and never did fit the true brit tag.

Bob Spaldings early boat racing days.

Originally Posted by jackie wilson Lassie my old friend have you ever got it totally wrong about Robert !!!!!!!!! Ask either of his wives whether or not he was and i Quote ------"A True British Gentleman". Bob was one of the true "Characters" that ever graced the powerboat scene, but does not and never did fit the true brit tag. I can remember well Bobs early boat racing days he had a Tremlett v hull race boat and had a then new 125hp Mercury outboard the boat was all yellow called(Vendetta) we had some good races together i know he was always down at SWMF the official Mercury importers and this paid off because they new him well `for the Chasewater 24hr race in 1968 Kiekhaefer sent over 2 Merc 1250 bp outboards Bob managed to get one and the previous years Winning entry a driver called John May and Julian Bailey had the other they went on to win the race.We might be able to ask Jackie to tell us how he managed to get for 1969 the small Schultz cat he went on to race in that year?

Bob came down to my Shop in Horsham West Sussex with a problem. At that time he was a croupier working out of the USAF air base at Lackenheath Suffolk [may not have remembered the name correctly] Anyway he specialised at the roulette wheel. He owned a big old Tremlett that had a 1250 longshaft with an 18" transom----so it was too low for a long shaft and too high for a short shaft. I swopped the leg and cut a couple of inches out of the back and the boat improved a tad. Bob became a regular visitor to Horsham ----my kids and his kids got on well, and my wife and Patsy hit it off, so we became friends. John Merryfield was the Racing man of the day and favoured by SWMF----but by 1968 he was more interested in his Bugatti than raceboats. I had been racing for a few years and had a reasonably successful Mercury dealership and when the BP's came out Pat Frewer told me i could become a Hi-Perf dealer and sell these things----Bob came hot footing down and we stitched it on to his boat. Where did you think the little Schulze BOBCAT came from?????? I had raced it around the circuits for most of '67, so Don Ross and i took Bob to Milan for the 6hrs on the Idroscala. I had a 1000BP and on the little boat it was quicker than any other boat racing that day. We spent a day with ROLLA and tried over 20 props before we found the right one. That was the last time Renato raced 18'----Dieter went and built smaller boats. Power trim was made legal after the UIM banned Schultze from using it. That was because Renato didn't have it. John Hill was driving with [ Shakey i think] in the 24 hr and was miles ahead when the motor puked in the last hour, nobody remembers a loser Drinkie Poo time catch you next year.

Easy win for Spalding at Windermere GP 1972.

I met Bob Spalding in Europe 1971, and found him to be a very approachable bloke. Bob had a disarming smile and a cordial demeanor. I found him and his fellow British pal Tom Percival to be a nice pair to associate with, on and off the race circuit. And yes, Bob like to look at the ladies. During the 1971 to 1973 European season, I witness Renato Molinari as the driver leading the pack. But at Bristol England 1973, Tom Percival led the early laps, then Bob Spalding led, but eventually Renato passed them both. That's Racing! I have fond memories of Bob. May both Tom and Bob rest in peace.

Thank you Lake X Kid, I have many, many very good memories with Bob..and yes women liked him more than any other driver. We raced F1-V8 togheter 1983/84 and sometimes his race boat was "blocked" by female fans..!! To Mr. "loud" Jackie Wilson ..I think you can ask any X-wife.. (mine for example) and you will not get a positive answer.

Originally Posted by lars strom Thank you Lake X Kid, I have many, many very good memories with Bob..and yes women liked him more than any other driver. We raced F1-V8 togheter 1983/84 and sometimes his race boat was "blocked" by female fans..!! To Mr. "loud" Jackie Wilson ..I think you can ask any X-wife.. (mine for example) and you will not get a positive answer. Hey Lassie---happy new year-----My ex also spits feathers when i appear in the same country as her so you don't really have to explain to ME. See i have become "LOUD" in your last quote------if that means i don't agree with every single word that everybody puts out here ----and that includes you Lassie, then yes----i am "loud" ------just ask my ex !!!!!! Now if you had said Percy was a true gentleman-----you would have been closer to the mark. Born wealthy---spoke beautiful grammar-----silver spoon kid and all that---still didn't make him the quintessential english gentleman---but then i digress. How do i quantify this ??? I raced against them and with them for years, when i retired my mechanic Charles R. Shooter went around with them as crew chief for years. You could say i knew them both quite well. Bob's boy was always at our camper begging for food ---he claimed he didn't get any food at home. It all went on the girls. Tom's boy is a very accomplished world renown sailor. Gilly, [Toms wife] married Bob and they didn't quite live happily ever after. Would prefer to let sleeping Bobs lie. Still don't agree with your original statement, it was incorrect----nice thought --but off target.

Well Mr. Wilson, I think it had something to do with Bob leaving Mercury for OMC..so did Percival and Evinrude F1-V8 Champ 1982 Roger Jenkins. . F1-V8 Pictures mixed http://svera.se/blogg/f1-v8/f1-v8-pictures-mixed/

Last edited by lars strom; 01-06-2013 at 12:06 PM .

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Bob Spalding

Bob was a true gentleman and very successful in powerboat racing..won bristol, paris and f1-v8 champ 1985..and much more...

Picture: Jane Spalding. Thank you

I remember that day in Seville, Spain 1985 like yesterday. Bob was already the F1-V8 World Champion before the last race of the year in Seville. I was standing in the pit together with my brother Lennart watching Bob testing. He crashed in the turn in front of us.  The Hodges F1 boat was upside down way to long  before the rescue team got Bob out.

Bob’s career was cut short by this racing accident, after which it was discovered he had an aneurysm.

Bob passed away in 1997.

Bob to the right of Bertil Wik 1985

Bob´s  team and his Hodges/ Evinrude V8 boat #11.. 1985

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History - Fast On Water 2021

• Introduction
• Hall of Fame
• Members Area
• With Thanks

About: Bob Spalding

Robert Fiske "Bob" Spalding (18 April 1941 – 8 December 1997) was a British powerboat racer. He was born in Argentina to British parents and was a former F1 Powerboat World Champion and 4 times winner of the Paris six-hour. Spalding began his boating career in 1961. In 1985, he won the F1 Powerboat World Championship, but did not defend his title the next season after having to retire following head injuries as a result of crashing in the Seville Grand Prix.

The Embassy/Bristol Grand Prix

The Embassy/Bristol Grand Prix organised in United Kingdom was one of the most prestigious powerboating events for circuit classes in all over the world. It was known as powerboat racing equivalent of motor racing Monaco Grand Prix. For top powerboaters event was "must". Race was organised in Bristol City Docks from 1972-1990 and included races for many different classes in one weekend with over 200000 spectators. In 1974 the Bristol City Council presented the "City of Bristol" Trophy to be awarded each year to the World Monohull Champion.

Bristol Grand Prix 1981

From 1977, the most coveted award in powerboat racing, the solid gold The Duke of York Trophy was awarded to the overall winner of the Embassy Grand Prix. Trophy is one of the oldest in the world. List of winners of Trophy is presented below.

The Duke of York Trophy

Many famous drivers took part in these races: Renato Molinari, Guido Capellini, Billy Seebold, John Hill, Bob Spadling, Jonathan Jones, Andy Elliott etc. Many of them are known also as F1 World Champions.

Most successful drivers in Bristol were:

Bob Spalding (2 wins in ON and 2 wins in OZ)

Billy Seebold (4 wins in OZ and 2 wins in ON)

Renato Molinari (1 win in OZ, ON and OE)

John Hill (1 win in ON, 2 wins in OE)

Tony Williams (3 wins in ON, 1 win in OE, 1 win in SE)

Peter Faithfull (3 wins in SE)

Jan de Vreng (3 wins in SE, 4 wins in NF)

Adrian Morse (3 wins in NE)

Richard Dewhurst (3 wins in NF)

Michael Werner (1 win in ON, 2 wins in OE)

Paul Wilde (win in SD, NE and NF)

Read more: Fast on Water

The Duke of York Trophy winners

Bristol GP winners

ON (O-2000)

OZ (O-Unlimited)

OE (O-850/F3)

OF (O-1000)

OI (O-1500)

SE (S-850/F4)

SD (S-750, Formula 5)

NE (T-750/T2)

NF (T-850/T1)

2019   Carl Wigg - Formula 2

Lowestoft & Oulton Broad Motor Boat Club

Affiliated to the british power boat association.

2022 Race Fixtures at Oulton Broad

Sunday 01 May

Monday 02 May

Thursday 12 May

Thursday 19 May

Thursday 26 May

Thursday 9 June

Thursday 16 June

Thursday 23 June

Thursday 30 June

Thursday 7 July

Thursday 14 July

Thursday 21 July

Saturday 23 July

Sunday 24 July

Thursday 28 July

Thursday 4 August

Thursday 11 August

Thursday 18 August

Monday 29 August

Sunday 11 September

@ 12.00 hrs

@ 18.00 hrs

@ 17.30 hrs

@ 16.00 hrs

Anglian Tanks & Vessels Trophy (S) • Jon Burr Trophy (GT)

Wrenn Challenge Trophy (GT) • R. Brookes Trophy (H)

Comtec Trophy (S) • Comtec Trophy (GT) Brunswick Trophy (H)

Lowestoft Fisherman’s Widows & Orphans Trophy (S • GT • H)

E P Barrus Trophy (S) • Bob Penfold Trophy (GT)

King of the Broads Trophy (Group H)

Lowestoft Speed Shield (S) • Lifeboat Trophy (GT)

Toby Sutton Trophy (H)

Marshal's Trophy (S) • Servowarm Trophy (GT)

Doug Willey Memorial Trophy (H)

Bob Spalding Trophy (S) • Bob Spalding Trophy (GT)       

D & J Marine Trophy (H)

Redex Perpetual Trophy (S)  •  Jeldwen Challenge Trophy (GT)

Redex Challenge Trophy (H)

F W Skipper Trophy (S) • Oulton Broad Motel Trophy (GT)

Daily Mirror Trophy (Group H)

Bob Spalding Cup (S) • V L Smith Trophy (GT)

Poacher Trophy (H)

Girl's Venture Corps Trophy (S) • Bee's Roofing Trophy (GT)

Mike & Jenny Snowling Trophy (H)

CPA NATIONAL INTERCLUB MEETING

Lord Mountbatten of Burma Trophy (F2)

National Trophy (GT.15)

Red Shulver Shield (OSY)

National Trophy (GT.30)

Marrison Temple Shield (Mono)

Jack Wilson Trophy (F4)

Daily Mirror Festival Trophy (S) • Aline Jordan Trophy (GT)    

Daily Mirror Individual Trophy (H)

Tom Percival Trophy (S) • HEAT Electric Trophy (GT)      

Earl Howe Trophy (Group H)

Presidents Cup (S) • Jeldwen Challenge Trophy (GT)

Jason Mantripp Trophy (OSY) • Bob Hammond Trophy (H)

Lowestoft Corporation Trophy (S) • Ocean Room Trophy (GT)         

Alan Darby Memorial Trophy (H)

Tom Pinder Trophy (S) • Waveney Windows (GT)

Hubert Palfrey Trophy (H)

Battle of Britain Trophy (S) • Battle of Britain Trophy (GT)         

Mick Pentney Memorial Trophy (H)         

Rex King ‘East of England Challenge’ Trophy (OSY)

GT = GT Monohull event  •   S = Sportsboat event  •   H = Hydroplane event

OSY = OSY.400 hydro event  •   M = Monohull event

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UK: FORMULA ONE BOAT AND CAR COMPETE IN SPECIAL POWERSPORT CHALLENGE.

• Title: UK: FORMULA ONE BOAT AND CAR COMPETE IN SPECIAL POWERSPORT CHALLENGE.
• Date: 7th May 1982
• Summary: ENGLAND: Nottinghamshire: GV Holme Pierrepont. GV Boat being wheeled out by driver Bob Spalding on right of picture. SV Car driver, Nigel Mansell. GV First race with boat winning. SV Spectators. GV Second race, with close finish and car speeding off onto grass. (2 SHOTS) GV Final with car winning. GV Mansell on powerboat waving to crowd.
• Embargoed: 22nd May 1982 13:00
• Location: HOLME PIERREPONT, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, UK
• Country: United Arab Emirates
• Topics: General,Sports
• Reuters ID: LVA3XHSJBQXGZ1X2R14ZGM9O6SKN
• Story Text: A unique duel has been staged at Holme Pierrepont in Nottinghamshire, England between a Formula One racing car and a Formula One powerboat. The black and gold catamarans of Bob Spalding and Tom Percival took on their John Player Lotus counterpart, Nigel Mansell, over a 201 metres (220 yards) course. In the first race on Wednesday (5 May), the powerboat pulled into an early lead which the racing car, despite gaining ground, was unable to pull back. In the second race the powerboat, equipped with a two stroke 3.5 litre engine was narrowly beaten. In the best-of-five series, the powerboat and car shared the next two races; so the final race proved the decider. And the car came out on top, with Nigel Mansell completing the run in 5.4 seconds at a top speed of 187 kilometres (116 miles) an hour.
• Copyright Holder: REUTERS
• Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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Powerboat Racing World

Frode Sundsdal

What is prw.

It’s a powerboat racing website that has covered circuit racing, offshore racing and PWC since 2016. Maintained by The Race Factory based in Norway who have specialists in event planning and promotion, social media, graphic design, and photography. We are currently working on our vision and believe that we can and will make a different in powerboating. We will dedicate our time to produce accurate factual stories and to promote the sport to a wider global audience.

British racer, Drew Langdon will be competing in the classic Italian Raid Pavia to Venezia river race.

Langdon’s recent successes in offshore racing have included winning the Harmsworth and Beaverbrook trophies and in single seater racing he captured the 2018 Asia Powerboat Championship title in Hong Kong.

Langdon won the 2018 Asia Powerboat Championship in Hong Kong

The chartered architect and commercial property developer from the West Country has kept himself busy during the UK winter lockdown with an exciting restoration project which he had intended to enter the Raid race with.

Bob Spalding’s 1980 Velden

Langdon fully restored a Velden F1 catamaran that was raced by British driver Bob Spalding and he won the 1980 Paris Six Hours race in it.

However, the race organisers deemed that the wooden circuit cat wouldn’t fit their rules and the 2019 Cowes Torquay Cowes winner had to come up with another ride with a suitable historical pedigree.

He contacted Paul Hopwood who had recently lovingly restored Gina Campbell’s 25′ Phantom, Agfa Bluebird and if all goes well, Langdon will be using the twin Mercury powered hull in Italy.

The boat built in Sittingbourne, Kent in 1984 by the late Steve Baker , will be specially adapted as a single seater for Langdon to race solo on the river.

Paul Hopwood has restored the Phantom 25′

Obviously, at this stage, it’s still not clear if travel from the UK to Italy will have eased up by June, but Langdon is used to overseas logistics having successfully competed in the international Powerboat P1 series.

The 400 KM race will be held on June 6 and is organised by the The Pavia Motorboat and Venice Motorboat associations, the boats start in Pavia and race to Venice on the same day.

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Powerboat supremeo dies

American Gary Garbrecht, who died suddenly on Sunday at the age of 62, was probably the greatest influence on international circuit (inland) powerboat racing in the 1970s

American Gary Garbrecht, who died suddenly on Sunday at the age of 62, was probably the greatest influence on international circuit (inland) powerboat racing in the 1970s. Joining the Carl Kiekhaefer organization in its early days before becoming Mercury Marine, Garbrecht served his time in all departments eventually settling in the high performance division. He was made Director of Racing when the company decided to use competitive powerboating as a development tool. He eventually moved his operation to Lake X near Orlando in Florida and it was he tested drivers from around the world before signing them up as professional members of the Mercury works team. Many who became stars of the sport were given their chance by Garbrecht including Italian Renato Molinari, Americans Bob Hering and Billy Seebold, Dutchman Cees Van der Velden and British pair Tom Percival and Bob Spalding. When Mercury Marine withdrew from company participation in 1980, Gary Garbrecht launched Second Effort, a high performance engineering company dedicated to both circuit and offshore racing. Second Effort kept him at the top of the sport and it was here he would advise the old Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) with their Evinrude and Johnson range of racing engines and later Mercury Marine on their private team support and how best to maximize any publicity potential. He was also instrumental in launching what was to become the current Formula I World Series. Gary Garbrecht served as President of the Union (Internationale Motonautique (UIM) – the world governing body for powerboat sport – and also held high positions with the American Power Boat Association (APBA).

Swift Trawler 54 first look: Plugging a gap in the Beneteau range

Speed record in sight for spirit of australia ii and bluebird k7 comes home, the world’s largest sportsfisher- reaching new heights with project 406.

Catalina Crossing

History of the Catalina Channel Crossing

The first outrigger race held in California was on September 20, 1959. This first race was a long distance race from Avalon on Catalina Island to the Newport Dunes inside the California Coast.

The famous Duke Kahanamoku served as the Grand Marshall of the first California Outrigger event and founded the Catalina to Newport Dunes race – the original California Outrigger Classic. The subsequent races were underwritten by the Balboa Improvement Association and Ira Dowd, part owner of the Newport Dunes.

The first race involved two canoes shipped to California from Hawaii through the efforts of Albert Edward “Toots” Minvielle. Both of them were koa wood canoes with the names Malia meaning calm waters and Niuhe, meaning shark.

The malia team was composed of Hawaiian All Star outrigger paddlers organized by Toots. Some of the members of that first Hawaiian team to paddle the Catalina Channel in 1959 were Chris Bodie, Blu Makua, Archie Kuana, Joe Gilman, Sonny Heniques, and Dougie Carr. The California team paddled the Niuhe. This first mainland team included George Kopa, Tom Johnson, Dan Uadis, Frank Saddler, Mike Johnson, Dave Arne, Doug Wood, Ron Druman, Lorrin Harrison and others.

The Hawaiian team won the race in a time of 5 hours. The newly formed California team in the Niuhe finished close behind in a time of 5 hours, 11 minutes. Lorrin Harrison – Part of first California outrigger team, and founder of Dana Outrigger Canoe Club (Est. 1972) Lorrin Harrison, the steersman and original member of the first California team had the following remembrances of the early beginnings and that first race, “when I first heard about canoe racing here, I had a dugout canoe that I built in 1950. We were surfing it down in Doheny. Noah Kalama came by, he knew my sister from Hawaii, and I knew him from body surfing. He said, “Lorrin can you get a team together of guys down here you think would like to paddle? We’ll have a race with a Hawaiian team.”

“I said, ‘Yeah, we can do that!’ So we started coming here to the Dunes, paddling here till 9 o clock every night. There were about 15 guys all paddling. Other guys would build a fire and we’d stay here and paddle when the wind was howling. We worked for two months. We were so sick of paddling there. I thought we would never get out and see the ocean. Finally Noah let us go out and it was rough outside, too. That’s the way it all started, right here in these Newport Dunes.”

Then they brought the Hawaiian team over so we all hooked behind some big boat, towed all the people and the two boats over to Avalon. The race started the next morning after we were there. It was just two boats in the race from Avalon. Coming across we were making changes.

We had about 25 people to draw from. About half-way across, the escort boat ran ahead to drop people in the water and made a big wake. The wake flipped the boat straight up on edge with the ama (outrigger) straight out of the water. I stayed – stuck in, but my number one man was about 20 feet off the stern and it threw all the other men out too. So Noah put a whole new 5 guys in and we kept going. At that time we were right even with Blu Makua and the Hawaiian team. When we came into the south end of the Newport Dunes, they finished 11 minutes ahead of us. I had been in the boat for 5 hours and 11 minutes with no drink of water and I thought I’d just die when we hit the beach ’cause of the paddle Noah gave me, he said ‘You gotta have a big paddle for this race’. That sucker weighed 10 pounds at least. I still got the paddle, I got the proof, if any one wants to paddle 30 miles with it, they can have it.”

While the first Catalina to Newport Dunes Race was a culmination of efforts and farsightedness on the part of several outstanding persons in canoe paddling, the spirit behind the spread and development of outrigger canoe paddling as a sport, both in Hawaii and California, is the famous Albert “Toots” Minvielle.

Toots Minvielle and 1958 were pivotal points in the history of outrigger canoeing, especially for California. In 1958 Toots met Tommy Zahn from Santa Monica, shortly after Tommy had paddled the Molokai Channel on a surfboard.Tommy Zahn responded immediately – there was sufficient interest. He arranged a luncheon meeting in early 1959 with Ira Dowd, the owner of the Newport Dunes, Sam Miller, (then commodore of the Balboa Bay Club), and Al Oberg, Harbor Master of Newport Beach in 1959. All the right people were there and California’s Outrigger racing history had begun.

Noah Kalama, sent to California by Toots Minvielle to coach the first California Outrigger team, and Tom Johnson, an original member of the first California outrigger racing team, were the first to perceive the need for California-based canoes. The boats used for that first Catalina race were scheduled to be shipped back to Hawaii after the competition was completed. Noah Kalama and Tom Johnson, realizing the development of California outrigger racing would hinge upon a local boat supply, were quick to act. They made a mold of the Malia hull – and California outrigger boat building was born.

Although Toots Minveille initiated efforts to bring Hawaiian Canoe Paddling to the mainland in 1958, 1959 was the year paddling arrived – the same year that Hawaii joined the United States of America. What may have been initially seen as merely a gesture – sharing a facet of Hawaiian culture with the mainland through the Aloha Celebration and the aloha spirit of Toots Minveille- has given mainlanders, especially Californians, a tease, a feel and a love for Hawaiian traditions.

Mahalo Hawaii, Mahalo Toots Minveille for outrigger canoe paddling – a wonderful slice of Hawaiian life.

– Excerpts from article written by Michael (Jake) Jacobs

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