Outside Women

Like many people, after the COVID pandemic, I continued feeling isolated and disconnected. I lived alone and at work, my entire team was in another country. I began counting on one hand the number of in-person interactions I had in a week, and recognized that I needed to go find community.

I was launching my stand-up paddleboard at the harbor for another solo paddling sesh when across the way at the boat ramp, I saw a team of women putting an outrigger canoe in the water. I had learned about outrigger canoes when I lived in Hawai’i, but had never experienced it firsthand.

When I got home, I researched the outrigger canoe team and learned that it was a club. Not only that, there were dozens of clubs in the area that raced against each other on the weekends, bringing together a community of hundreds of like-minded people.

I sent an email to the coach and made plans to attend the next practice. Although I didn’t have any experience, members of the club were welcoming, and I quickly saw we had shared interests like a love for the ocean, being active outdoors, teamwork, and an excitement for developing new skills.

I joined my local outrigger canoe club and it quickly filled the void of loneliness and lack of community. Showing up and paddling with other women multiple times a week reconnected me to in-person teamwork. Knowing that they needed me in my seat in the boat provided accountability to continue showing up.

I joined the club in the late fall season, and we practiced through the winter months in the rain, wind and cold. Racing season started in the spring.

We traveled to Santa Barbara, Marina Del Rey, Ventura, and more to compete against the other clubs. The contests brought together hundreds of club members from outrigger canoe teams all over Southern California. Seeing everyone wake up well before dawn, layering up to fight the cold fog, and work together to unload the canoes and put them together was inspiring.

There were men, women, and kids of all ages, and their physical strength, endurance, and mental fortitude is truly inspiring. Everyone showed up and gave it their all.

We learned how to push past our limits and keep paddling at a fast pace, because you wouldn’t want to let your team down. I loved it.

The women’s novice team I was on was a crew of badass women with grit, teamwork, and a shared love of the water. We went undefeated in our first season competing in SCORA from San Diego to Santa Barbara.

If you feel disconnected right now, my best advice would be to look for an in-person community that challenges you and holds you accountable. A positive domino effect starts with getting out of a funk.