“Komo mai kau mapuna hoe”
- Hawaiian proverb meaning "dip your paddle in!"
Hui Wa‘a O Wakinikona is an outrigger canoe club based in Seattle and a cultural activity of the Wakinikona Hawaiian Club.
Our Mission
Preserve and promote Hawaiian heritage by providing members an opportunity to perpetuate the water sport and competitive spirit of Hawaiian outrigger canoe racing.
Provide the resources to teach and learn Hawaiian customs and culture.
Encourage fitness and health through the sport, and provide an opportunity for fellowship.
Benefits
Community
The Hui Wa‘a O Wakinikona has both recreational and competitive canoe paddlers (na hoe wa‘a) with varying degrees of skill and experience. Integration of all paddlers in practices and club events is a unique component of the hui wa‘a to foster a community of diversity and inclusion. The Hui Wa‘a also participates in social events held by our proud and generous sponsor - The Wakinikona Hawaiian Club.
Fitness
The sport requires physical strength, conditioning, timing and teamwork. This is built up over time and practice, as well as exposure to varying weather and water conditions. Regular attendance at practice is strongly encouraged to build up stamina and hone teamwork. Conditioning is important for those who want to become competitive paddlers as both the sprints and long distance races require discipline and a high level of fitness.
Racing
The Hui Wa‘a is one of 20 canoe clubs in Western Washington and Northern Oregon participating in the racing season organized by the Pacific NorthWest Outrigger Racing Canoe Association (PNW-ORCA). The association operates under the guidance of the International Va'a Federation, the governing body for canoe and kayak racing in the United States.
Our Logo
In 2020, Wakinikona commissioned Native Hawaiian artist Maka Jack to refresh our logo. The new design kept the components of its predecessor, but with a modern twist.
The paddles were reshaped and now reflect traditional Hawaiian paddles. Six flowers were added as adornment to represent the six seats in a canoe. Each flower is in a different stage of blossoming, to signify that Wakinikona welcomes paddlers of all skill level.
As a gift to the club, she also created a second design. It weaves together patterns from cedar and koa.
The cedar is a nod to the trees that the Coast Salish peoples made their canoe from, in acknowledgement and appreciation that they are sharing their waters with us. The koa represents the trees used to carve Hawaiian canoes. These two patterns intertwine together to form waves, and the negative space between them is in the shape of a canoe.
