Outrigger canoe club paddles to preserve Hawaiian tradition here on central coast

Published April 2nd, 2026

BY JUNE EMERSON

Rooted in Pacific heritage, with their name meaning praise and admiration of the sea, the Hiʻilani ‘O Ke Kai Outrigger and Cultural Center, a volunteer-driven gathering place where tradition, community and the ocean meet, shares the art of outrigger canoeing and traditional hālau hula to bring Hawaiian culture to the Monterey Bay, creating a bridge between Hawaii and California’s central coast. 

“What connects all of us is a deep love and commitment to honoring Hawaiian culture through outrigger canoe and hula, and a deep love of the ocean,” says Jeanette Johnston, the club’s paddle representative. “We have elders who now bring their grandkids to paddle or hula, paddlers who met through the club with children of their own and hula dancers whose children play drums for the hula school.”

Established in 1984, the club found its purpose after a member of the Hui Wa’a Outrigger Canoe Club, and a donation towards an unfinished outrigger gave founders a chance to build their own canoe and push off into the water for the first time. That same summer the club hosted their first regatta, a series of boat races, showing the founders the potential for widespread cultural activity. 

In the following decades, Hiʻilani ‘O Ke Kai OCC has grown from a single canoe to a fleet of over a dozen. Launching from Del Monte Beach every other Sunday, paddlers of all ages and experience levels–from recreational to competitive–learn to row, showcasing the club’s values of family, love, responsibility and stewardship. 

“At first, paddling was a way to enjoy Monterey Bay from the water, but it quickly became a lifeline,” says Annie Sours, Hi’ilani ‘O Ke Kai’s secretary. “Hi’ilani connected me with nature and a group of like-minded people granting me the priceless opportunity to forge adult connections outside of work.”

Off the water, the organization holds hula and Tahiti classes, as well as several community activities throughout the year to celebrate and grow Hawaiian cultural knowledge.

“I am not only a teacher of dance, but a steward of culture, history, language and tradition,” says Marleen Bush, the Kuma Hula or teacher of the hula school. “It is my kuleana, or responsibility, to pass these teachings with respect and integrity to the next generation.”

A member of the organization for over 35 years and a hula leader for 25 years, Bush works to teach and portray the deeper meaning of the dances. Born on the island of Oahu, she comes from a family of hula dancers and musicians, connecting many of the songs she dances to with her personal experiences and their backstories.

The club’s largest celebration is the annual luau, an immersive event where more than 600 guests share authentic Hawaiian food while hula dancers perform, bringing stories to life through movement and music. 

‘O Ke Kai continues to welcome members into its ohana or family, with individual and family memberships. Members have full access to paddling, cultural activities, resources and a voice in the future of the club’s decisions, helping to ensure the traditions carried across the ocean years ago, can continue to thrive in years to come.

“Our keiki or youth are just as competitive and talented as our seasoned veteran paddlers, and they’ve won competitions across California and even Hawaii,” says Johnston, the canoe club’s paddle representative.

A youth educator by day, Johnston sees how critical paddling is especially for young people because it teaches important life skills through personal connection, which is often lost in the age of technology. With a diverse and beautiful ecosystem so close, paddling not only brings community together, but reveals a new appreciation for the ocean.

From every stroke, dance and chant, Hiʻilani ‘O Ke Kai OCC reminds its community that culture is strongest when it’s shared.