Kialoa Outrigger Canoe and Paddle Earrings

Sleek and fast, outrigger canoes symbolise the hard work water women and men invest every season to race. To paddle is to know and respect the ocean. But it is also symbolic of community and teamwork; to build a canoe the old way took hundreds of men and a kahuna just to select and bring the tree down the mountain.

Wa’a – Hawaiian Outrigger Canoes

The Hawaiians arrived in Hawaii in outrigger canoes (OCs) around 200AD. Some of these held up to 80 people! Throughout their history OCs remained essential to the Hawaiians for fishing, travel, sport and war. By the time Captain Cook arrived, there were up to 12,000 outrigger canoes for about 225K people, and hei hei wa’a, or canoe racing, was an immensely popular sport with the chiefs. Later, and under the influence of the missionaries, Queen Ka’ahumanu banned the races (there was betting involved!) and it wasn’t until King Kalakaua that races were brought back in 1875. Todays paddling traditions are a tribute to the ancient Hawaiians and their way of life. Find out more here and here.