Record Breaking Participation At Hanohano 2023

SAN DIEGO, CA - This past Saturday, Hanohano Outrigger Canoe Club gathered their Ohana for the 28th annual running of the Hanohano Ocean Challenge. A break in San Diego's rainy winter weather brought over 700 people registered to compete.

The volunteers at Hanohano pulled off another amazing event, ensuring a safe fun day for all who showed up. Every paddle craft was represented: kayak, canoe, v-1, C-1, OC-1, OC-2, Surfski, V-3, SUP and Prone as paddlers from age 6 – 80 battled the windy conditions.

Image courtesy Supconnect

2023 was a record-breaking year for participation in what started as a back yard surfski event. Visitors from 16 states representing all regions of the country as well as travelers from Tahiti, Isle of Man, Canada, and Mexico made the trek to be part of this gathering of amazing paddlers.

World Champion Paddlers from many paddling disciplines from all over come to the Hanohano Ocean Challenge to kick off the new season of racing. Results can be found here. Some of our champions include: Jonas Ecker, Austin Kieffer and Maddie Schmidt on surfski, Brent Campbell (OC-1), world champion Steeve Teihotaata (V-1) from Tahiti, Candice Appleby and Danny Ching (SUP) and Steve Sinkus and Liz Hunter (Prone).

Images courtesy Supconnect

According to Standup For The Cure executive director Dan Van Dyck, "It's not all about the racing for many of us. The Hanohano Ocean Challenge is a reunion of paddlers who share a love for the sport, the ocean and our Ohana. This spirit of Aloha and tradition keeps the sport alive and attracts new paddlers to the lifestyle we love. I personally love connecting with friends I’ve paddled with for more than 30 years and especially meeting new friends as our Hanohano family grows each year."

Image courtesy Supconnect

Special thanks to our major partners: West Coast Paddlesports (Title), Stellar Kayak/Ocean Flight (Presenting), Koloa Surf Co (Presenting), Loko Desert, Ocean Academy, West Coast Gliders and Silverback Hawaii. This event is a huge undertaking, without this corporate support and the support of our field of vendors, we wouldn’t be able to continue offering a world class event in Mission Bay!

Thank you for sharing the day with us!

For more SUP news, click HERE.

Content courtesy Hanohano Ocean Challenge.