Are you planning on participating in a winter sport, but not sure which one yet? Do you enjoy the ocean? Do you like new experiences? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the paddling team may be for you. The Parker School paddling team is one of the longer standing sports available at Parker School, and certainly one of the most unique.
Generally practicing three days a week after school, paddling leaves time for other activities! Races are on Saturday mornings, and the team can agree that even though the mornings are early, paddling races are some of the most fun BIIF sporting events to participate in.
You may be thinking, “Laynie, that sounds like a lot of work, and I’m not so sure if I’d make a good paddler.” That’s not true! Plenty of people continue racing competitively into their 80s! If they can do it, so can you! There is a spot for everyone in a canoe. Seats one and two sit at the front of the canoe. They set the pace for the stroke, and are in charge of keeping time. Seats three, four, and five are the power seats. They follow seats one and two to pull the canoe forward as fast as they can. Seat three calls the changes, and if needed, seat five can take over for the steersperson. Seat six is the steersperson. They are generally the smallest person in the canoe, but don’t put that past them. They are often the bosses in the canoe. They can see everything, so it’s their job to make sure all of the paddlers are doing what they need to do. Most importantly, they also are in charge of getting the canoe where it needs to go.
Paddling with Parker School is an experience like no other. Outrigger canoe paddling at the high school level is only offered in Hawaii, and it offers many unique experiences. Oftentimes, the team gets the chance to see wildlife while on morning paddles, sometimes even seeing huge pods of dolphins, or even the occasional whale! Consider joining the paddling team, we’d love to have you!