Chapter 5 – 1998
The VIPER is the brand new shape and design. It had a wedge like nose entry and new deck, a splash guard and newly shaped ama were the biggest new features of the Viper.
Jim and John Foti win the Molokai Relay race and Mark Rigg wins the Molokai Solo race on [...]
Chapter 4 – ‘96-’97
1996 was a big year for firsts in OC1 design by Karel and Outrigger Connection.
In 1996 the Arrow 2 and Thunder are the first OC1s to have a radical lower sliding track seats.
These OC1 also have the first ever iakos that enter vertically into the ama for easy adjustment and wave clearance. [...]
It’s definitely summer in Western Australia because every afternoon a sea breeze blows in off the sea at 20-25 knots. The breeze is called The Fremantle Doctor. This is a short movie of myself and Mark having some fun one afternoon this week. You always feel better after a visit to The Doctor!
Chapter 3 – ‘95
1995 – The year of the Arrow. One man canoes start to evolve as the sport progresses in Hawaii. Narrower designs, but still maintaining the flat high seat. With the Arrow Karel made the first lightweight OC1 using epoxy and graphite vacuum bagged construction.
Jim and John Foti are the first team riders for [...]
Chapter 2: 90 – 94
The early 90’s was Karel Snr’s first introduction to outrigger canoes. In the early 90’s Karel Snr was the upper division coach of the Lanikai Canoe Club’s mens crew and was the first coach to incorporate one man canoes into the training program and the first to start using one [...]
Here is a quick movie of The Mandurah Classic Ocean Paddle, a 14km downhill run from the Dawseville Cut to Seashells Resort in Mandurah. 105 paddlers, ocean skis, surf skis, plastics, kayaks, outrigger canoes. SW wind at 15 knots and a 1m swell… downhill fun!
The presentation and BBQ was by the pool overlooking the Beach [...]
Does anyone have any favourite OC1 surfing spots? The best one I’ve come across so far is a sandbar break just off the estuary mouth in Mandurah Western Australia. It’s long and it’s clean, the ride is up to 500m long and you can sit on the one wave for over 1min 30sec. Here is [...]
Chapter 1 – The 60’s, 70’s & 80’s
Karel Tresnak Snr was originally from Czechoslovakia where he was a 2 time White Water World Champion and competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Karel and his team mates formed a company TGT and made their own canoes.
In the 80’s Karel immigrated with his family to Hawaii and [...]
For all you Sandgropers, if you’ve been thinking about updating or getting a new OC1 or OC2 here is your big chance. There is a container arriving in Perth from Hong Kong in December and if you get your order in before the end of November you can get a brand new canoe for same [...]
Outrigger canoes is what we are all about.
Here you’ll find all the information about Outrigger Connection’s products, accessories and other services we offer. Using the blog part of the site I will be making postings on anything and everything to do with outrigger canoeing, paddling in the ocean or anything I can share with everyone [...]
