OCC HISTORY
ne of the premier ben- efits of the Outrigger Canoe Club is un- doubtedly its location. Founded on fostering and preserving water sports of old Hawai‘i,
1910
there’s arguably no better place to launch your canoe, paddle or swim out from than OCC. However, the Club hasn’t always been at this location. The story of this beloved Club begins just down the road, at the current site of Outrigger Waik -ık -ı Beach Resort. In 1908, the Outrigger Canoe Club leased one-and-a- half-acres at the mouth of the ‘Āpuakēhau stream, where Kamehameha the Great’s grass house once was. Between what was (at that point) the Moana and Seaside hotels, within two authentic and rare grass houses that were moved from the shuttered Kaimuki Zoo, Alexander Hume Ford’s vision for Outrigger Canoe Club came to life. Waikīkī would once again become accessible to kama‘āina and those small boys who were eager to take up surfing or canoeing. Just months later, the Club became a thriving organization and was embraced by the community. In 1914, a devastating fire engulfed much of the Club and forced new plans in terms of its facilities, and by 1915, there was a new look and a new era for the Club. Then again in the 1920s, due to various circum- stances, the property’s design was once again altered. Fast forward to 1937, a year before OCC’s lease expired, Walter J. Macfarlane was elected president of the Club. He became instrumental in several positive changes, including securing a new 25-year lease in that coveted location. After years of fundraising and nego- tiating, Macfarlane and the Board of Directors raised enough money to sign a contract with one of Hawai‘i’s top architects, Charles Dickey, as well as contractor Ralph
2022
Waikīkī then and now. On July 4, 1910, OCC held its first 4th of July canoe race. The Clubhouse can be seen behind the trees, next to the lagoon. Fast forward to 2022, hotels line the shore, but many traditions continue there, including the Walter J. Macfarlane Memorial Canoe Regatta.
July / august 2022 | AMA 13
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