Canadian Sprint Nationals registration: NEW REGISTRATION SPOTS OPEN for women’s, men’s and mixed crews

Erik Ages 16 Comments

Canadian 2026 Outrigger National Sprint Championships – NEW CREW SPOTS OPEN FOR WOMEN, MEN & MIXED (registration closes 12 April)

APRIL 2026 UPDATE – WAITLISTING IS NOW GONE. The following crew-boat registrations are now open to the public: 2 adult women’s crews and 1 junior women’s crew; 2 men’s crews and 2 junior men’s crews; 2 adult mixed crews and 1 junior mixed crew. CLICK HERE to register your crew. Note that registration closes on 12 April.

This is your opportunity to register yourself and/or your OC6 team for the Canadian 2026 Outrigger National Sprints Championships. This national racing event will take place on Burnaby Lake at the Burnaby Lake Pavilion in Burnaby, BC on Saturday and Sunday 9-10 May 2026. Crew and solo entries are available in limited numbers, on a first-come-first-served basis. Initial entry allocations are as follows:

Crew races will take place in CORA-club-supplied Bradley OC6s; solo athletes will race in CORA-supplied V1s. All registered crew and solo athletes will have the opportunity to race 500M 3 times, from qualifying heats through semi-finals and finals. The race grid will accommodate as many 1000M heats as may be practicable within the time available. Not all crews may have the opportunity to race 1000M, which may be restricted to the fastest women’s, men’s and mixed crews. Age divisions may be consolidated for heats and prizing based on registrations received.

Preliminary race schedule (subject to change):

Saturday May 9, 2026 – 9:00am – 6:00pm

  • Saturday morning – V1 500M heats and finals
  • Saturday afternoon – V6 500M heats

Sunday May 10, 2026 – 9:00am – 5:00pm

  • Sunday afternoon – V6 1000M finals and 500M finals
  • Sunday morning – V6 1000M heats


REGISTRATION is now OPEN; CLICK HERE to register your crew or yourself (as a solo v1 athlete). An email notice has been sent to all registered members of CORA with this same link for Sprints registration. Please ensure that you purchase only ONE crew registration for each team.

Kevin Cowan (Kai Ikaika) Wins 2026 Peter Forand Masters Challenge

Graeme Galves Leave a comment

The PNWORCA / CORA 2026 Small-Boat Racing Winter Series Championship event lived up to expectations as there were over 120 participants, the courses were challenging, the weather was beautiful, the awards / prizes were exceptional, and the after-race buffet meal was phenomenal as usual.

The PNWORCA Race Committee no longer tracks Small-Boat Racing Winter Series points and the Small-Boat Racing Winter Series Championship event host no longer recognizes Division Top 3 Finishers. However, the CORA Race Committee continues to track Small-Boat Racing Winter Series points so as to recognize Canadians who are among the Top 3 Finishers overall in their Boat / Gender / Age Division and to continue the tradition of the Peter Forand Masters Challenge Trophy.

  • Marnie Conklin (1st V1 Women), Robbie Magus (1st V1 Men), Graeme Galves (1st V1 Men)
  • Doug Thomas (2nd OC1 Men)
  • Dana Britton (3rd OC1 Women)

By virtue of having a 1st Place in five races, the PNWORCA / CORA 2026 Small-Boat Racing Winter Series winner of the Peter Forand Masters Challenge is Kevin Cowan (Kai Ikaika) in the Men Masters 60+ OC1 Division. The 2026 PNWORCA Winter Series event organizers recognize Kevin Cowan as the Peter Forand Masters Challenge winner in accordance with guidelines as the Male or Female Masters (40+ / 50+ / 60+ / 70+) paddler with the highest number of points across all age / gender brackets at the end of the Winter Series. Dana Britton, Harrison OC1 Masters 50+ paddler, graciously presented the Trophy to Kevin Cowan, in the 10th and possibly Final year of the Peter Forand Masters Challenge.

Congratulations to Kevin Cowan as he has demonstrated commitment and excellence in Winter Series small-boat racing for several decades. Vast distances permitting, we would like to present this trophy to Kevin Cowan in-person at a PNWORCA event in the near future.

There were 82 paddlers who completed one or more races in the OC1 Masters Division. PNWORCA / CORA wish to recognize these individuals who were top contenders for the Peter Forand Masters Challenge Trophy: Kevin Cowan (Kai Ikaika) 1st Place, Noah Johnson-Greenough (Kai Ikaika) 2nd Place, Kimberly Pennington (Kai Ikaika) 3rd Place, Minnie Fontenelle (Sand Point) 4th Place, Mulu Tapasa (Kai Ikaika) 5th Place, Dana Britton (Harrison) 6th Place, and Manny De Leon (FreeLance) 7th Place.

2026 had been another exceptional year for the PNWORCA / CORA Small-Boat Racing Winter Series. The Winter weather had been bitterly cold at times, but not a single PNWORCA / CORA Small-Boat Racing Winter Series event was cancelled, resulting in a record-setting 459 entries (65+ entries on average per event), as well as a record-setting 73 V1 (rudderless) entries.

In recognition of steadily increasing V1 (rudderless) participation in Small-Boat Racing, the PNWORCA / CORA 2026 Small-Boat Racing Winter Series Championship event introduced innovative awards this year. Those V1 paddlers who completed a minimum of 3 long-course races in their age / gender division, and had the most points in their age / gender division, were awarded medals. PNWORCA / CORA wish to recognize these individuals who won their V1 Division: Masato Tsukigase (Sand Point), Marnie Conklin (False Creek), Robbie Magus (False Creek), Minnie Fontenelle (Sand Point), Graeme Galves (FreeLance), Traci Cole (Sand Point). It is worth noting that by completing just 1 more long-course race in their age / gender division, another 11 V1 paddlers would have been in contention for awards. Dana Britton, Harrison OC1 Masters 50+ paddler, graciously presented the V1 medals to Marnie Conklin and Robbie Magus at the False Creek March Madness event on Sunday afternoon.

 

 

For more information about the Peter Forand Masters Challenge, CLICK HERE

CORA TOWN HALL: Outrigger Race Planning and Management (a master class on how to host great races)

Erik Ages Leave a comment

Sunday 29 March 2026 | 4:00pm-5:45pm Pacific
VIDEO Town Hall (via Zoom)

DATE: Sunday 29 March 2026
TIME: 4pm-5.45pm Pacific

For new and experienced outrigger race directors, planners and volunteers who want to improve the benefits, safety and quality of outrigger races in Canada.

This session will:

  • Share operational frameworks, including equipment and software, from manual to fully automated
  • Discuss race economics
  • Review safety standards and risk management
  • Creative race development
  • Consider institutional memory & leadership/volunteer fatigue
  • Discuss how to promote races among locals, visitors and sponsors

1. Economics of a Race: Erik Ages (CORA & FGPC / Victoria)

  • Budget architecture (fixed vs variable costs)
  • Cashflow timing risks
  • Revenue streams:
    • Entry fees
    • Sponsorships
    • Grants
    • Merchandise
  • Hardware investments:
    • Timing systems
    • Safety boats
    • Course markers
    • Radios / comms
  • Insurance, sanctioning, municipal permits
  • The Volunteer vs Paid Expertise Dilemma:
    • When to pay (professionalize)?
    • Cost–benefit analysis
    • Burnout risk
  • Day-of-race workflow control

Deliverable: Provide sample high-level race budget template post-session.

2. Operations & Registrations: Paul Barton (FGPC / Vancouver)

  • Advancement systems for head races vs heat formats
  • Registration systems
  • Payment platforms
  • Data management
  • Refund policies

Focus: maximizing credibility; minimizing friction and financial risks

3. Safety & Risk Management: Jan Chavarie (Jericho / Vancouver)

  • Race-day safety planning
  • Water safety ratios
  • Weather decision-making thresholds
  • Incident command structures
  • Near-miss learnings
  • Tragic outcome lessons and duty of care

Goal: Normalize conservative decision-making without stigma.
Deliverable: High-level safety checklist template.

4. Promotion & Growth: Bethany Yam (CORA / Toronto)

  • Marketing race value proposition
  • Building returning participation
  • Social media amplification
  • Sponsorship activation
  • Regional branding

Goal: Shift from “event” to “annual institution.”

5. Q&A