sports
OREGON'S LGBTQ NEWSMAGAZINE
JULY 15, 2011
CROCC Rocks
Hawaiian outrigger canoeing alive and well in Portland with the
Columbia River Outrigger Canoeing Club
»
R eco n n ect a n d m ak e your v acatio n
all th e m o re special. B ook now a n d
rediscover th e tru e n a tu re o f fun in
V ancouver.
•
O u tg a m e s a n d P rid e W eek rates
available sta rrin g at $229 CAD.
BY RYAN J. PRADO
As of press time, summer is still here.
That means there’s no better time than
now to enjoy the Northwest’s rivers,
creeks, lakes and the like to cool off in
before our pre-fall showers reign su
preme. If you’re searching for a different
way to make a splash in water sports,
might we suggest the revered Hawaiian
pastime of outrigger canoeing?
Lucky for you, Portland just so hap
pens to be home to the Columbia River
Outrigger Canoe Club (CROCC), a
recreational and competitive crew of
spirited devotees to the team sport of outrig
ger canoeing. The group was founded in
1992, the first dedicated outrigger canoe club
in Portland and the Northwest. Through its
mission of encouraging, sustaining and per
petuating outrigger canoe paddling, racing
and the related Hawaiian traditions,CROCC
strives, per its website, “to embrace and nur
ture the community through inclusiveness
and all skill levels in order to teach and im
prove paddling technique and to maximize
enjoyment of the sport.”
It just so happens, as CROCC head coach
31
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR
TO M AKE A RESERVATION. VISIT
WESTINGRANDVANCOUVER.COM/
GLBTOR CALL 1.888.680.9393.
| Northwest Outrigger Canoe Associa-
o tion—places emphasis on its novice
and recreational paddlers. In fact, that’s
| how board chair Clint Spelt began his
journey into the wet world of outrigger
canoeing.
“I joined CROCC with very little
water experience at all,” Spelt admits.
“A little more than two years later, my
partner and I went from ‘let’s just try it
and see if we can make time for it’ to
racing competitively, coaching and sit
ting on the board of directors. When
you paddle, everything else in the world
seems to go away.”
CROCC is participating in each of the
Sunday Parkways events throughout the
summer, and bringing a canoe for curious
folks to check out. On July 24, CROCC will
be at the Northwest Sunday Parkways event
just south of the Hawthorne Bridge, and will
have a canoe available to take people out for
a short paddle throughout the day. J#]
T he W estin
GRAND
VANCOUVER
Josie Sparks explains, that about 85-90 per
cent of the paddlers are members of the LG-
BTQjrommunity.
“W hat’s so incredibly wonderful is that
everyone in the outrigger community is ac
cepting, and therefore we’re able to paddle
without judgment,"Sparks says. “It’s all about
being an ohana [family] that’s full of athletes
that makes sure we all kokua [help] one
another.”
While outrigger canoeing with CROCC
engages in competitive races with challeng
ing conditions on the Columbia River, the For more inform ation about upcoming races fo r
group—which operates under the Pacific CRO CC, v isit croccpaddle.com.
mBu*
■ V. '
■ s w
Countdown To The Cup
Portland Cup Softball Tourney returns in August
BY RYAN J. PRADO
While hundreds of softball stars are
scheduled to take the field during the sec
ond GLI SA North America Outgames in
Vancouver, B.C., Portland’s Rose City Soft-
ball Association is oiling up the leather for
its own big-time invitational. The Portland
Cup—set for August 13-14 at the Delta
Park Sports Complex (10737 N. Union
Court)—will host teams from Seattle, Van-
couver, B.C., San Francisco and Phoenix.
The tournament marks the perfect chance to
either tune up before late August’s Gay
World Series in Chicago or, for teams not
going to the series, to have a last sporting
hurrah before summer winds down.
Jake Packer, RCSA open division com
missioner, explains that this year’s Portland
Cup tourney follows in the historical foot
steps of most gay sports leagues’ focus on
recreational fun, with multiple divisions for
teams based on the cumulative abilities of
its players. As Packer reports, very competi
tive teams with a high degree of skill level
don’t face teams with newer players and/or a
lower level of abilities. There’s also a Wom-
en’s B and C Division, featuring the Seattle
Changes, and the Portland Dirty Grrlz.
“This relative equality in each division
puts the competition aspects on more even
footing, making the experience all the more
enjoyable for all teams,” Packer says.
The Portland Cup doesn’t hold back with
the post-game social functions, either. RCSA
traditionally partners with local gay or gay-
friendly businesses to ensure a unique experi
ence for ball players after they hang the
spikes up for the night. This year, Scandals,
CC Slaughters and Starky’s are hosting eve
ning events August 13-15, respectively.
“These are usually very well attended, as a
lot of these players see each other on what we
could call the Gay Softball Circuit year after
year in various cities,” Packer says. “It’s always
a big opportunity to socialize and catch up
since the last time they crossed paths at a
tournament.”
Delta Park has food, beverages and beer
available in the central complex, fueling at
tendees until Sunday afternoon’s finals for
the various divisions.
mwvm
Thanks to the
Dept, of Justice,
Interested in participating? There’s time
left to register through August 5. Team reg
istration fees are $375—the experience is
priceless. JM
The Portland Cup takes place A ugust 1 3 -1 4 ,
w ith fin a ls on A ugust 15 fr o m 9 a.m. to 6 p.m .
For more inform ation, v isit portlandcup.org.
Additionally, the Lesbian C om m unity Project's
a n nual L C P Womens Softball Tournam ent o f
WE ARE CLOSED.
Stop the
Federal Government's
attacks on
medical marijuana
patients.
Choice is slated fo r A ugust 5 - 7 in Brush Prairie,
Wash. Team registration isfull, b u tfo r inform a
tion on attending, v isit letsplaylcp.com.
Thank You Cannabis.