You can find the Coast Salish people’s Rikkole (Rih-cole) Cree Canoe Club on the shores of Lake Whatcom almost every weekday.
They paddle individual, six-person and 12-person outriggers and War Canoes in laps around the lake, training for local and national regattas. The club’s paddlers, made up of Coast Salish people including Nooksack, Samish and Lummi tribal members are all family. Brothers, sisters, parents, aunts and uncles come together every weekday to propel their racing boats across Lake Whatcom.
The club has seen a lot of success in recent months, winning competitions and posting some of the fastest qualifying times in the nation during their journey to qualify 23 athletes for the International Va’a Federation World Sprint’s event in Hawaii this August.
“We’re excited and confident,” said Rikkole Edwards, daughter of the club’s founder. “This is our first year competing at Worlds in the sprint [outrigger canoe] boats.”
Va’a’s, more commonly known as outrigger canoes, are the official racing boat for the IVF (International Va’a Federation). At World’s, teams are supplied with identical V12 (12-person), V6 (six-person) and V1 (one-person) boats, ensuring a level playing field for all athletes. These rudderless outrigger canoes are made of fiberglass or other lightweight materials and are an impressive sight to behold.
Starting on Aug. 13 and concluding on the 24, racers will compete as local clubs and under national banners in 500-meter and 1,500-meter “sprint” races. 1,500-meter races include five turns, where paddlers must manipulate their 20-feet Va’a in a 180-degree rotation before sprinting back down the straight.
Six of the 23 Rikkole Cree Canoe Club participants headed for Worlds will compete in individual events. Three will represent Team USAORCA (Outrigger Racing Canoe Association) in the V6 500-meter and 1,500-meter races and V12 500-meter race, and others will go for club and age group world titles.
Nearly 2,000 athletes from 40 nations, clubs and associations will participate at the IVF World Sprints in Hilo, Hawaii.
Family first, canoe club second
The Rikkole Cree Canoe Club is family first and canoe club second. With three generations of athletes from the same family participating, sibling rivalries and family pride drive the club forward.
“You can hold your family to a higher standard than you can [with other people],” said LeAndra Smith, a Rikkole Cree club member for more than a decade.
Smith is part of the boat’s “engine room” and drives the boat forward, syncing up her strokes with the paddlers in front. She will be racing in the Elite Team USAORCA V6 and V12 boats in the 500-meter and 1,500-meter events.
Her daughter, Saraya, qualified for the Junior V1 women’s race by posting the second fastest qualifying time in Sacramento, California. Saraya, 16, has been paddling and racing for most of her life, breaking Rikkole club records on the way to the World Championships.
Traditionally, the Rikkole Cree Canoe Club race in War Canoes. These one- to 11-seat dugout or cedar-striped wooden vessels hold spiritual significance to the club and can be found zipping around Lake Whatcom during practice. War Canoes are characterized by their long, narrow profile and are often adorned with a figurehead at the front.
“We usually start with War Canoes in March and transition to outriggers [V12s, 6s, and 1s] later in the summer,” Rikkole said.
War Canoe racing
War Canoe racing is unique to the Coast Salish and First Nation people, with competitive clubs and teams hailing from Tulalip, Vancouver, Chilliwack and beyond. Teams have a culture of starting their athletes young, and the Rikkole Cree Canoe Club emphasizes getting the next generation into boats as early as possible.
Smith began paddling in her 20s, meaning her daughter has now been paddling for as long as her — 11 years.
Athletes racing in the upcoming IVF World Championships face physical and mental obstacles while transitioning from War Canoe season to outrigger competition. They’ll be going from 20-minute to 3-hour race efforts in the War Canoes, into 2- to 10-minute races at World Sprints.
Prep is difficult, as athletes are put through the rigors of racing on the weekends and training five days per week, on top of learning and familiarizing themselves with different teammates, racing styles and boats.
Athletes including Smith, Joseph Bob and Amanda Roberts earned starting spots on the Elite team in multiple disciplines and will represent Team USAORCA at Worlds. Although racers in the V1 boats can rely on their skills and confidence in the water, those in the V6 and V12 vessels must learn to work with new teammates over a few days.
“We’re all professionals,” Bob said, “but it’s challenging to get everything and everyone in the same rhythm just a few days before seeding and racing events.”
Bob and the rest of the racers rely on their War Canoe race season and practice to push them through World sprints. Notably, the V6 Open Women’s 40+ team includes five Rikkole Cree Club paddlers out of a possible six. The five women represented posted the fastest times at a Sacramento qualifier earlier this year to earn their seats in the boat.
“It’s amazing,” Smith said. “We normally [race] war canoes, and when we got invited to do sprints last year, we didn’t know where we stood in the sport. To have qualified so many athletes is incredible.”
Supporters are encouraged to follow along on the Rikkole Cree Canoe Club’s Facebook page while they compete throughout the season and at Worlds. The 2024 IVF World’s schedule and results can be found online at https://worldsprints2024hilo.org.
Casey Griesemer writes monthly. Email: caseyg2014@gmail.com.
