Elizabeth Kalama dove into canoe paddling head first - and she’s not slowing down! Kelly and Will have a great time getting to know how she found herself in a V1. Yes it’s true, she’s actually never paddled an oc1. With the sport of rudderless racing rapidly growing, she is helping lead the charge for female racers. Elizabeth came out and competed in the NAC Va’a California Series Race #2 and #3. She recaps her strategies and shares what’s in store for her next!  Support the show

Steeve Teihotaata, Kevin Kouder, Marc Tehuritaua - all in the same room after the finale of the NAC Va'a California Race Series. Steeve took home the win for Race #3, and his brother Kevin took 3rd. They were just 2 out of the many international racers that this race attracted. Kelly and Will were able to sit down with them after the event to recap their race, ask what races are on the horizon, and learn a little bit about where they came from. Will was able to ask Marc the burning questions about canoe building that he's been waiting to ask, and everyone was intrigued to learn more about the V1 's he builds.  Shout out to NAC for making the Va'a California Series happen and expanding the V1 racing here on the mainland! Support the show

The man, the myth, the "retired" legend - Jimmy Austin hops on to recap his winning 2023 Maui to Molokai Race. THIS GUY jumped into outrigger paddling guns flippin' blazing. And he hasn't stopped since. He shares some key training tips, funny Will stories and the life-changing medical decisions he had to make just not too long ago. Now we have one question - will Jimmy race the solo? Support the show

This episode was almost named the Liquid IV episode. Kelly and Will dive into Alana and Kaleena Cappeway's training plans, nutrition plans and deepest fears regarding channel crossings. Both paddle for Santa Barbara Outrigger and were coached in the winter by a Cocktails and Canoes regular - April Zilg. Both women come from a strong athletic background and once they jumped in a canoe - it was hard to get them out! Especially if you waned them on the escort boat...Kaleena is now coaching the Santa Barbara Outrigger team and we can only imagine great things coming out of the central coast this season! Support the show

April + Leah + Lindsey + Leanne = The Women's Adventure Panel at the 2023 Wild Buffalo Relay. All four of these incredible women have stories to share about their paddling careers. They're all down-to-earth role models that paddlers from all over the world look up to. Kelly and Will were stoked that they all accepted the invitation to participate in this year's panel and share their knowledge with others. From home life, to mom life, to work life, to racing life - these girls kick a**  in EVERYTHING! Support the show

Igor Sobreira started as a sunrise outrigger paddler and is now the state Champ! His first year paddling, he raced the Molokai Channel - and has continued to every year since. Kelly and Will had a great time learning more about his background growing up in Brazil and leading up to where he is now - battling neck to neck with Triston and Chase for Hawaii State Champs on Oahu. Support the show

We were excited to host our first in-person event in Avalon, Catalina, during the Wild Buffalo Race on 4/1/23. Big thank you to KISL Avalon Radio Station for setting us up for success and helping put on this program! On this panel, we were lucky enough to get Jo Jo Toeppner and Julie Wolfe ON DECK and give us some stories on their Na Wahine O Ke Kai Molokai Crossings! The stories they share are about ohana, community, hard work, and of course - fun. We could talk about this for hours with them! Jo Jo and Julie have an extensive resume for outrigger canoe paddling, and we thank them for sharing a little bit with us on this panel! Support the show

You don't know Jack about Jack Marshall Shimko until you listen to this episode. From the early stages of his cancer diagnosis, he knew he wanted to give back and make a difference in the cancer community. With Paddle2Live, he completed many WILD solo prone paddling trips across the Channel Islands while raising money for cancer research, one trip that earned him the Surfer Magazine Agent of Change award in 2012. He shares the sketchy moments as well and the great memories he made on these 150-260 mile solo paddle treks. Then he started We Are Ocean, and the rest is history! Since 2012, We Are Ocean has provided carefully curated ocean and coastal wilderness experiences, camps, and programs for young adult cancer survivors. You can catch the NAC / We Are Ocean team on Catalina from March 31 to April 2, participating in the Wild Buffalo Race. They are teaming up with NAC Outrigger paddlers and Team Open Water to cross the channel and keep cancer on the sidelines. IG: @nac_weareoceanLearn more about We Are Ocean Paddle2Live 2011 Adventure YouTube PlaylistThis challenge & adventure is proudly supported by:  The Newport Aquatic Center  Puakea Designs We Are Ocean  OpenWater Florence Marine X  The Kennedy / Marshall Company  The Schulein FamilyCrown Ace Hardware Kaenon  Athletic Greens  Support the show

Kelly and Will team up with the Broadcast Bruddahs, Joe Naholowa'a and Justin Feesago, to bring you some in-depth reviews on the past V1 races and upcoming races. The Broadcast Bruddahs bring a fresh perspective to the sport on a lifestream platform. You can recap the live-stream race videos on the Newport Aquatic Center YouTube Channel. Oh, how the turns table. The BBs somehow took the reigns of the podcast and took Kelly and Will into some deep water. They asked about pivotal moments in their lives and let them explain their WHY. Warning: It gets deep. It gets emotional. If that's not for you, feel free to move along. But they figured it wouldn't be Cocktails and Canoes if they didn't post something because they worried about other people's thoughts. Support the show

BIG ISLAND JR VA'A IN THE HOUSE! We get to chat with one of BIJV's youngest paddlers, Oliver Powers, and his dad Liam. They just had the 1st Annual Moke 'O Keawe 2 Day Challenge on the Big Island and we get to hear all about Oliver's experience with a 2-mile sprint. Yes. 2 miles. Sprinting. Coach. Call us. We're stoked about what Oliver has already accomplished with the support of his family and BIJV and we cannot wait to see what the rest of this year has in store for him! Hopefully see you at the Gorge or in Catalina soon, Oliver. Bring your Dad! Support the show