Hawaiian-style canoes set out on Crystal Lake: ‘It’s a rush’

Motor boats, paddle boards and kayaks were scattered around Crystal Lake on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Joining them were two 40-foot-long, Hawaiian-style canoes that sit six rowers and effortlessly glided through the water.

This may have been the first time Crystal Lake has had this kind of canoe in its waters, Outrigger Chicago member and Crystal Lake resident Brynn Reedy-Jeffries said. Outrigger Chicago is a canoe club based in Highland Park whose members usually sail on Lake Michigan.

Outrigger Chicago founder Brian Jeffries started the club in 2011 when he met people in the area who were interested in canoeing. Jeffries got into the sport about 25 years ago in California where he met his wife, Reedy-Jeffries. They hosted the team’s annual summer party at their Crystal Lake home that sits right on the lake.

“I’ve been dreaming about this,” he said.

Each 40-foot, narrow canoe is equipped with an “ama” pontoon that seats six paddlers. Made of carbon fiber, the canoes weigh about 130 pounds making them ideal for racing, Outrigger Chicago coach Jeff Winterkorn said.

Outrigger canoes date back thousands of years ago and brought voyaging Polynesians to the Hawaiian islands. That historical and cultural connection is still a big part of the sport, Winterkorn said. Traditions like blessing new canoes and never stepping over the boats are practiced by the club.

The club, which has about 30 members, has been steadily growing in the past couple of years, Outrigger Chicago President Doug Vojtko said. Anyone can sign up to be a member of the canoe club, Winterkorn said.

Vojtko describes the team as a family because of how well they know each other and work together. Paddling the canoe feels effortless once the team hits a stride, but it takes time and connection to get to that level of unison.

“It’s a rush,” Jeffries said. “And when everyone gets in unison on the canoe, it just glides.”

The team races in competitions around the world, from short sprints to 40-mile marathons. Team members will be sailing on Lake Michigan this weekend during the Beach 2 Beach Paddle Race and then will take to the Atlantic Ocean in November for the Nish Outrigger Challenge in Miami. Outrigger Chicago has placed in previous races from Hawaii to New York City.

“We raised the Chicago flag high in New York,” Winterkorn said.

Winterkorn’s favorite part of riding the outrigger is the serenity of seeing the Chicago skyline while in the elements of Lake Michigan.

“There’s this connection to the water, the canoe and the people,” he said.

Outrigger Chicago member and Crystal Lake resident Shellie White usually takes her one-seat outrigger canoe on Crystal Lake. This was her first time riding a six-seater at home, she said.

“I just love this lake,” White said. “It’s a great community and I always get people asking me ‘What is that?’ when I take it out on the water.”