LYW Episode 19, July 18th 2024: Bellingham Bay Outrigger Paddle Club

Dan Tucker • July 19, 2024

Bellingham Bay Outrigger Paddle Club

This week's episode talks to Blanche Bybee from the Bellingham Bay Outrigger Paddle Club. Nicknamed 'BBOP' (bee-bop), Paul Meyer dives into the world of paddling Hawaiian-style in our very own bay.

From the BBOP website:
Established in 2011, Bellingham Bay Outrigger Paddlers (BBOP) has become a mainstay for helping to get our local communities out on the water. BBOP consists of co-ed competitive racing team, a co-ed recreational group and a youth program, all of which are dedicated to enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest ocean scenery. Outrigger canoes launch from the beautiful waterfront in Fairhaven at the Community Boat Center located at 555 Harris Avenue in Bellingham.

BBOP is a federally recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and all donations are 100% tax deductible. We are 100% volunteer and member run.

BBOP membership is open to any person without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity and/or expression.

Each summer, the Bellingham Bay Outrigger Paddlers (www.bbop.us) host a race event as part of the Pacific Northwest Outrigger Racing Canoe Association series. On Saturday, August 24th at Bloedel-Donovan Park, BBOP will host world-class paddlers as they compete in one of three race formats on Lake Whatcom. Teams competing here are training to race in the largest outrigger canoe race in the world, the Queen Liliuokalani in Kona, HI (8/31), the Catalina Crossing-U.S. Championships in SoCal (9/7), and other distance and changeout races around the globe!

Escort boats needed! If you've never seen a changeout race, this is a great opportunity! The 18-mile “water-changeout” relay race down the length of the lake and back requires one escort boat per canoe. At intervals typically between 20 and 30 minutes, 2-3 paddlers jump out of the escort boat about 30 yards ahead of the racing canoe to wait briefly in the water and then exchange seats in the canoe by climbing in on the ama side (port-side outrigger), while the active paddlers jump out of the canoe to the right. The paddlers now in the water are picked up by the escort boat to await the next change. This is some of the most exciting and challenging racing in the paddling community!

In order to host a successful race event, BBOP must receive a commitment from at least 10 local escort boats. This will be the first of its kind on our Lake Whatcom, so please consider being part of this brag-worthy event! The time commitment for each escort boat is roughly 8am -12pm, but festivities on shore will extend into the evening, including a free Hawaiian plate lunch, vendors area, games, and a beer garden.

The recommended capacity of each escort boat should accommodate (at least) a dedicated operator, a change manager, and 3-4 paddlers.

Please call, text or email for more information or to discuss your participation. They hope to secure all commitments by early August.

Their race page is located at https://www.bbop.us/bbopchallenge

Folks can also find information on their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BBOPinBellingham and on our Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/bellingham_bay_outrigger/

Check out Bellingham Bay Outriggers Paddle Club