Small Club Saturday: Honolulu Rowing Club

General Club Information:

When was your club founded?

The Honolulu Rowing Club was founded in 1997 to promote the resurgence of rowing in Hawaii, which had been largely dormant since the 1970s. The club's roots go back to the tradition of large rowing regattas that were held from 1870 to 1949 at the major harbors in Hawaii. During this period, both men and women's crews raced in four- and six-oared boats along with a variety of other boat types and skills. In 1938, eight rowing clubs from the former Hawaii Rowing Association moved from Honolulu Harbor to the current boathouse on the Ala Wai Canal, adjacent to Waikiki. In the late 1950s and 60s, five local high schools participated in a rowing league, before competitive outrigger-style paddling surged in popularity at many of the boat clubs.

The present club was an outgrowth of the Royal Hawaiian Rowing Challenge, which was an annual international regatta in the late 1990s that was organized by Robyn Johl. The club initially used donated eights from Stanford University and oars from Julian Wolf. In the early 2000s, Max Suzuki developed a winter training camp for several Japanese youth programs. Our club was fortunately able to use this equipment and transition into a sculling program

What is the general background of the club?

We have a wide range of rowers, including youth, novices, and experienced senior masters. Many of our members started rowing in college and then returned to the sport here in Hawaii. Our members include college students, military personnel, and even snowbirds who spend their winters here on the island.

What is your club's mission/goals?

Our general mission is to educate rowers and perpetuate this sport in Hawaii. We focus on providing recreational sculling opportunities and supporting the development of competitive youth rowing. Our long-term goal is to expand our club program and even start a new master's regatta. We also want to develop a coastal rowing program that takes advantage of our access to the open ocean on calm days, as well as the nearby protected bays and scenic coastline.

Any motto or quotes your boathouse lives by?

Our general motto is to enjoy rowing in a welcoming and beautiful setting with respect for others. We're grateful for the opportunity to row year-round, conveniently in the middle of the city, and in the shadow of Diamond Head and Waikiki.

Program Structure:

What initiatives has your club implemented to bring in students and athletes?

Over the years, our club has helped to support and develop the youth rowing program at the Ikaika Hawaii Watermans Academy. The Academy integrates sculling into the youth rowing clinics to compliment the sweep rowing and athletic training programs. We provide access to equipment, maintenance, and coaching as needed. We also provide a rowing pathway for youth who aren't able to fully participate in the main program.

How is your program structured, do you compete at a higher level or against other clubs, etc.?

As a recreational sculling program, we have a very open structure. We have a few very regular rowers and a lot of occasional rowers who come down whenever their schedule permits. We welcome new members. We've had members compete at mainland regattas, but competition is not a primary objective of the program.

Small Club Tips:

Can you talk about your fundraising efforts and how you do outreach throughout your community?

To date, we have primarily focused on maintaining program membership dues to sustain the club. Outreach is done primarily through our visibility on the Ala Wai Canal with high visibility to and from Waikiki, word-of-mouth, and our website. People generally find us.

What are some recommendations or strategies that have allowed your club to be successful in growing and maintaining members over the years?

We've tried to create a friendly rowing community and promote very positive rowing (sculling) experiences. Because we have limited access to the boathouse, providing a range of regular group sculling times has also been important to promote and sustain club membership.

Any tips to share that might help other small clubs do the same in their communities?

All you need is a small group of core rowers to start and maintain a club! Navigating the local permit requirements, organizational paperwork, and bank accounts can be challenging, but is not insurmountable.

Have you run into challenges with getting members? Any advice on how other small clubs can combat those challenges?

We have a unique niche because we're the only remaining rowing club in Hawaii, but it also means that we don't have a competitive racing program to promote club membership. Over the last few years, we've also had limited boathouse opening times that may not fit into everyone's schedule and athletic goals. We do, however, try to a set a variety of program hours to maximize club participation.

Creating a good website with an easy-to-remember domain name and email address seems to be helpful in getting new members. We also get a lot of people who see us rowing on the canal, and that has traditionally been one of the best forms of advertisement.

Anything else you would like to share about your club that would be beneficial to other clubs and our members!

Always row with Aloha!