Big Splash: Paddle Palooza brings 180 paddlers to Polson

Kimokeo Kapahulehua, called “Uncle” as a term of respect for the Hawaiian elder, gave a blessing last Friday, the opening night of the sixth annual Paddle Palooza held at the Polson Fairgrounds. He blessed the paddlers and stressed the importance of embracing culture, whether it be Hawaiian, Salish, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreille, or any other.

Uncle asked Salish and Kootenai elders for permission to be on their land and on their lake.

Silver Lining Montana organizes Paddle Palooza as part of a back-to-back paddling extravaganza dubbed PaddleFest Montana. Their goal is empowering breast cancer survivors in Western Montana, according to their website.

Nan Condit, president of Silver Lining, was one of the original members of a Missoula group of “sisters” that formed in 2015 when they were all dealing with, and recovering from, breast cancer.

With a master’s in exercise psychology, Condit knew exercise – and especially paddling – has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence by up to 50 percent. So, the Silver Lining sisters decided to paddle the length of Flathead Lake. That marked the first Paddle Palooza in 2020.

This year 180 paddlers came to northwestern Montana, some from Oregon, Kansas and, of course, Hawaii. There is a special breast cancer division, too.

“There’s an Abilities 360 group who came and participated in this year’s Paddle Palooza. We had never worked with paraplegics … but they were great, strong in the canoes,” Condit said.

The event has grown exponentially, and Condit credits Uncle with the growth.

“We call it M to M, Montana to Maui,” she said, since Kapahulehua is from Maui.

Outrigger canoeing is very big in Hawaii, a way of embracing the Hawaiian culture.

Early Saturday morning the paddlers launched six-person outrigger canoes and some smaller outriggers and headed from the Polson Fairgrounds up Flathead Lake and around Wild Horse Island on a 25-mile point-to-point paddle to their landing spot at the Big Arm Canoe Club. Mother Nature cooperated with sunshine and blue skies but tossed some small waves and gusts of winds in to keep things interesting. According to one Hawaiian participant, “It was a lovely paddle.”

Silver Lining Montana paddlers train together, Condit said, to develop strength on and off the water. “We look at exercise as medicine,” she said.

It must pay off, too, since they won the gold at a Vancouver Dragon Boat competition.

They have a gym in Missoula and weather permitting, they paddle three days a week, launching from the Big Arm Canoe Club. When there is full moon, members participate in a moonlight paddle. All levels are welcome.

Paddling is a spiritual experience and a valuable lesson in cooperation, according to Condit.

“There are no politics in a canoe,” she said. “Everybody works together.”

PaddleFest Montana continues this weekend with the Dragon Boat Festival, also at the Polson Fairgrounds. Team practices are Friday, with race days Saturday and Sunday, and live music Saturday evening.

For information, go to www.silverliningmt.org.

    Paddlers bring their outrigger canoe ashore in Big Arm at the Paddle Palooza. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

Paddle Palooza participants begin a 25-mile point-to-point from the Polson Fairgrounds to Big Arm Canoe Club. The event is put on by Silver Lining Montana and supports breast cancer patients and survivors in northwestern Montana. (Courtesy photo)

Young Hawaiian paddlers and CSKT paddlers take a symbolic jaunt on the Flathead River to put faces to the next generation of paddlers. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)

    A young Hawaiian paddler greets a CSKT elder at Friday night's Paddle Palooza festivities. (Berl iskus/Leader)