Bud Hohl and Billy Whitford. “Bud & Bud Light.” Bud’s formative role… and the history of outrigger paddling in Kalifornia.
Bud Hohl and Billy Whitford have been part of the Outrigger Paddling world since the 60’s; and they haven’t stopped. Bud is a walking encyclopedia of paddling history, trivia, names, dates and details with a long history of making canoes, paddles and everything else in the sport. These two continue to provide leadership, support, race organization, humor and history. Today they are dedicated to gathering and preserving this history so it lives on. This interview is part of that mission.
Time: 1:35
Molokai/ Catalina/Toots/Tommy Zahn
Time: 1:29
Hawaiiana
Time: 1:11
“Uncle Bud” and his pivot
Time: 1:25
Malia Kalani
00:00 – Passionate about documenting sports history and individuals.
7:24 – Grew up moving; diverse experiences; military family.
14:41 – Newport’s development focused on Harborview Hills.
20:38 – Introduced to Hawaii through Boy Scouts, 1964.
22:19 – Sea Scouts’ maritime focus influenced my life.
29:27 – Outrigger canoe racing formally organized in 1930s.
34:32 – Tommy Zahn initiated Catalina-Newport race event.
40:55 – Extended 1959 canoe project video for anniversary.
44:58 – Pat Kalama introduced canoeing to Orange County.
51:11 – Successful growth and evolution of the sport.
56:28 – Hawaiian cultural values shaped Billy’s perspective.
1:03:57 – Tom Johnson pioneered fiberglass canoes, revolutionizing industry.
1:09:02 – Building canoes in Hawaii for business expansion.
1:15:20 – Polynesian voyaging revival linked to Malia canoe.
1:19:48 – Pete’s 1978 paddlers learned marathon paddling technique.
1:24:45 – First international outrigger paddling association attempted.
1:28:10 – Outrigger paddling offers competitive opportunities post-college.
1:32:55 – Apology offered; professionalism promised for return.
1:37:20 – Thanks for your contributions to the sport.