When did they begin to make fibreglass canoes?
“Toots” Minvielle of Hawaii is credited with the building of the first fibreglass outrigger canoe in 1954, but it was in California that production of fibreglass outrigger canoes on any scale was first practiced. It was however, “Toots” that helped introduce California to the sport. For an inaugural invitational race held in California in 1959 (The Catalina Island Race), a number of Malia canoes were shipped over from Hawaii for the event. A mould was taken from the “Malia” canoe before returning it to Hawaii. Several years latter in the early ’60’s, the Malia canoes were born. It was realised that quick, cheap reproduction of canoes is what was needed to really kick the sport along as the creation of timber koa canoes was expensive and time consuming. This practice soon came to Hawaii. 5.5 How did the native Hawaiian feel about this? The reaction was not altogether good. Outrigger canoe racing has at its roots, tradition, ceremony and custom. The thought of plastic canoes did not sit
