For Nani Kalama, paddling has always been more than a sport. It is a part of her culture. Her community. It is a way of life.
“I was born and raised in Hawaii,” Nani shared. “My dad is Hawaiian. My mom is from California. They met in Hawaii surfing, so I grew up with ocean anything—surfing, paddling, just being in the ocean all the time.”
“I started paddling when I was probably eight,” she said. “All my cousins paddled. It’s just what we did.” In high school, she was a part of the junior varsity and varsity paddling teams. During the summer, she paddled with a club. ”It’s continuous.”
Paddling was her passion, but she was also highly skilled in volleyball. “Paddling wouldn’t send me through college,” she said, laughing. “So, I played volleyball.” She attended Chaminade University in Honolulu, where she competed on their volleyball team.
After college, a short visit to California turned into a long trip – as she still calls California home three decades later.
“Once I came to California, I found paddling immediately,” Nani said. “There’s a big paddling community here, and that’s really what made it feel like home.”
For years, she paddled and coached out of Marina del Rey. “My mom and dad were part of that club back in the ’70s…I coached men, women, and new paddlers,” she said.
“I developed a program for brand new people – people who had never picked up a paddle in their life. That was incredible. I loved competing,” she said. “But when I really settled into it, I found the piece I love the most – the people part.”
Nani was introduced to OpenWater in 2025 through friends. “It just happened at the perfect time. Openwater came along when I really needed it.”
Nani works for the Air Force/Space Force, and has many family members who serve. “This means more than just being part of a paddling club. This is bigger. It serves a bigger purpose.”
She first joined during the inaugural all-women’s Wild Buffalo Relay, a 35 mile channel crossing from Catalina Island to Newport Beach, California. “I came in late, but I just said yes. I didn’t know exactly what it was yet, but I knew paddling. I said, ‘I’d love to coach. Whatever you need.’”
In 2025, she taught OpenWater’s first ever all-female team how to paddle. But she soon found so much more than a team to coach: a new community and a family.
“That experience opened my eyes,” she said. “Learning who Openwater is, what they’re about, the community they serve—I didn’t even know this existed. And once I saw it, I just wanted to do more. I kept raising my hand like, ‘What else can I do?’”
As the 2026 Wild Buffalo Relay training commences, Nani brought a vision. “I have a plan,” she said. “Not just paddling technique, but sharing culture. Because it’s not only about paddling, it’s about learning about each other. We all come from different backgrounds. We all have stories.”
She believes paddling offers something deeper. “There’s a healing aspect to it,” she explained. “The ocean, the roots of canoe paddling, Hawaiian culture and tradition…I believe in that so strongly. I knew I could bring that into this program.”
That mission aligned seamlessly with Openwater’s values. “What Openwater stands for—supporting mental health, bringing people together—that’s exactly it,” she said. “And then the women’s piece on top of that? I love that so much.”
“It’s all highlights,” Nani shared. “Seeing the joy this brings people, seeing where they start and how they progress, that makes me so happy.”
“I’m proud to be Hawaiian. I’m proud of canoe paddling. My family taught me that the only way to keep this alive wherever you are is to teach it – and to teach it correctly. I accept that responsibility.”
As Nani looks ahead to this year’s channel crossing, she can’t wait to share this adventure with the new group of paddlers she has been training. “Think about being in a canoe in the middle of the ocean,” she said. “That’s mind-blowing. Not many people ever get that opportunity. This experience will stay with you forever,” she said. “That’s the greatest part.”
“My prize is getting you from there to there,” Nani explained. “Lifting you up and taking you across. That’s why I’m here.”
“I’m so grateful [OpenWater] trusted me with this,” Nani shared. “It’s a personal responsibility.” While Nani no longer competes, she pours into the lives of each paddler, friend, and individual around her.
“This is what I want to do,” Nani said. “I want to give to something bigger. And this is the perfect place to do that.”
