Originally published by the Newport Aquatic Center on November 14, 2025. At dawn on November 11, when most of Southern California still slept, a father and daughter pushed a 2-man outrigger canoe off Catalina Island and began the 33-mile voyage towards Huntington Beach. This Veterans Day, they paddled together across the channel for OpenWater’s Veterans Day Channel Crossing, joining the crew of 46 other First Responders and Veterans paddling OC1, OC2, SUPs and prones. Kiersten, an experienced rower at the Newport Aquatic Center (NAC), began training in an outrigger canoe with her father, who is a part of OpenWater. NAC partners with OpenWater; a program that supports the health and wellness of every First Responder and Veteran through unique training programs, fellowship, and open water experiences. For Thoby and his daughter Kiersten, this journey was special. It was far more than a physical challenge; it was a sweet time of bonding, grit, perseverance, and an adventure they will never forget.    Discovering the Water Kiersten’s relationship with the Newport Aquatic Center began with a desire to try something new. “I was looking for a sport that was on the water and that I hadn’t tried before, which is when I came

Since OpenWater’s inception, Erin has been a steady force behind the scenes. She is a creative, an encourager, and the mom who ran everything smoothly at home so big dreams could take shape on the water. Born and raised in Huntington Beach, Erin built a career rooted in creativity and surf culture. After graduating from Long Beach State with a degree in fashion merchandising and apparel design, she spent more than a decade at Huntington Surf & Sport, eventually helping open one of the first girls-specific surf shops on Main Street. Later, she launched Lately Lily, a children’s lifestyle brand that grew to include books, dolls, and a clothing line, even catching the attention of Amazon before the pandemic. Even with immense accomplishments, her most impactful role has been closer to home. As OpenWater took shape, Erin watched it evolve from an idea into a life-changing nonprofit. Before OpenWater, her husband Danny Nichols had spent a decade serving in the ocean-based nonprofit space, and Erin understood what the water meant to him. “I was already like, okay, this is his passion,” she says. “He wants to give back, and he wants to do it in a really meaningful way that

Driven. Dedicated. Disciplined.  These are a few words that describe Gen Urquidi.  Born in the Philippines, Gen spent her first decade in Manila. Then, her family moved to Southern California, where she has called home for over 30 years.   Gen is a mother to three adult children. With her youngest graduating early, she finds herself in a new season of life. “It’s a different kind of life,” she says. “I still want to be active, but at the same time, balance out my career as an accountant, and also be a mom.” The balance between strength and service, independence and community, is a part of what led her to OpenWater. OpenWater came into Gen’s life just at the right time, but her heart for service started long before. She spent six years as a leader with Team Red, White & Blue, organizing physical and social activities to help veterans transition after military service. “I thrive in an environment where I can serve,” she explains. After a season of rest, she discovered OpenWater at an event at the Newport Aquatic Center. Then came a “full circle” moment, a friend connected her to Whitney just as OpenWater was forming a women’s team

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

This paddle represents more than endurance to me. It’s a way to process the past, mile by mile. Each stroke against the water feels like movement through the memories, the pain, and the chaos that still echo through my life. There’s a rhythm to it — pain turns into motion, motion turns into progress, and somewhere out there in the middle of the ocean, there’s a strange kind of peace. It’s where the noise quiets down and everything feels clear for a while. For me, this isn’t just about crossing distance. It’s about proving to myself that with structure, pain, and perseverance can transform into something healing. The discipline I learned in the Marine Corps, the grind, the repetition, the never-quit mentality — those same traits that once broke me down now build me back up. This paddle is my way of showing that I’m still in the fight. That I’ve got more left in the tank than I thought. That even after everything, I can still dig deep, still push forward, still find purpose in the struggle. Doing this on Veterans Day gives it a weight that’s hard to put into words. Freedom and peace aren’t free they’re earned

Meet Kevin — Active Duty Navy, Virginia Beach Ambassador, and 2024 Channel Crossing participant. Even though he didn’t know it at the time, the Channel Crossing would mark an epic change in his life. “I had settled on a direction of no longer physically challenging myself… Mentally there were a lot of traumas I had compartmentalized. Spiritually, I realized I had let myself drift.” The Channel Crossing was much more than just a physical test. It became both a mental and spiritual challenge as well.  “Crossing the channel reconnected the bridge between my physical and mental state and resparked my spiritual outlook. In the days, weeks, and months that followed the Channel Crossing, I began to piece together what it meant to me. Some of the lessons came quickly and were surface level ‘I need to be in better shape’ or ‘I can do hard things.’ Others came about in a slow, steady build up.  “The lightbulb turned on for me about two months after, the soreness had left, and the high of accomplishing such an event had gone away, but the realizations and lessons were just beginning.  “Digging deeper into my heart and soul, and through deep personal reflection,

The ocean is solace for a lot of people for a lot of reasons. For Huntington Beach firefighter and original OpenWater Rusty Anchor Kane Johnson, it’s a place to center himself, find peace, and as a first responder, recharge the batteries. Born in 1979, Johnson’s formative years unfolded against the backdrop of the ’80s and ’90s, an era he fondly recalls as a “fun, different time.” Raised in Orange County, he navigated the vibrant surf culture that defined the region. His connection with the ocean deepened as he spent countless hours bodyboarding, a pursuit fueled in part by the financial constraints of a broken home. “We didn’t have a lot of money as a kid, and all I wanted to do was to be at the beach and be in the water. I put all my energy into that,” Johnson explains. Johnson’s journey through the surf industry took him to Alternative Surf, eBodyboarding.com, and Dojo Distribution. Immersed in the dynamic world of bodyboarding, he witnessed the industry’s highs and lows. Recognizing the transient nature of surf-related careers, Johnson contemplated a career in law enforcement, following in the footsteps of his stepdad, a police officer in Costa Mesa. However, a twist