The idea to host an outrigger canoe race on the Salton Sea began as a way to start the racing season earlier, but it has evolved into a dream of something much bigger.
Organizers hope the three-day event, which starts Saturday, shows that recreation is possible on the Salton Sea — and that might help save the sea itself.
In the 1950s, the Salton Sea was a destination for recreation. It was a popular resort area with yacht clubs, large marinas and a championship golf course that attracted celebrities.
When Davy Aker, executive director of Seathletes, first posed the idea of a race on the Salton Sea to Tevita Moce, an avid outrigger canoe paddler, Moce said he wouldn’t get into the water because he thought it was polluted.
“We did our research and found out that just like his reaction everyone was just like him and felt like it was polluted. So then we thought it’s more than just a casual race. It’s an opportunity to change the narrative,” Aker said.
The Salton Sea, California’s largest lake, is replenished by runoff from nearby farms. The sea is shrinking, raising concerns that particles from the lake bed would be blown by desert winds into the air, creating public health concerns for residents in the Imperial Valley and as far away as San Diego and Los Angeles….read more