Outrigger canoeing makes waves in Singapore, as governing body sets sights on SEA Games inclusion

Paddlers competing in the Singapore Country of Origin outrigger canoe race off East Coast Park on June 28. Hosted by Team France, it attracted participants from 12 countries. PHOTO: Noémie Vogels

Hana Chen

UPDATED Jun 29, 2025, 02:46 AM

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SINGAPORE – When Xavier Marle Keutch competed in his first outrigger canoeing race 14 years ago, the Frenchman had no idea what he was getting himself into.

“We literally met on the beach, and we didn’t even do the right course; we did an extra island, and we finished dead last, and it was fun!” the 42-year-old photographer recalled. 

His love for the sport led him to co-found Va’a Team France – an outrigger paddling team of French nationals who train on Sentosa Island – in 2015, after he and his compatriots realised the community of French paddlers here had rapidly expanded.

The modern sport of outrigger canoeing utilises large canoes known as va’a originating from the Polynesian islands.

Once used as a method of transport, the va’a, which range from one-man to six-man boats, are now used in canoeing races that vary from short sprints of 250m to gruelling marathons of 65km.

What sparked Keutch’s enthusiasm for va’a was the Country of Origin (COO) race in Singapore, which was established in 2010 as a way for Singapore’s then-fledgling outrigger canoeing community to participate in friendly competition while representing their home nations. 

On June 28, Va’a Team France hosted the 15th edition of the race, which saw about 200 outrigger canoeists from 12 countries, including Singapore, Australia, Japan and Hungary, taking part.

Since the first COO race, when just 40 people showed up, participation has risen over the years. Teams from each nation take turns to host the now-annual race, with Team Ukraine having planned the 2024 edition, and Team Britain looking to take up the mantle next year. 

This year’s event, held at the Aloha Beach Bar at East Coast Park, was attended by the Ambassador of France to Singapore, Mr Stephen Marchisio.

Paddlers compete in three categories – open, women’s and mixed teams, racing across a 5.25km distance. Though the majority of them are aged between 30 and 60, the youngest paddler is a 16-year-old, while the oldest is 70.

Competition can be intense – though the canoeists form a tight-knit community, they take the va’a races very seriously. 

“I train on my own, quite a bit. I would do around 10, 12k during the week, and around 15k on a Saturday,” said Sarah Burke, 56.

She is the coach and captain of the British team, whom her husband Chris, 53, is also a part of.

An experienced dragon boater, Burke began outrigger canoeing in the off-season while living in Hong Kong, and began competing in it in 2012, before moving to Singapore in 2021. 

Like Burke, most of the canoeists have experience in dragon boating, or another paddling sport.

A former paddler with the Singapore national senior dragon boat team, Catherine Loke, 53, enjoys outrigger canoeing because it allows her to go out into the sea and island hop.

A freelance dragon boat coach, Loke and the Singapore team trained up to four times a week leading up to the competition, fitting in sessions around work and other lifestyle commitments. 

More than their love of the sport, outrigger canoeing has also created a sense of camaraderie and community for the paddlers, many of whom come back year after year to compete in the COO. 

A milestone is on the horizon. Three years ago, the Va’a Association of Singapore (VAS) put in a successful bid for the Republic to host the 2026 World Sprint Championships. Held from Aug 17 to 30 at Marina Bay, it will be the first time the championships take place in Asia, with an anticipated turnout of 3,500 athletes. 

For VAS president Mike Matthews, the world championships are a significant milestone, not an endgame.

In recent years, the 62-year-old Kiwi has spearheaded efforts to raise the sport’s profile locally. He is also aiming to promote interest in outrigger canoeing across South-east Asia, with the ambition of making it a SEA Games event one day.

“That’s (SEA Games) another five-year vision.... so that then creates a pathway for a lot more of the youth to come and get involved in the sport,” said the head of growth of a software company.

“It’s what the sport brings, in terms of that development of the individuals and learning to come together as a team... that team trust, and the communication, and courage and strength, those things, it’s what brings all that together.”

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