Entries by mike
Into the Vortex – a first hand review of the Unlimited OC6
The Backstory We are a group of avid paddlers from Florida. We started our club, Kai Aniani, about 7 years ago. Our first canoe was a light weight carbon Mirage built in Hawaii by Outrigger Connection. Our second canoe was Spec Mirage and the third was a Bradley Lightning. We also own a Fai V3 […]
New OC6 UNLEASHED
A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries; a world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you. -The Matrix Da nana… Da nana. OK, its not that great, but it’s close. Working on the first hull, all I could think was. “where were these things back then?” […]
Welcome Johnny Puakea and Ehukai
Hi Everyone, Were really excited to welcome Johnny Puakea into the Ozone ohana! Johnny recently came to the factory and here is some of his pictures from the visit. Johnny says: “Just back from Outrigger Zone factory. We got the Ehukai plug cut on the CNC machine and worked out a lot of the details with the […]
The 15-1/2 pound Storm is the strongest canoe we’ve ever built.
That’s right, stronger and lighter. Some people will say it isn’t possible. Some might scoff and say they’re too light to be durable. But if you’re reading this article on your smartphone you already know that progress marches on. The typical approach to saving weight is to use less material, keep tight control of how […]
What is the difference between a “custom” Hawaiian built canoe, and the canoes built in the Ozone Factory?
Vacuum Bag and Carbon Replaces Hand Laminate Fiberglass When we first started making canoes in 1991 most canoes were hand-laminated fiberglass and polyester. Some builders were using foam cores and coremat and vacuum-bagging the laminates. Since then the biggest change happened in the early 1990s when builders switched from fiberglass and polyester resin to carbon […]
Unlimited Olamau
The 2012 Olamau Race was a three day, 90 mile canoe race that allows teams to paddle unlimited OC-6 canoes from Maliko to Napili on Maui, then crossing the Pailolo Channel to Molokai, and then the Kaiwi Channel to Oahu. The organizers, Right Arm, plan to change the venue each year making each event a unique experience. […]
Were in! – Our New Facility
With an unlimited OC-6 in the near future, and our increased production already feeling cramped, we were looking for a bigger building, but the right building never came along. Finally in the spring of 2012 we found the right place and it was right around the corner, 200 meters away!!!! We took the plunge and […]
Two months on the Storm
Back in March, about a week before the Olamau race, we got the first batch of Storms in Hawaii. I spent most of April and May paddling the Storm on Maliko, Keanae, and Napili runs. As the designer, I tend to scrutinize every detail, but after two months of paddling I wouldn’t change a thing. […]
The Storm Is Coming
It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since we started making the Hurricane. Even in its 15th year we sold over a hundred of them. A fast hull is a fast hull, but a lot has changed since I designed the canoe. When I started designing the Storm I had very specific goals in […]