 "Photo: Aaron Gould")
Constantly in action, Vice President of Student Services Richard MacLennan and his Olympic College graduate son Scott MacLennan have used athletic activity as a method of staying close and keeping entertained.
As of late, the pair’s main physical outputs have included paddling outrigger canoes and playing Ultimate Frisbee as part of an OC Club of the same name, which was founded by the younger MacLennan.
According to Rick MacLennan, he and his son have been paddling with Silverdale Outrigger Canoe Club for two years. Seasons in the club start in early spring and involve racing one-man, two-man and six-man canoes in various competitions throughout the Pacific Northwest.
“It is all about the paddles hitting the water together at the same time,” said Rick MacLennan. “Getting the thrust of the canoe at exactly the same spot that separates one canoe from the next. It is actually really competitive and really fun to watch and be a part of.”
According to Scott MacLennan, the first part of the paddling season involves 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meter sprints. Later in the summer distance competitions become regular, which involve races 10 miles in length and further.
Culture plays a fundamental role in the Silverdale Outrigger Canoe Club. According to Rick MacLennan, the history and ways of the Polynesian, Tahitian and Hawaiian people are infused with outrigger paddling.
“It is much more symbolic than just getting in a canoe and racing,” said Rick MacLennan. “There is a lot of respect for the canoe. There are ceremonies for getting in the canoe, and ceremonies for getting out.”
Despite competing in different paddling classes, the father and son find themselves competing against each other. Rick MacLennan competes in a class for paddlers age 50 and up while Scott MacLennan competes in a class for the strongest, and usually youngest, paddlers.
According to Rick MacLennan, the Silverdale Outrigger Canoe Club is the best paddling club in the region for the sprint season, although ineligibility in certain classes prevents them from officially earning the title.
In keeping fit out of the water, Scott MacLennan founded the OC Ultimate Frisbee Club one year ago. His father became involved with the sport to increase the available player depth. According to Scott MacLennan, the club is set to continue for the future.
“Hopefully it passes on,” said Scott MacLennan. “I thought there would be a lot of people who would be interested. We don’t have enough players to make a team to play against other teams, we play with ,and against, each other.”
After graduating from OC spring quarter, Scott MacLennan transferred to Western Washington University with the intention of majoring in Environmental Science. While there, he intends to take part in Ultimate Frisbee, rock climbing and mountain biking.
Rick MacLennan has displayed interest in recruiting OC students for various paddling related activities.
"We’re actually thinking about bringing one of the canoes onto campus and seeing if there is any possible student interest,” said Rick MacLennan. “It kind of makes sense in the Puget Sound.”
After suffering a series of injuries, the pair missed the final paddling race of the year. As a result of scheduling conflicts with his studies at WWU, Scott MacLennan is set to miss the sprinting portion of the next paddling season.
As father and son begin to venture in separate directions, plans to stay active together are held in high regard.
“You just want to be a family that can talk to each other about whatever is going on,” said Rick MacLennan. “It’s probably pretty likely that the window of this stuff is starting to close a little bit, but that’s not to say there won’t be an opportunity to paddle again in the future.”
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