Twenty Years of Adaptive Paddling: Celebrating Makapo Aquatics at the Newport Aquatic Center
On the evening of September 19, 2026, the Newport Aquatic Center Boathouse became something extraordinary. Guests arrived to the sound of Anthony Kauka Stanley and Chief Tama, were greeted with a fresh orchid lei, and stepped into an evening that felt less like a fundraiser and more like a homecoming.
The occasion was the Makapo Aquatics 20th Anniversary Luau — and we were honored to host it.
A Partnership Rooted in Inclusion
Twenty years ago, five blind paddlers — the NAC Blindsiders — were steered by Billy Whitford in the 2006 Queen Liliuokalani Outrigger Race. Shortly thereafter, Makapo Aquatics found a home at the NAC. What began as a conversation about whether people with disabilities could compete in outrigger canoe racing has grown into one of the most distinctive adaptive sports programs in the country — and one of the most meaningful partnerships in NAC’s history.
For two decades, Makapo has used our facility, our water, and our community to serve paddlers of all abilities. Their programs include adaptive outrigger paddling, a therapeutic paddling program, Team Mixed Plate, Ohana Day community events, and Team USA Para Outrigger competition. Every program is built on the same belief that drives everything we do at NAC: that the water is for everyone.
An Evening to Remember
The 20th Anniversary Luau brought together paddlers past and present, donors, community partners, and friends — many of whom have been part of the Makapo journey since the very beginning. Former paddlers and coaches returned to celebrate alongside current athletes, filling the boathouse with stories that stretched back to the earliest days of the organization.
The evening featured paddler spotlights that gave guests an intimate look at the lives Makapo has touched. The dancers of Moana Nui from Orange, California brought the spirit of the islands to the cocktail hour, and the evening closed with a moving Hawaii Aloha performed by Anthony Kauka Stanley and Chief Tama — a moment that brought every person in the room to their feet.
Celebrating Excellence on the Water
The evening was also an opportunity to recognize the Makapo Para Outrigger Team, who were honored with the Most Inspirational Team award at the Catalina US Championships. These athletes train and compete at the highest level while representing what adaptive sport can look like when a community truly invests in its people. We are proud to call them part of the NAC family.
A New Chapter: Adaptive Rowing at NAC
The Luau was more than a celebration of the past. It was the launch of Makapo’s next chapter — and ours.
Adaptive Rowing is coming to the Newport Aquatic Center. Led in part by the vision of Weston Cole, whose leadership brought two NAC programs together, this new program will expand access to the water across Orange County and beyond. It is a natural extension of what Makapo and NAC have built together, and a milestone moment for adaptive sport at this facility.
Malia and Kelly
We look forward to growing this program alongside our Makapo partners and welcoming a new community of adaptive athletes to the NAC.
Evenings like this do not happen without extraordinary people. We are grateful to the sponsors who made the Luau possible: King’s Hawaiian, the Taira Family, Wente Family Vineyards, the Ben Carson Memorial Foundation, the Shah Family, the De Rama Family, and every table sponsor who invested in this mission.
We are especially grateful to Dennis and Jennifer Silva for the warmth and creativity they brought to the evening, and to Maui Shave Ice, Chris Beltran, and the dancers of Moana Nui for making the night truly memorable.
To the volunteers who made it all run — the Para Outrigger Team, the NAC Outrigger Team members, the National Charity League’s Orange/Villa Park chapter, and Home Depot — thank you. And to photographers Chris Beltran, Jimmy Name, and Erick Sydney for preserving these memories for our community.
Finally, a happy birthday to Rob Octavio — Makapo’s head coach and a beloved member of the NAC family. We are glad you celebrated here! Here’s to twenty more years on the water together!
