Joined OCC: July 17, 1969
Elected to Winged “O”: February 24, 2003
Mark Rigg spent his childhood years on the beach at the Outrigger Canoe Club, surfing, paddling, paddle boarding, and playing volleyball. After becoming a member of the Club in 1966, he stopped participating for the fun of it, and started competing in these sports in his early teens.
He excelled in volleyball at Punahou winning four varsity state championship titles. As a result, Mark was awarded a scholarship to Pepperdine University where he was a two-time All-American and a member of the NCAA championship team. Mark also competed in surfing contests including the annual OCC Surf Meet, and quickly become a force in local paddleboard events.
After returning to Hawaii, Mark accumulated numerous state sand volleyball titles, and became a primary player in one of the most successful runs Outrigger Canoe Club had in the Molokai Hoe six-man canoe championships, winning in 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990. He has been an integral part of the winning crews for the Hamilton Cup in Australia, and the Liberty Cup in New York.
Mark’s love for water sports competition took him to one-man canoe racing where he won the Kanaka Ikaika Solo Challenge, racing across the Molokai Channel to Oahu, in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He has also been a winner in the annual Kaiwi Relay in 1998, 1999, and 2001.
One of Mark’s greatest accomplishments has been to coach his daughters, Kelsey and Ali, in paddling and in volleyball for the Club, and to pass the experience he has gained on to the next generation of young athletes at the Club. Mark Rigg deserves to be in the Winged “O” and the Outrigger Canoe Club is proud to embrace him.