Joined OCC: December 24, 1956
Elected to Winged “O”: August 30, 1971
Oral History Part 1
Oral History Part 2
For two decades, Mike Holmes excelled at volleyball, surfing, sailing and paddling and represented the OCC in various state and national athletic competitions.
Born in Alameda, California on November 10, 1941, Mike moved to Hawaii at the age of four. At Punahou School, he was a member of the six-man varsity rowing crew. While attending Arizona State in Temple, where he received a B.S. in real estate, he excelled in freestyle and breaststroke events on the swimming team which was coached by former Olympics coach Dick Smith.
As a champion volleyball player, Mike was a member of the OCC team that won the National AAU Championship in 1967. He was state AA indoor doubles volleyball champion in both 1966 and 1967 and state outdoor volleyball doubles champion the same two years. From 1964 to 1968, he played on the OCC six-man volleyball team which won the state championship for five years straight.
As a surfer, Mike was the OCC surfing champion in 1970 and the previous year was the OCC representative to the Peruvian Surfing Championship.
A seasoned paddler, Mike was a member of the 1965 and 1968 Molokai to Oahu winning crews. The 1968 record stood until another Outrigger crew broke it in 1975.
Mike started learning how to sail under Cline Mann’s tutelage in the late 1960s. He finished first in the state for season points in Hobie 14 competitive ratings. He was the OCC’s 1975 Hobie 14 champion. In 1972 and 1975 he represented the OCC in the Hobie 14 World Championships and U.S. National Championships, placing 14th and 13th, respectively.
Mike’s service to the Club is long and varied. He chaired the Beach and Water Safety Committee, the Surfing, Volleyball and Sailing committees and served on the Canoe Racing Committee. He was Athletic Committee chair and was Club Captain in 1974. In 1973 he coached all of the women’s canoe racing crews and saw them win several state championship titles.
Mike spent time tutoring Junior ‘Riggers interested in learning race techniques in sailing.