Thad Ekstrand was voted to Life Membership in the Outrigger Canoe Club on February 28, 2000 at the Annual Meeting. A member since he was 10 years old, Thad served on many Club committees over his 70+ years of membership and was active in canoe racing, surfing, running and volleyball.
He served on the Board of Directors for five years before being elected President of the Club in 1971.
Thad’s first big canoe race was the first annual Walter J. Macfarlane Regatta in 1943. He was a member of the Senior Men’s crew, steered by Duke Kahanamoku, which won the 4-mile race in the Leilani. His crewmates were Tom Arnott, Bob Bush, Jim Bernie, and John Beaumont. He was also on the winning Senior Men’s crew in 1945 and 1950. After Duke passed away in 1968, the crew met every year on Duke’s birthday to celebrate his life with a paddle.
Thad was a fixture at the Outrigger Canoe Club enjoying everything the Club had to offer from sports to social activities for more than seven decades.
Board of Directors
1966 Director
1967 Director
1968 Director
1969 Vice President Activities
1970 Vice President Operations
1971 President
Admissions & Membership Committee
1965 Member
1976 Member
1977 Co-Chair
1980 Member
1981 Member
1982 Member
1983 Member
1984 Member
1989 Member
1990 Member
1991 Member
Athletic Committee
1944 Member
1945 Member
House Committee
1973 Member
Judges of Election Committee
1958 Member
1959 Member
1960 Member
1961 Member
1962 Member
1963 Member
1965 Member
1988 Member
Long Range Planning Committee
1972 Member
1975 Member
1982 Member
Nominating Committee
1955 Member
1956 Member
1971 Chair
1972 Member
1974 Member
1984 Chair
1989 Member
Running & Hiking Committee
1977 Member
1978 Member
Sailing Committee
1945 Member
Athletics
Macfarlane Regatta
1943 1st, Senior Men
1945 1st, Senior Men
1945 1st, 12-Men Relay
1950 1st, Senior Men
Regattas
1059 1st, Kamehameha Day Regatta, Open Men
Volleyball
1944 6-Man Open Volleyball Champions
1945 6-Man Open Volleyball Champions
1950 1st Men Open 6 Champions
1969 1st Club 75+ Champs with Tom Haine
Honolulu Marathon
1975 4:25:10
1977 4:54:25
Running Plaques
1975 3,000-miles
1977 4,000 miles
1982 8,000 miles
1985 10,000 miles