About us

Hurricane OCC - A Force of Nature

Over the past 15 years, we have become one of the largest and strongest clubs in Western Australia and a top national competitor. We are incredibly proud to have placed 2nd in the 2024 AOCRA National Marathon Titles and we will continue to strive for state and national medals.

Our Clubhouse

Our clubhouse is supported by the Town of East Fremantle and is our headquarters for training, competitions, fundraisers and regular social gatherings that include Thursday night BBQs.  

We have a well-equipped gym as well as bathrooms and a shower. Maintaining the club is a team-effort and with everyone pitching in to clean the club and stock the fridge.  

Our Craft

Our club craft include a variety of heavy and light weight OC1, OC2, OC3 and OC6 canoes. These are available to members during training sessions and can be booked for personal use.  We actively fundraise to purchase new equipment so that members benefit from training in a variety of canoes.

Club storage is available to members subject to space and for an additional annual fee.  Currently, we have more than 50 personal OC1s stored at the club.

Our Members

We value family, community and competition, which is reflected in our 70+ strong, growing membership. From social paddlers to national champions, from juniors to seniors, we welcome people of all ages and all stages in their paddling journey. 

We have an equal number of male and female members, while 10% are junior members.

We are particularly proud of our junior members and their families. Over the past few years, they have worked tirelessly and we are now seeing great results thanks to our dedicated junior coordinating team and our comprehensive development program.

LIFE MEMBERS & SERVICE TO THE CLUB

There are so many individuals who have helped build our club and continue to do so today. In particular, we acknowledge the following for their service.

Graeme Smith

Life Member

Debbie Celenza

Life Member

Peter Meuwissen

Service to the Club

Katerina Vichou

Service to the Club

Our History

From dragon boats to outrigger canoes.
Situated on the banks of the beautiful Swan River in East Fremantle, Hurricane OCC was established in 2009, initially as a dragon boat club.
 
Driven by a small group of individuals determined to compete at a high level nationally and internationally, our culture of camaraderie and competition was established. Progressively, the club transitioned into outrigger canoes and we no longer paddle dragon boats. 
 
Learn more about our rich history in the Early Years & Timeline section.

Governance

Hurricane OCC is a registered not for profit club run by enthusiastic volunteers. We pride ourselves on being open, inclusive, and putting the club before personal interests. 

An important part of our AGM held every year in September is the election of our club committee to represent members in stewarding our finances, assets, organization and supporting our paying members.

The Committee is responsible for all aspects of club management and operations as well as maintaining club policies, which consist of the:

  • Rules of Association
  • Code of Conduct
  • Crew Selection Policy
  • Risk Management Policy
  • Health and Safety Policy
  • Guideline for Interacting with Children Policy
  • Media Policy
  • Privacy Policy

OUR COMMITTEE

Hurricane OCC’s 2024-25 committee comes with an immense wealth of knowledge, history, experience and ideas to continue moving our club forward.

Gordon Stimon

President

Justin Bloomfield

Vice President

Derek Jones

Admin

Sharon Corsbie

Secretary

Geoff Bryant

Team Manager

Gail Bricknell

Treasurer

Arlina Sulaiman

Membership

Peta Long

Junior Coordinator

Sunita Sebastian

Committee Member

Beate R

Committee Member

Simone Wheeler

Committee Member

Vivienne Wigg

Committee Member

OUR COACHES

Our qualified coaches ensure every training session is constructive and fun. 

Leigh Bricknell

Head Coach

Tori Vidler

Coach

Gordon Stimson

Coach

Greg Long

Coach

Marco Celenza

Coach

Justin Bloomfield

Coach

AOCRA

Hurricane OCC is a member of the Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association (AOCRA).  Several Hurricane members sit on the AOCRA committee in Western Australia (WAZA), and Hurricane hosts AOCRA events throughout the race season. We also compete in national events and help to develop junior talent with AOCRA’s support.

AOCRA requires that all members of outrigger clubs across Australia are members of AOCRA. For more information, visit https://aocra.com.au/