Huntington Beach now offers outrigger canoe surfing

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Surfers pack the waters around Huntington Beach Pier almost everyday, but now, right alongside them, the city has introduced outrigger canoe surfing.

"A lot of people are apprehensive about surfing, and this gives people that maybe have injuries or disabilities the opportunity to ride waves -- or maybe (those) who have never experienced riding an outrigger before, this gives them the opportunity to do that," said the founder of the program, Rocky McKinnon.

The pilot program, called Bold as Love, is the dream of McKinnon, an avid surfer who sees it as a way to bring people together. Outrigger canoeing isn't new to California, but surfing waves using an outrigger has never been offered by a city like this before. It's free and open to anyone living in or visiting Surf City.

"It's actually going to be really inclusive for people who don't surf but come to Surf City -- that's who we are. You don't have to get on a surf board, you don't have to learn how to stand up, you don't have to catch the wave yourself, but you can do all that by getting into this outrigger," said Huntington Beach resident Tina Toulouse.

"When you're surfing by yourself, you can share it with friends, but the experience is definitely individualized. This, when we're kicking out of a wave, a great ride, we're all high-fiving each other and really get to share the experience with others," said McKinnon.

The current plan is to offer outrigger canoeing in Huntington Beach twice a week for the next three months. If it's popular, the pilot program will be extended.

For updates, you can follow @boldasloveosc on all social media platforms.