Steve West with Luciano Meneghello

Steve West is certainly among the world’s greatest writers, educators and coaches on ocean sports. Skilled in both water and grammar, this British waterman began his career writing about sports for magazines after studying journalism in England over 40 years ago, during which time he also worked as a professional windsurfer.

Over the years, his interest in other water sports grew, especially Polynesian canoeing. From 1994 to 2005, he wrote ten books on Polynesian canoeing, which were published through his publishing company, Kanu Culture, which he created in partnership with his wife and collaborator, Mandy West.

Born in a former British colony in West Africa, Steve moved permanently to Australia, from where he could travel to the Polynesian islands and do his research more easily. Living in Australia Steve had the chance to train alongside water sports legends such as Travis Grant, Chris Maynard and Jamie Mitchell, just to name a few. In 1995, Kanu Culture Ocean Sports Publications, were created.

In 2005 when this series ended he dove head first into three years of research, combined with the know-how acquired through years of experience as a journalist and writer, to launch what is considered one of the best and most complete books on va’a that exist: A Paddler’s Guide to Outrigger Canoeing Book – The Ancient Sport of Kings which accompanies his best selling book, Outrigger Canoeing - The Art and Skill of Steering.

In a single book, you can learn about history, canoe construction and paddling techniques with an impressive wealth of detail. It is no coincidence that the pages of this book have served and continue to serve as a reference for countless articles on va’a history and techniques (some of which, unfortunately, fail to credit the source). The “Paddler’s Guide” had a huge impact when it was released, giving Steve West even more credibility as a paddler and historian of Polynesian sports culture.

Dani Gay, coach of the Hawaiian outrigger club Lanikai CC, tells a curious story that shows the quality and respect that West’s works have earned:

‘When Paddler’s Guide was released, I asked Gerard Teiva (Shell Va’a’s coach at the time) where he got his concepts of theory and technique that he applied to his team, which at the time was on the rise. He replied: “I read every Steve West book I could find”, says the coach.

The release of this book coincided with the rise of a sport that would soon become a worldwide craze: stand up paddleboarding. Steve then began to practice and study this new sport, writing a book on the subject over the next five years, commissioned by publishers in England and Australia.

In 2012, he published Stand Up Paddle – A Paddler's Guide Book, another huge and well-deserved success, given the wealth and quality of the information contained in the book. The positive response to his work led to an invitation to provide consultancy services to Mistral, where he has been involved in numerous projects since then, ranging from designing board materials to producing advertising materials and training athletes.

His most recent books are OC1 – A Paddler's Guide Book and V1 – A Paddler's Guide Book, both released in 2014 and focused on technical aspects and training. An interesting fact about OC1 – A Paddlers Guide Book is a beautiful double-page photo of Brazilian champion Gabi Ferreira published in the book.

Today, Steve West continues to work as a consultant for companies in the sector and, alongside his wife, Mandy, researching and writing articles on water sports. In addition to his career as a writer and journalist, he has also built a respectable reputation as a coach, having coached the Fiji national team at the South Pacific Games for seven years and was the National Outrigger Canoeing Coaching Director for Australia for six years.

His works are read and recommended by the world's paddlers and coaches. Without a doubt, they are essential reading for any lover of Polynesian sports.

Luciano Meneghello - Além da Notícia

Author of the book "Raiz, uma viagem pela origens do surfe, canoa polinésia, stand up paddle e prone paddleboard", Luciano is the Editor-in-Chief of Aloha Spirit Mídia and a pioneer in the production of content aimed at water sports. He was the founder of Fluir Standup Magazine and the SupClub website and has articles published in several media outlets in the segment, such as Go Outside magazine, Hardcore magazine, Alma Surf, Waves website, among others.