Bio
Thibert Luissia'a is a versatile outrigger paddler who has mastered the six-man sprint distance and dominated one-man canoe racing and long distance change races. Thibert came into paddling with a determined attitude and an absolute commitment to his training. In 1991, after only four months of training, he paddled his first OC-1 Kaiwi Challenge, and in his first year of being on Kai ‘Opua’s top men’s crew, won first in the Open Men in the Queen Liliuokalani.

As a member of Team New Zealand/Hawai’i, Thibert helped paddle to victory in the 2003 Moloka’i Hoe channel crossing (the unofficial world championship for change races).

He says, “It [the Moloka’i Hoe] was a completion of a lifetime dream, but my most proud and important moment was taking a crew of disabled paddlers across the finish line to a gold medal in the 2004 World Sprint.”

In addition to his own rigorous training schedule, Thibert honors his Tahitian heritage by teaching young people about paddling and how to respect the ocean. He directs ocean events around Hawai’i including the Keiki Surf Classic, the Kuki’o Challenge (swim/run/paddle), the Kuki’o Blue Water Swim (a 1.2-mile open-ocean swim) and the Kuki’o Members Canoe Regatta. To Thibert, outrigger canoeing is much more than a physical pastime; it's a lifestyle and an art.

Environmental Projects
"I respect and believe in Patagonia’s environmental cause – to give back. And for the high quality that they maintain in their products.

"I help to increase the awareness and education of our community in regards to the importance of keeping our ocean clean and healthy. I educate the youth through paddling. I’m humbled and honored by the opportunity given to me to pursue what I love to do…. live a grass roots lifestyle, in return for sharing and helping others."

Quotable
"I feel most alive when paddling all alone on one of my favorite downhill runs called Keokea, with the wind at 25 mph blowing at my back, it’s like dancing with Mother Nature."