The Hurricane changed the game when it was created by Mike Giblin two decades ago. Today nearly all canoes produced have specifications that resemble the Hurricane. A lot that was right about the canoe then is still right today. While newer designs may work better in rough water, many insist that the Hurricane is still the fastest canoe in flat water.

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The Hurricane was the first of the new breed of low volume canoes. Bucking the trend of high volume hull design, the Hurricane was just 20’6” long while contemporary canoes were around 23 feet. It was quickly accepted by smaller paddlers and few disputed that it was the canoe of choice for flat water racing and time trials. After wins in perhaps every event in Hawaii, including Molokai and Pailolo Channel races, the idea that it was a flat-water-only canoe faded. The Hurricane holds the title of the best-selling OC-1 ever.

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The design’s success was the result of the use of computer-aided design, parametrically generated hull shapes, and CNC prototyping and tooling long before others would follow. The idea was to design and build the optimal hull for an average-sized advanced paddler. If it was fast in the flats, it would probably do well in other conditions too. An efficient hull is both versatile and timeless.

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Simple, sleek, and fast, there is a lot to love about the Hurricane.