Five decades ago, women didn't have approval to race with outrigger canoes across the Ka‘iwi Channel. Men believed the 40.8 mile trek was too strenuous, and therefore dangerous.
That changed in 1975, when a pair of crews in Healani Canoe Club and Team Onipa‘a both crossed. The accomplishment of both crews led to the creation of Na Wahine O Ke Kai, which has been held on an annual basis since 1979, with only a handful of exceptions. Extreme conditions led to cancellations in 1980 and 2015, while the COVID-19 pandemic and Maui Wildfires meant no iterations of Na Wahine O Ke Kai from 2020 to 2023 were held.
Fifty years later, the spirit of the initial 1975 race lives on. The event, initially called "Women of the Sea" before officially becoming Na Wahine O Ke Kai in 1979, continues to serve as an important celebration of women and Hawaiian culture.
"It means a lot," Georgette Reis-Moniz tells Aloha State Daily. When she was a senior at Kailua High School, Reis-Moniz was one of the original competitors in the 1975 event, competing for Healani. "Women were always kapu from a lot of things. But actually, we're the heart and soul of everything.
"You look at the young kids, I just get all teary-eyed, because what they have now, we never had. We had to fight for it. And when we was in the boat, those days, they made you rest."
The 2025 Na Wahine O Ke Kai is set to take place on Sunday, beginning at Hale O Lono Harbor on Moloka‘i. Each canoe, which consists of six paddlers, will paddle 40.8 miles across the Ka‘iwi channel for a race that ends in Waikīkī.
Over 1,000 paddlers competed in the 2024 Na Wahine O Ke Kai, which was won by O‘ahu-based Team Bradley, who crossed the finish line in approximately five hours and 45 minutes. Before the unplanned hiatus from 2020 to 2023, Team Bradley won four straight titles. Heading into Sunday, they'll head into the race as five-time defending champions.
While the goal for many is to finish first, finishing in itself is viewed as a worthwhile accomplishment to competitors.
"That is like the greatest feeling," says Lisa Kaluhiwa, who is set to compete with Keahiakahoe Canoe Club on Sunday. "Let's say you didn't come in first place or 10th place or top 25 but you finished. It's an accomplishment, and it's hard to explain, but it's something inside that you're so proud of yourself that you crossed the Ka‘iwi channel and you went from the island of Moloka‘i 41 miles down to O‘ahu. That is an accomplished in itself, no matter what place you came in."
As one of the self-described senior members of the team, Kaluhiwa says she's seen her share of first-time competitors over the years. She tells them to embrace the moment, which stems from months of preparation.
"The advice I tend to give to them is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate," Kaluhiwa said. "Stay focused. Battle hard, but have fun.
"It's just a wonderful feeling. Being part Hawaiian, and living here in Hawai‘i, it's amazing to just see how the culture is still thriving and moving forward."
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter. ASD is a sponsor of this yearʻs Na Wahine O Ke Kai.
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
