Beginners's luck? Hardly.
Ihilani Vaʻa, a new entrant in the Na Wahine O Ke Kai field, won the race in its first year competing in it on Sunday. The team, which consists of paddlers from Hawai‘i and Tahiti, unseated Team Bradley, which won the previous five iterations of the race.
On Sunday, 73 outrigger canoe paddling teams consisting exclusively of women gathered in Molokai, trekking 40.8 miles across the Ka‘iwi Channel and finishing at Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon in Waikīkī. Ihilani Va'a was the first to do it on Sunday, crossing in five hours, 51 minutes and four seconds, finishing just 45 seconds ahead of Team Bradley.
For a team that came together as quickly as it did, celebration is warranted.
"I'm gonna eat ice cream," said Donna Kahakui, a member of Ihilani Va'a, just minutes after crossing. "I think we're just gonna spend time together, appreciate the moment. This is a lifetime dream. ... To come in and do this is a gift from the Gods."
Previous trips to Tahiti allowed Kahakui, a native of Papakōlea, to gel with her teammates.
"I've been very fortunate to be able to paddle with Tahitians over all these years. And then Ihilani, they allowed me to come down to Tahiti and paddle with them and learn and try to get better in my skills," Kahakui said. "When they wanted to come, we said we'll try to help you if you need. ... We so appreciate being able to paddle with the Tahitians.
"Ihilani Is a club, they come together. They love one another. They're a family, pretty much like Team Bradley," Kahakui said. "They come together. They consider themselves a family. So today, they did it for each other. ... We did the best we could for them, and we're on the right side today, and we're very feeling very fortunate."
Kahakui, a Na Wahine O Ke Kai veteran, last won the race in 1992 with Outrigger.
"To be able to cross the channel and win, I mean, I am beyond words to be able to win this race after so many years," she said. "I've been across this channel many times and fighting and sometimes you lose a lot, you get the second or the third. So, for this one, to be able to hold on, and we held on together, it was amazing. Shoutout to Team Bradley, who kept it real."
Team Bradley entered Sunday's race winners of five straight Na Wahine O Ke Kai competitions from 2016 to 2019, as well as when the race returned from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2024. Team Bradley, an O‘ahu-based team, has 13 titles in total, the most in Na Wahine O Ke Kai history.
"They're amazing," Kahakui said. "Team Bradley is formidable. However, we did come in to try to build the women's program in Tahiti. ... But Bradley, there's nothing bad to be said about Team Bradley. They have made their mark, and they're amazing paddlers, and we feel very fortunate."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
