The O‘ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association will wrap up its 2026 season on Sunday with the Molokai Hoe, a 40.8 mile journey that begins in Molokai then ends in O‘ahu after teams cross the Ka‘iwi Channel.
In the 2026 edition, a total of 104 crews from over four countries and multiple states will compete. In the 2025 race, Tahiti's Team OPT won the Molokai Hoe for the first time, dethroning three-time defending champion Shell Va'a, another team based in Tahiti.
"It's more than just excitement now," OHCRA race director Kapuni Patcho told Aloha State Daily at Monday's Molokai Hoe Expo. "Everybody's getting to the point where they want to compete at the highest level and really test the limits, but not to a point to where camaraderie is not part of it."
Weather conditions are promising ahead of Sunday's Molokai Hoe, considered one of OHCRA's flagship races. The other, Na Wahine O Ke Kai, was canceled ahead of its scheduled Sept. 27 date due to storm conditions ahead of the race.
Canceling the Na Wahine O Ke Kai, a women's-only race that the OHCRA prides itself in, was not a decision organizers took lightly.
"I don't think we slept. A lot of sleepless nights" Patcho recalls in the days leading up to and following the cancelation. "My wife was supposed to cross, too. But safety is the number one thing. It really is. I don't think you can put anybody's safety in danger."
Ahead of the Molokai Hoe, a team of over 30 team members and volunteers secured 72 rigged, race-ready canoes at Hale O Lono to protect paddlers against Nolo in preparation for the race.
Spectators can watch the finish of the Molokai Hoe for free in Waikīkī, where crews in the running for the title are expected to arrive at around 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 11.
When asked what comes to mind about the tradition of the race, Patcho, who will be among the paddlers competing for Healani Canoe Club, replied: "Legacy. I think that's what it is. ... A lot of us have great grandparents, grandparents, parents who themselves (competed)."
Now, they have their kids dialing in it.
"I think we're still competitive, but we understand that family comes first. So, we're still going to give our best shot, and we're going to compete at our best level. But at the same time, we're just enjoying it now, and it's more of the fulfillment, because we all have kids and they're all talented. When we get to see them put paddles in their hands, and I think for them to see us crossing the channel, it's a full circle. Like, hey, you guys are gonna be up next soon."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
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