The Moloka’i Hoe is back after a four-year absence. The legendary va’a race is scheduled for Sunday, October 13 in Hawaii. It will be broadcast live on TV on Polynésie la premiere. For this 72nd edition, only two Tahitian teams are participating: Shell va’a, reigning champion and Popora te hoe mamu.
The last edition of the Moloka’i Hoe dates back to 2019. Covid and then the fires in the city of Lahaina on Maui forced the organizers to cancel the event four years in a row. It is therefore a highly anticipated return announced last May by the organizer: the O’ahu Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association (OHCRA).
We could not organize this race without having been invited by the population of the island. It took the time it needed, we should not impose anything, especially after the health crisis, after the fires in Lahaina. We wanted to reconnect with the community as was the case before, inviting the rowers to better understand the culture and peaceful life in order to protect it for future generations.
Kapula Schultz, president of OHCRA
The V6 race, 76 kilometers long linking the island of Moloka’i to that of Oahu, is one of the most prestigious in the world. A great moment that Polynésie La 1ère invites you to follow live and exclusively from 7:30 a.m. on television, with Maruki Dury.
Two Polynesian teams are competing: Popora te hoe mamu and Shell va’a.
The Bora Bora team is aiming for the podium. The athletes have been preparing since August and leave with confidence.
We have the means! We are just two local teams from Tahiti, Shell and us. I’m not going to underestimate the Hawaiian teams but with the absence of the other Tahiti teams, we have a much better chance of being on the podium.
Marc Manate, president of the Popora te hoe mamu club
Main difficulties in the eyes of the president: the “three-way change” who is “very technical“, the body of water that they don’t necessarily know well and the swell. “We checked the weather forecast, there will be surf tomorrow, as usual: Moloka’i Hoe has never been calm. It will be more difficult, especially if the waves come from the side” indicates Marc Manate. They are obviously counting on the support of families. The delegation is made up of 17 people including nine rowers in total.
The second Polynesian team, Shell va’a, is a strong opponent. Reigning champion, the team already holds twelve victories in this event and a speed record. No secret, the athletes are on the water from dawn to master the technique. And, it’s quite an art.
The basis is the pressure, the length, the adaptation of the oar stroke with the glide of the canoe, the homogeneity of the team, the quality of the oar stroke.
David Tepava, coach of Shell va’a
The team is made up of young people: all are under 25 years old. Two new recruits have arrived this year: the first comes from the EDT club and the second, Vairoa Teraiharoa, is from Bora Bora. He considers the club to be an elite school in the discipline. These newcomers can rely on the expertise of their comrades. “There are three elders left. It’s up to us to provide the experience for the youth” underlines Sly Ly Sao, a member of the club for seven years.
Other clubs from different countries around the world also made the trip to Hawaii. In all, seventy-five teams of men will set off on Sunday morning in junior, open and veteran categories up to over 70 years old, or more than a thousand rowers.
The “Aloha Festival” was held for several weeks on the archipelago with the Moloka’i Hoe race to close the festivities.
Upon returning from the Moloka’i, the Tahitian crews will continue two weeks later with the Hawaiki nui va’a.
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