“It lives elsewhere in the Pacific but up here in the Northern Pacific, it’s crucial for us to make sure this survives.”
WAIKIKI, Hawaii (KHON2) — The 2024 Molokai Hoe World Championships have concluded, with 76 crews from around the world racing from Molokai to Waikiki beach.
Shell Vaʻa took first place in this year’s Molokai Hoe, paddling 40.8 miles across the Kaʻiwi Channel.
As the festivities conclude, KHON2 was joined by kumu and cultural and community leader Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu to discuss the importance of keeping the race alive.
According to Kumu Hina, the Molokai Hoe is “a perpetuation of culture, but our cultural ways.”
“When we all come down to the shoreline, this is the way we ho’okipa and the way we receive the canoes and have traveled over miles of the ocean. This is what we’re supposed to do,” Hina explained.
One recurring theme of the Molokai Hoe is the junior division where participants range from 15 to 17 years old. The division is proof that the tradition will continue to grow for generations.
Kumu Hina started paddling in high school at 13 years old.
“That was one of the best things I could’ve ever done. They’re ready for that, they just gotta be put to the test.”
After a four year hiatus, bringing back the Molokai Hoe “ensures that Hawaiian culture and practices lives in Hawaii.”
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“It lives elsewhere in the Pacific but up here in the Northern Pacific, it’s crucial for us to make sure this survives.”